Unpaid carer involvement opportunities

If you're an unpaid carer and would like to be part of continually improving and shaping support to unpaid carers across Kirklees then please get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!

There are different ways you can get involved:

  • Giving feedback on unpaid carers support, this can be your experience of unpaid carers support, or any documents you read and would like to comment on.
  • Joining peer groups and Facebook groups.
  • Receiving information but not attending any meetings, this can include receiving papers for meetings if you'd like.
  • Dropping-in to informal chats to put your thoughts forward.
  • Attending meetings, including receiving all the papers.
  • Any other way you'd like to be involved, just get in touch and we'll work out what suits you best.

For more information on anything on this page you can use the contact details for the relevant forums below or you can contact:

Feedback and comments

You can give feedback and comment on any support for unpaid carers and on any information for unpaid carers, including the information on these pages.

You can also read our Kirklees Unpaid Carers Strategy: Unpaid-Carer Friendly Kirklees.

Please contact:

Kirklees Carers Strategy Group

A multi-agency partnership that aims to:

  • Bring about positive cultural change and continuous improvement for Kirklees unpaid carers.
  • Ensure the Kirklees Carers Strategy is fit for purpose.
  • Ensure unpaid carers are seen and heard by service providers and commissioners, including:
    • Maintaining and strengthening unpaid carers voices.
    • Creating constant visibility for unpaid carers and the barriers they face.
    • Keeping abreast of legal and societal changes affecting unpaid carers.
  • Identify unmet need and gaps in service provision.

All people are welcome, respected, and given the space to speak.

Who attends

  • Carers Count (chairs the meetings)
  • Unpaid Carers and former unpaid carers
  • Kirklees Council
  • Barnardo's Young Carers
  • PCAN
  • Carers Trust
  • Locala
  • CHFT
  • The Kirkwood
  • Healthwatch
  • LD Carers Voice

Meeting frequency and location

4 times per year online via Microsoft Teams.

To get involved contact Heather Ellis or Yakub Rawat at Info@carerscount.org.uk.

Kirklees Carers Strategy Group Pre-Meeting

Linked to Carers Strategy Group above, this is a 30-minute informal chat before each Carers Strategy Group meeting. It's for unpaid carers and former unpaid carers to raise and discuss any issues for the Strategy Group.

Who attends

Unpaid carers and former unpaid carers who attend the Carers Strategy Group and Lyndon Peasley, Kirklees Council Carers Strategy Manager. People who don't want to attend the Strategy Group but do want to put their thoughts forward are welcome to join too.

Meeting frequency and location

4 times per year online via Microsoft Teams.

To get involved contact:

LD Carers Voice

An independent network of family carers for adults with learning disabilities in Kirklees. The group is run by, chaired, and managed by unpaid carers. The group exists to:

  • Support carers to become as well-informed and powerful as the organisations they have to deal with.
  • Build the collective voice of carers to maximise their impact on local policy-making and service provision.
  • Make available information about local and national issues.
  • Ensure that carers are aware of opportunities to contribute to and influence local decisions and activities.
  • Provide a means of reducing the isolation that caring responsibilities can bring.
  • Provide a communication channel between carers and the organisations providing Learning Disability services in Kirklees.
  • Provide a means by which new ideas and initiatives can be explored and working-party members can be recruited.

Who attends

  • Unpaid carers and former unpaid carers of people with learning disabilities.
  • Carers Count
  • Kirklees Council

Meeting frequency and location

4 times per year at Brian Jackson House, Huddersfield.

To get involved contact Jackie Hughes jackie65hughes@gmail.com, Kate Shepherd katesteveshep@gmail.com, or Jill Robson jill.robson@me.com.

Kirklees Mental Health Carers Forum

Set up by carers, run by carers, for carers. All carers who care for those with mental health conditions in Kirklees are welcome to join.

  • To be a collective voice for carers.
  • To allow carers to share their views, concerns and experiences in a safe and friendly environment.
  • To act as a Carers Expert Group on proposed changes to Kirklees Mental Health Services including dementia services.
  • To provide an opportunity for carers to hear about changes to existing services, from the professionals who are planning and making the changes.
  • To provide an opportunity for carers to discuss issues and changes with staff.
  • An opportunity to hear about and discuss new developments and plans, and to have a positive impact on what is proposed.
  • To provide an opportunity for carers to set the agenda.

Who attends

  • Unpaid carers and former unpaid carers.
  • Carers Count
  • Managers from SWYPFT, Kirklees Council and other organisations as required.

Meeting frequency and location

Once every 2 months, meetings are hybrid meaning they are held in-person at Empire House in Dewsbury and Folly Hall, Huddersfield room 52 or people can join via Zoom.

To get involved contact:

For more information visit Carers Count: Have your say

PCAN (Parents of Children with Additional Needs)

An independent, parent-led forum in Kirklees for all parents and carers of children and young people with additional needs aged from birth to 25 years.

The right place to find lots of good information, links to social media for networking with other parents, and to help us to develop a strong, collective voice so that we can work in partnership with service providers across Kirklees. Together we can improve services for our children and young people with additional needs!

You can join via PCAN - Facebook.

Kirklees Co-Production Board

The Co-production Board is one of the ways that people who draw on care and support and carers work together with people working within care and support services to design, deliver and evaluate services. Their role is to:

  • Change the hearts and minds of people across social care, support and health in Kirklees so that they understand the benefits of, and are committed to, co-production.
  • Work with the strategic leaders of social care, support and health in Kirklees to drive the development of co-production in Kirklees, as set out in the Kirklees Council vision for adult social care.
  • Establish working groups to develop co-production projects that Board Members and Kirklees Council wants to take forward within our Co-production Board Work Plan. Board members participate in these working groups, sometimes alongside other Co-production partners.
  • Share advice and recommendations with people developing co-production opportunities around the best way to plan, facilitate and evaluate co-production activities.
  • Balance personal insights with a community focus which advocates for broader perspectives, inclusive of 440,000 people in Kirklees.

Who attends

  • Unpaid carers
  • People who draw on care and support
  • Kirklees Council
  • KiNETIC (Kirklees Disability Network)
  • Healthwatch
  • Cloverleaf Advocacy

Meeting frequency and location

Every 2 - 3 months online, in-person and hybrid.

For more information including how to join visit How to join the Adult Social Care Co-production Board.

Kirklees Action Network (KAN)

A place where people with a learning disability, carers, staff and services can come and work together to make things better.

Who attends

  • People with a learning disability
  • Unpaid carers
  • Carers Count
  • Kirklees Council

Meeting frequency and location

Once every 2 months, usually on a Wed afternoon between 1pm and 3.30pm. Some meetings are in Dewsbury and some are in Huddersfield.

For more information contact:

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