Primary and Community Care Development Worker

This post is funded jointly by West Sussex County Council and NHS West Sussex, and aims to:

• Raise the profile and awareness of patient/carer issues amongst primary and community care professionals

• Work with GP and community teams to improve their support to carers

• Ensure that primary care is encouraged and supported to develop systems and protocols that effectively support carers

• Increase 'health awareness' within carers themselves to help reduce demand on GPs and other health care professionals

The Development Worker links with 35 GP practices across Adur, East Arun, Worthing and Chanctonbury.  Each practice has a named 'Carers Link Worker' who has a responsibility to monitor the practice's Carers Register, identify carers and offer a referral to the Carers Support Service, update carers information in the surgery and liaise with the Development Worker on ongoing carer initiatives eg flu jabs for carers, health promotion events.  If you would like to identify the Link Worker in your practice, either ask at Reception, or look for the person wearing the 'Are you a carer - ask me !' badge.

A link to the page on our website showing the 2011 GP practice displays during Carers Week is here.

This work has been ongoing since July 2004, and two reports have been produced on it.  Please click here for the Executive Summary from 2006, and here for the 2008 report.

For more details of this post, please contact Sarah Hancock on 01903 535563.  Sarah's work is highlighted on the Princess Royal Trust for Carers 'Carers Hub'.  Please click here for more details.

This page was last updated 19/12/2011