This in from the council, in their own words.
A national survey of carers on the Island has found a high level of satisfaction with the support given by the Isle of Wight Council.
More than 80 per cent of 454 carers who responded to the survey said they were either extremely, very or quite satisfied with the support or services they and the person they cared for had received in the last year from the council’s social services.
IW above national average
The Island was above the national average in terms of the quality of life reported by the carer, the overall satisfaction they had with the support received, the proportion of carers included or consulted in discussions about the person they care for and the proportion people who found it easy to find information about services.
The national user experience survey of carers is an exercise carried out for the Department of Health and will be repeated every two years.
It is aimed at carers aged over 18 who are caring for someone aged 18 or over. Carers’ thoughts, opinions and feelings were sought on a number of topics around helping them achieve a balanced life alongside their caring role. The initial results are based on the returns of 24 local authorities.
A total of 1064 surveys were sent to carers known to Isle of Wight social services, 454 were returned completed – a response rate of 43 per cent.
Hutchinson: Carers’ contributions should never be underestimated
Councillor Stuart Hutchinson, Isle of Wight Council cabinet member responsible for adult social care, welcomed the findings.
“The contribution the Island’s army of carers make to the individuals they care for and to society as a whole should never be underestimated. Their role is a vital one and it is absolutely right that they should get the proper support from the local council.
“I am pleased the results place us well in terms of comparison with other authorities. However it is our duty to further improve the support we offer and will strive to do that.”
Image: Joel Telling under CC BY 2.0
