Carers Week: The Benefits Of Digital Learning Solutions
Details: Written by Kate Hutchinson
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Published:
Carers Week is an annual campaign raising awareness of the care sector and highlighting the challenges unpaid carers face throughout the country.
In the UK alone, 1 in 5 adults are carers, equating to 10.58 million people, with 4.87 million unpaid carers worrying about their physical and mental health (1).
The pandemic of 2020/2021 caused a significant peak in carer numbers, rising to 26% of the population in May 2020. The current rate of care is still 3% higher than pre-pandemic levels when 17% of the population were providing care.While the work of the unpaid carer saves the economy £162 billion per year, caring has been linked to challenges, with those people providing high levels of care twice as likely to be mentally exhausted, permanently sick or disabled.
What support is available for carers?
The work of an unpaid carer is a lifeline for those they look after, and supporting and enabling carers to continue to care effectively is vital.
The absence of carers allowance and carer support for young carers below the age of 18 means that 72% suffer mental ill-health due to their caring role (2), with at least 195,000 young carers in the UK missing out on many normal aspects of childhood.
Here at The Skills Network, we’re proud to support mental health awareness and we understand that mental health must be made a priority, not just in the care sector but across all industries. That’s why we’ve introduced free online courses for adult carers including mental health, bullying awareness, self-harm courses and much more.
We also work hard to provide relevant and free training for carers throughout the country, with online resources providing upskilling opportunities in a range of care-related fields, including:
- Principles of Dementia Care
- Dignity and Safeguarding in Adult Health and Social Care
- Introducing Caring for Children and Young People
- Certificate in Caring for the Elderly
As well as many more… view our range of courses here
What is the role of digital learning solutions?
Many live-in carers and personal carers work unsociable hours or shift work meaning traditional learning environments are inaccessible.
Carers miss out on vital learning opportunities and are at risk of becoming a marginalised community, unable to commit to a 9-5, classroom-based learning environment.
Now, advancements in technology and digital have allowed individuals across many sectors to access learning at a time and place that suits them, opening doors to education and development for all.
The Skills Network is widely supported by key bodies in the health and social care sector, and aims to create self-improvement, development and progression opportunities for the thousands of care givers undertaking health and social care courses with us.
The Skills Network recognise the contribution of all carers and is proud to provide free online training courses with certificates for those who cannot commit to a typical learning environment.
Together, we can better not only the quality and the lives of those in need but the lives of the thousands of carers throughout our country.
Find out more about Carers Week here
(1) Carers Trust