Carers film gets web premiere
Released: 4 September 2007
A groundbreaking short film which aims to help Wolverhampton's 'hidden carers' get the support they need is now available online.
A DVD featuring real carers talking about their experiences was produced by Wolverhampton City Council and students from the University of Wolverhampton last year, and has proved a massive success.
In it, carers speak about their role and highlight the support on offer from the city council’s Carer Support Team, based in Queen Street, and the services that are available for carers.
The city council has now made the short film available via its website in an effort to reach even more of the thousands of people around the city who, despite giving up their time to look after someone, do not see themselves as carers.
Carer Support Manager Andrea Partington said: "We hope the online film will help ‘hidden’ carers take comfort in knowing that there are others who are going through similar situations to them.
"We know there are thousands of people in the city who look after someone but don't have any contact with the Carer Support Team and so are missing out on help, advice and the benefits due to them.
“By producing this DVD, we have been contacted by many carers - they have viewed it and said, ‘I didn’t realise that there was any support for me out there until I watched it’.
"The film contains information on what services they are able to access as a carer, and who they can contact for support."
A DVD is also available in a number of formats, including with subtitles and a British Sign Language interpreter, Hindi subtitles and a Hindi voiceover.
Andrea added: "By providing these options we are able to reach out to areas of our local community who may have found our paper-based information inaccessible."
To see the online film, entitled Supporting Carers in Wolverhampton, visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/carers. To order a free copy of the original DVD, e-mail or call the Carer Support Team on 01902 553409.
Issued by the press office.