News
Carers at the heart of care: celebrating the difference made together
Staff and carers came together for a special event celebrating the invaluable contribution that carers make to the care, recovery and wellbeing of those who use our services.
The Celebrating Our Carers event at the Holiday Inn Bexley on Monday 29 June focused on partnership working, shared learning and the powerful contribution that carers make through their lived experience.
It was an opportunity not only to recognise and thank carers for the vital role they play every day, and to showcase the wide range of work taking place across Oxleas to ensure they remain at the heart of planning, delivering and improving care.
Iain Dimond, Chief Operating Officer, opened the event and shared his own experience as a carer, reflecting on the importance of recognising, supporting and listening to carers. The day was facilitated by Janice Williamson, Carers and Families Support Network Lead, and Japleen Kaur, Assistant Director of Involvement and community engagement.
Throughout the conference, colleagues shared inspiring examples of how carers are influencing services and helping to improve outcomes for patients and families. Presentations highlighted initiatives including the Service User and Carer Shadow Committee, the COMHAD Carers Group, the Young Onset Dementia Carers Group, Initial Family and Friends Meetings, work with carers in Acute and Crisis Services, and the wider work of the Involvement Team.
Attendees heard how services are finding innovative ways to involve carers as true partners in care. Examples included the development of Initial Family and Friends Meetings to strengthen communication and partnership working from the outset of care, and the involvement of people with lived experience and carers in Peer Engagement Facilitator roles, helping to bring valuable insight and understanding into services. This reflected a common theme throughout the day: that services achieve better outcomes when carers are listened to, valued and actively involved.
Janice Williamson said:
The day was a great success and created an opportunity for staff and carers to come together, celebrate achievements and reflect on the value of listening to carers. It reinforced the importance of working in partnership and ensuring carers' voices continue to influence service development.
Media enquiries
The communications team provides a point of contact for journalists to respond to all media enquiries.
We are happy to help journalists represent the trust accurately, so please do get in touch to ensure your facts and information are up-to-date before publishing your story.
Our media team is responsible for:
- Responding to media queries
- Arranging interviews with our nationally and internationally renowned experts who can talk about some of the trust’s specialist topics
For all media enquiries Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, please email oxl-tr.communications@nhs.net where a member of the team will review and action your request.
If you have an urgent enquiry outside of office hours or at the weekend, please contact our director on call via the Bracton Centre switchboard on 01322 294300.
Filming and photography requests
We receive documentary, location and broadcast filming requests on a regular basis – we consider all proposals on an individual basis and will try to accommodate proposals where possible, if appropriate.
No photography or filming is permitted without prior arrangement and agreement. Our patients always come first and we have a duty to protect their safety and confidentiality. Anyone found filming or taking photographs on the trust premises without the permission of the trust’s communications team will be asked to leave by the security department and may face prosecution.
Unless agreed otherwise, film crews and photographers must be accompanied by a member of the Communications Team at all times.
Contact: oxl-tr.communications@nhs.net
