A NEW strategy will set the course for supporting carers in the town.

At an event held to mark Carers Rights Day, Swindon Carers Centre asked carers what they wanted to be in that strategy.

The document, which is expected to take six months to produce, will help set the agenda for carer support in Swindon.

Susanna Jones, chief executive of Swindon Carers Centre, said at the town centre event on Friday: “Today is one opportunity for carers to tell us what they want to see in the strategy.

“One of the key things for carers is access to respite. A carer’s role can be 24/7. It’s important for people to have breaks from their caring role.”

She said that Swindon Carers Centre were developing their strategy closely with the borough council – after saying they could not afford to wait for the government to produce an expected national carer strategy.

“We don’t want to keep delaying things,” Ms Jones said.

The situation for carers in Swindon was good compared to neighbouring authorities, she added – with close cooperation between charities, the council and local agencies.

However, there was recognition that more needed to be done. Ms Jones said: “We’re not reaching every carer in Swindon. We know there are at least 21,000 in the town. We want to ensure we’re accessing every member of our community.”

Robert Buckland, MP for South Swindon, said at the Friday event: “Very few families won’t have been touched by caring. My own family has had its share of it.”

He said he was a keen supporter of carers’ issues, campaigning for what became the 2014 Care Act, which put a duty on councils to assess carers’ needs.

“There have been a number of cases where we have managed to improve access to respite care,” Robert Buckland said of his record as a constituency MP.

“Events like this really highlight what’s going on and increase awareness.”

Addressing the government’s delayed care strategy, he added: “Informing government is part of the job of events like this. I have much hope that we can continue to develop policy in a way that is centred around the carer.”

Swindon Carers Centre will continue to consult on the local carers strategy. For more, visit: www.swindoncarers.org.uk.