What is a carers lanyard?
Healthwatch Kirklees worked with local partner organisations and carers to develop a lanyard that can be used across all health and care setting in Kirklees and beyond, along with a card which can be attached to the lanyard.
List of partner organisations:
Mid Yorkshire Hospital NHS Trust, Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, South West Yorkshire NHS Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Locala, Kirklees Council, Carers Count, Carers Wakefield & District, Curo Health, and My Health Huddersfield.
History of the Carers lanyard project
Unpaid carer Lynne talked to Healthwatch; what happened next led to over 2,000 carers feeling seen, supported, and heard.
Being an unpaid carer can be difficult, especially when healthcare professionals do not always understand your role. In 2021, Lynne told us that while some teams were very supportive of her carer role, that was not always the case. She wanted all healthcare staff to recognise and support carers like her. To help with this, she came up with the idea of a carer’s lanyard and asked Healthwatch to help bring it to life.
After Lynne shared her feedback and experiences, we wanted to see if other carers felt the same. We sent out a short survey, and most unpaid carers said they wanted to feel more recognised.
81% of carers were in favour of a lanyard
12% said they might use one
7% said they wouldn’t
Report:
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The progress continues
The success of the lanyard continues to develop throughout Kirklees and neighbouring areas:
- South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has launched the carer lanyard across the whole Trust.
- Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust have purchased their supply of lanyards. Giving a lanyard to all carers is now embedded in their carer support offer.
- Kirklees Council are looking at how they can develop the scheme.
- We continue to share and celebrate the work with our community alongside partners on our social media networks.
- We have a waiting list of carers wanting a lanyard and are asking all our partners to support the project’s sustainability and look at how they can continue to provide lanyards for those who need them.
Young carers on board
Young carer Chloe Hudson, aged 21, has been with Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation NHS Trust (CHFT) for a few months. She has been caring for her mum, who has epilepsy, since the age of 11 and she volunteers on Ward 20 at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (HRI).
Since volunteering with the Trust, Chloe has been an ambassador for supporting carers, particularly young carers whom she meets in her role. This involves promoting the carer lanyard and signposting to other services supporting young carers. In the last three months, Chloe has helped identify over 350 unpaid carers and has had over 5,400 minutes of quality-of-care calls.
“Being a young carer means I understand what other young carers are going through and I can use the right language for them. I can put myself in their shoes. The young carer can feel like they are not alone!”
The carers lanyard has become an important part of the carer strategy at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. Hospital staff now work together to identify carers – whether they come through A&E, as inpatients, or outpatients. Carers also get follow-up calls to find out more about their situation, let them know about supportive services, and keep them informed when the person they care for is discharged – especially if the responsibility of a carer has changed.