East Ayrshire Carers Centre (360G-SCVO-a133z00000KmV0hAAF)

We will create 5 new work stations for new staff members providing a computer that staff can access to complete applications online, update our databases and record the support we have provided to carers on a face to face basis now we have fully returned to working in our 3 offices in East Ayrshire. We will also purchase web cams and speakers to allow staff to carry out online meetings, zoom/MS Team interviews with carers who are in our rural locations, are wary of going out the house or who prefer this method of contact due to caring responsibilities. We have extra staff members starting beginning of July through additional Carers Act funding we are receiving from our local council as we have a backlog of Adult Carer Support Plans and reviews needing completed due to us being unable to meet carers in person during lockdown and Covid restrictions, we also registered more carers during lockdown due to various government announcements with our yearly figures going up by 130%, we had to produce a shorter version of our registration form to get through these referrals and are looking to get all new referrals into our offices over the coming year to meet them in person. We will be setting up a Short Break Brokerage with a new member of staff, this is due to additional funding from Shared Care Scotland to provide respite breaks to carers and their family, we also got an additional matched funding from our council to run this initiative, we are recruiting for this now and intend to set up a workstation for this person to operate from in our main office in Kilmarnock. We will add an additional work station at our other carer centres in Cumnock and Dalmellington and set up work space for 2 new workers with our young carers service at our Carers Cottage in Kilmarnock. This is to ensure we can return to working out of our offices but also looking at a hybrid model which will allow staff to start up home visits again for those carers who struggle to get into our office due to locality, rurality, transport costs and their caring responsibilities. We have also secured funding to start a new staff member who will work within the hospitals in Ayrshire to identify carers needing support with the hospital discharge process for their loved ones. We ran a pilot for this prior to lockdown which came to an end when we went into lockdown this will be a much needed initiative to support carers and their families moving forward.