Service delivery transformation at Carers in Bedfordshire

Unpaid carers look after someone who couldn’t manage without them. For example, a child with a learning disability or a parent with dementia. Being a carer can be rewarding but challenging. Carers in Bedfordshire (CIB) offers tailored support making life easier for carers.

Momentum had built at CIB since 2020, driven by a new CEO’s and Chair’s ambition for carers and what the charity can and should be doing to support them. An ongoing transformation of CIB’s service delivery model has come to a head in the past year. The CIB team is compassionate and supportive but with a new professionalism too. Four interlinking improvements help CIB better support carers. 1.CIB’s carers wheel tool identifies the specific elements that make caring such a challenge and asks carers how they’re doing in each area. This data informs the next steps both individually and collectively. 2.Restructured support. An automated triage system reduces waiting times. New specialist roles give carers more support in-house. A coaching approach to support work helps carers take action. 3.An online support hub and chatbot has improved the digital resources available for carers. 4.A live, real-time data dashboard supports decision making at every level of the charity.