The ALLIANCE Carer Voices programme 2021 review

The Carer Voices programme continued to connect with carers through online events.

In 2021, the ALLIANCE’s Carer Voices project reached incredible milestones in our digital engagement work. The project has always been committed to platforming the voice of unpaid carers, and working closely with health and social care staff to progress the principles of person centredness. This year we’ve been able to connect into new sectors and build new partnerships with Scottish Government directorates, statutory bodies, and third sector organisations.

In 2021 we continued to deliver our ‘You Make a Difference’ events.  We engaged with 13,750 people at 291 digital events, bringing total outreach numbers since the pandemic began, to 22,300 individuals through 413 sessions. Carer Voices also partnered with Social Security Scotland over 2020-2021 to deliver a series of 40+ Intelligent Kindness learning and development sessions across 1,400 staff. The resulting joint flash report incorporates feedback from Social Security Scotland colleagues who participated in the sessions and spoke positively on the impact the sessions had on their work, practice and personal life.

We have been privileged that unpaid carers have connected with us and shared their stories. In January 2021 we launched our Carers Conversation Café, bringing unpaid carers from across Scotland together (virtually) to connect, listen and share with each other. The monthly sessions have functioned as a valuable peer support network, and we look forward to continuing them throughout 2022.

In the summer, we published our latest short film, which placed a spotlight on unpaid carers. Participants joined from Shetland to South Ayrshire, to share what matters most to them when caring for a loved one, with responses including respite, being listened to, and being equal partners in decision making. We also launched our Keep well with Carer Voices animation (this link will take you away from our website) which promotes innovative approaches to wellbeing that had been led by the team throughout the pandemic.

2021 also marked a big anniversary in the life of the project. June saw 10 years since the beginning of National Lead for Caring and Outreach, Tommy Whitelaw’s campaign work Letters, Life and Love Stories (this link will take you away from our website). In June 2011, whilst caring full-time for his mum, Tommy organised a campaign walk across Scotland to speak to carers. To mark this anniversary the Carer Voices team hosted the Inaugural Joan Whitelaw lecture (this link will take you away from our website), held as part of the ALLIANCE Annual Conference. The session, chaired by ALLIANCE Director Irene Oldfather, featured keynote lectures from Henry Simmons, Chief Executive at Alzheimer Scotland, and Maureen Bisognano, Professor Emeritus at Institute for Healthcare Improvement. We also hosted a panel discussion at the Annual Conference on the principles of What Matters to You? (this link will take you away from our website).

In the Autumn, Carer Voices’ National Lead for Caring and Outreach, Tommy Whitelaw, was pleased to be invited by the Cabinet Secretary, Humza Yousaf, to represent the ALLIANCE on the Scottish Government’s Social Covenant Steering Group (this link will take you away from our website). In order to ensure that group members have a safe space to share experiences and reflect informally on discussions, Tommy formed the SCSG Conversation Café.

For a full breakdown of our work, including links to view numerous ALLIANCE Live interviews and case studies published by the team, view our 2021 round up.

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