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• CrossroadsCare
• ActionforChildren–supportingYoungCarers
• Mind–MentalhealthservicesandsupportforCarers • CarersProviderForum
• Carers’Networks
In addition, there are numerous voluntary and community groups offering services in the community, such as luncheon clubs, learning circles, exercise classes, shopping services, book clubs, and so on which can help improve the wellbeing of carers.
Some work has been done to stimulate social enterprise in the region. County Voluntary Councils (CVCs) have facilitated development workshops alongside local agencies with respect to social enterprise but there are resource implications to progressing this further.
CVCs also support a wide range of social enterprises and voluntary and community groups, which collectively make up the third sector. Experienced staff provide information and support on setting up new groups (including legal structures and governing documents); organisational development; good governance; sustainable funding and fundraising and quality assurance.
Communities offer significant assets and social capital that could be utilised to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of carers including:
• Carersthemselves(expertsthroughexperience)
• A network of community buildings offering local access to services, events and
activities
• Avibrantthirdsector
• Activevolunteernetwork–includingformalandinformalvolunteers
• Abeautifulnaturalenvironment,includinganationalcoastalpath
• Communitybasedgroups
• Communityconnectors/communitychampionsbeingdevelopedundertheSSWBA
implementation
• Arts,educational,cultural,andspiritualresources
7.5. Gaps and Areas for Improvement
There are challenges to improving experience and outcomes for carers including:
• Recruitmentandretentionofstafftomanyhealthandsocialcareprovidersandlack of capacity to recruit and support volunteers
• Stretchedbudgets,reductionsingrants,orreducedaccesstograntstothirdsector providers, and short term funding
West Wales Population Assessment March 2017 Carers