Carer Support Wiltshire, provider of services to unpaid carers across Wiltshire, has announced the appointment of Catharine Hurford as chief executive.
Gillian Elford, chair of the Board of Trustees said, “This is excellent news for CSW, as Catharine is well known to us all and is widely respected both locally and regionally. She will continue to build on the sterling work she has done as Head of operations, deputy chief executive, and more recently as acting chief executive. I know you will join the trustees in wishing Catharine every success in her new role.”
Catharine said, “I am thrilled to be offered this opportunity. But I am also mindful of the challenges we face in supporting carers through a period of transformation in the health and social care sector, an ageing population and standstill or reducing budgets.
“Demand for our services has never been higher and I am proud how our staff and volunteers have risen to the challenges to date which was recognised by our recent award of the PQASSO level 2 quality accreditation. But the need to support carers will continue to rise as a consequence of the introduction of the Care Act in April 2015.”
Currently CSW has a workforce of around 40 staff and over 90 volunteers supporting around 9,000 carers in the county, about 19% of the 47,500 carers who were identified in the 2011 census.
Catharine added, “As an organisation we are committed to diversifying our funding streams to ensure we can meet these challenges and provide quality and timely services to the carers in Wiltshire.
“During the past 12 months we have been awarded funding to support young adult carers, are commencing an innovative project to work with employers in the county to support working carers as well as taking on the Home from Hospital contract, in partnership with our Age UK partners in Wiltshire and Salisbury.
“Our work with GPs in Wiltshire has been recognised nationally by NHS England and we have been approached by numerous other authorities interested in developing schemes along similar lines.
“While we are delighted with these achievements to date we are aware that they are but a beginning.”
If you are interested in the work of Carer Support Wiltshire or would like more information about any of the projects please contact them on 01380 871690, visit their website www.carersinwiltshire.co.uk or email them on info@carersinwiltshire.co.uk
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