Who is a carer?

The term ‘carer’ is used here to describe an unpaid person who provides, or intends to provide, practical and/or emotional support to someone with physical and/or mental ill health. You may, or may not, live with the person you care for. You may be a parent, partner, other relative, friend or neighbour.

Somerset Foundation Trust has a commitment to carers along side the NHS long term plan.

Carers Charter

The purpose of this charter is to set out our commitment to recognising and supporting you in your crucial role as a carer. It contains four principles, which are described in detail here. By following these key principles, health and social care professionals will support you while your relative is receiving services from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. This, in turn, should improve the care of your partner, relative or friend.

Who can help me?

If you are caring for someone with a mental health condition please click the link to access information on the carers assessment service.

If you are caring for someone with a physical health condition please click the link to access Community Council for Somerset.

Triangle Of Care

The ‘Triangle of Care’ is a national initiative led by the Carers’ Trust.

The triangle refers to the three-way partnership between patient, carer and staff – which is different to the ‘traditional’ two-way model of patient and staff.  We believe the carer (which might be a husband or wife, child, partner or other family member) is a crucial partner when we are looking after a patient and getting them better. Working in partnership and listening to carers helps us better look after our patients.

We are signed up to the Triangle of Care accreditation scheme which means that we have committed ourselves to involving carers and families in all our services across our organisation.