Latest News
Celebrating a year of micro-care
Published: 02/08/2021
It has been a year since the first ever micro-care provider in Flintshire - Cartrefle Care -started to deliver personal care services to one client.
Since then, it has gone from strength to strength with Flintshire’s micro-care team having supported another 20 micro-care providers to set up – all offering a variety of services throughout central and rural Flintshire.
Micro-carers are very small businesses ranging from sole-traders up to businesses employing five people, who offer flexible and personalised care, support or well-being type services to vulnerable people, tailored to the individual’s needs.
The Micro-care programme set up by the Council, in partnership with Cadwyn Clwyd and Welsh Government, supports and mentors individuals to develop their business or idea and provides information on training, funding and other available resources as well as guiding them through current legislation and regulations. It also actively supports individuals to remain in their own homes.
Cartrefle Care is run by Christine Garvey. Christine joined the programme because, as she said,:
“I have always wanted to be able to build my care business and the micro-care programme has given me the best foundation to begin the process. I have a lot of support from the Council and, once I started working with my first service user, I started to see the benefits of becoming self-employed and within a couple of months I began getting very busy.”
Flintshire’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Social Services, Councillor Christine Jones, said:
“Micro-care was introduced as a response to a national shortage of carers and to meet the growing demand for care. Flintshire introduced this new approach to increasing the number of carers able to deliver care to its residents.
“These micro-carers can provide support or care to someone who has been formally assessed as needing care by the local authority and they can also offer a range of service solutions to people looking to purchase care or well-being services privately.”
Flintshire’s Chief Officer for Social Services, Neil Ayling, joined Councillor Jones in congratulating Flintshire’s micro-carers:
“Starting up as a micro-care business can be challenging at the best of times. But our micro-carers have shown commitment and dedication to create a business in a time of uncertainty that not only supports individuals but also helps local communities, as well as supporting economic growth in Flintshire.
“As a local authority our care providers, whether it be care agencies, residential services or personal assistants have done a great job during this challenging time and micro-care providers have only enhanced this provision further. I believe the micro-care programme has achieved great outcomes already for our citizens and in offering pathways for people to develop successful and sustainable businesses.”
Flintshire’s micro-care development team are keen to encourage and support people across the County to become micro-carers. Anyone can become a micro-carer, so if you are interested in providing care services, are already actively supporting people in their local communities but want to do more or want to do something that supports others and makes a difference, check out CareatFlintshire.co.uk for more details.