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Micro-care – “making a significant difference”
Published: 27/07/2022
For the past two years, Flintshire micro-care has been providing an invaluable service to residents – and it continues to do so.
Micro-carers are small businesses, ranging from sole-traders up to businesses employing five people, who offer flexible and personalised care, support or well-being type services to vulnerable people, tailored to the individual’s needs.
The micro-care programme set up by the Council, funded in conjunction with Cadwyn Clwyd and Welsh Government, supports and mentors individuals to develop their social care business or idea and provides information on training, funding and other available resources as well as guiding them through current legislation and regulations.
Flintshire’s micro-care team has supported 25 micro-care providers to set up since 2020 and are working with a further 10 people considering the move – all offering a variety of services throughout central and rural Flintshire.
The service provided by Micro-carers has enabled people to get extra support to do things they want to do, remain in their home, and provided breaks for family and friends.
The success can be shown in recent feedback from a friend of someone who is receiving support from a micro-carer. She said:
“I thought I would pass on some positive feedback about your service. I have been with a friend who is on a waiting list for a carer but in the interim a micro-carer was suggested. This has been a huge success and has made a significant difference to her life.”
This positive feedback is just an example of the many positive comments from service users and their families.
Flintshire’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Social Services, Councillor Christine Jones, said:
“Micro-care was introduced as a response to a national shortage of carers and to meet the growing demand for care. Flintshire introduced this innovative approach to increase the number of carers able to deliver care to its residents.
“As a local authority, our care providers, whether it be care agencies, residential services or personal assistants are doing a great job and micro-care providers have only enhanced this provision further.”
Flintshire’s micro-care development team is keen to encourage and support people across the County to become micro-carers. Anyone can become a micro-carer, whether you have experience of delivering care or not, so if you are interested in providing care services, are already actively supporting people in their local communities but want to do more or want to do something that supports others and makes a difference, please contact micro-care@flintshire.gov.uk to speak to one of the team and find out more.