First staff for new charity to support carers

Carers Guernsey hopes to start offering its services soon and the two new appointments are keen to start developing the charity’s mission to make carers’ lives better.

This week is National Carers Week and Carers Guernsey’s new general manager, Alysa Martel, and outreach worker, Fiona Mansell, will be promoting awareness and attending events to coincide with it.

Mrs Martel, who has previously worked for the States in a policy development role, said the post of manager was not an opportunity she could pass up.

‘I am excited to be helping to build our services at Carers Guernsey from the ground up, to support an under-served population of often unsung heroes, ensuring that their needs are supported and not neglected when their own focus is on the needs of their loved one they provide care for.’

She said there was still some of the initial groundwork to do, but she hoped the charity could start piloting services to help support carers in three months’ time.

‘We’re establishing permanent premises at the moment as we’re currently residing at the Guernsey Community Foundation offices, and we don’t have a phone yet so that is something we’re sorting out,’ she said.

‘We’re also putting together our policies and procedures to make sure we’re in line with GDPR, confidentiality and safe-guarding.’

Following the recommendations of the research report undertaken in 2017 by the Guernsey Community Foundation, the new charity seeks to address the gaps identified in support for unpaid carers of all ages by:

n Providing emotional and practical support;

n Giving carers a voice in matters that affect them;

n Providing a central service for information and advice; and

n Helping to identify and develop various carers services.

Mrs Martel said she and Mrs Mansell would be making connections with carers and the organisations currently supporting them to learn where the gaps are

It will be piloting services in response to identified needs as our network of carers grows.

Mrs Mansell has been a nurse for more than 30 years and is looking forward to working with the charity.

‘I am passionate about caring and feel very privileged and excited to be working for Carers Guernsey. We will soon be in a position to provide support to carers to get to know what specific challenges they face, to be a confidential listening ear, support them to set personal goals and identify ways that we can help carers to access the support they need.’

Carers Guernsey chairman Peter Harwood said the charity had an important role to play in the community. Figures showed that carers saved the States £29m. in costs per year.

‘We have up to 4,000 carers in the Bailiwick,’ he said. ‘Many of whom do not appreciate that they are carers and they don’t understand what support is available to them, or the lack of support.’

He believed both Mrs Martel’s and Mrs Mansell’s skills would make the ideal combination.

n Carers can share experiences to help shape the charity’s services by emailing info@carers.gg.