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Befriending Scheme for Carers

Welcome to the webpage for the Befriending Scheme for carers in Perth & Kinross. Firstly, I’d like to thank you for showing an interest in the scheme and wanting to be part of it. This is a new initiative which hopes to enable communities to support one another and to bridge the gap between the support unpaid carers are currently able to obtain and the support that they need, particularly to have a break.

Providing a befriending service to support unpaid carers will relieve the stress and strain of being a carer during COVID and beyond, to help minimize crisis situations and therefore admissions to care; one way of doing this is to give carers a short break from their caring role. The carer may want to sleep, catch up on washing, reading, catching up with friends on the phone or online, potter in the garden, go shopping or do their hour’s exercise. This service will enable them to do that without worrying about the person they care for, knowing they are safe and being looked after.

The project has been driven by the need to develop better support for carers which has been recognised as an Outcome for unpaid carers in the area. The project is headed by Karyn Sharp, Carers Strategic Lead, supported by Laura Carse, Social Work Team Leader for Perth City, and Alison Gallacher, Project Manager for the Carers Strategy.

Laura Carse Alison Gallacher

In May 2020, due to Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown restrictions put in place by the government, we set up a small short-term sitting service to allow carers to have a break; to go shopping, collect medicines, exercise, do whatever they wanted to do for a couple of hours knowing that the person they care for was being looked after and was safe.

To do this we re-tasked some members of Council staff; 3 from Social Care and 1 from Community Services to look after the people looked after by family carers. Our team, 2 Liz's, Lesley and Wendy travelled across Perth and Kinross to provide the short-term (up to 6 weeks service) before a more permanent arrangement could be set up.