Dr Kathy McLean welcomed by Derbyshire’s carers
CARERS and staff from Derbyshire Carers Association welcomed Integrated Care Board Chair Dr Kathy McLean to their Ripley base this week, offering a tour of the building and a first-hand look at the impact of their work across the county.
For more than 30 years, the Association (DCA) has supported unpaid carers looking after a family member, partner or friend – providing practical help, emotional support and specialist guidance.
Today, around 14,000 carers are registered with the charity, with a further 200 people referred every month. Their services span adult and young carers, including home visits, support groups, telephone advice and crisis support.
Helen Weston, CEO of Derbyshire Carers Association, said: “Carers really are the unseen backbone of our health and care system. Every day they step in to provide skilled, compassionate support that would otherwise fall to already stretched NHS and social care services.
“When carers are properly supported, they are able to keep loved ones well at home, prevent crises, reduce avoidable hospital admissions and ease pressure on frontline teams. Our role is to make sure they are recognised, valued and never left to cope alone – because when carers thrive, the whole system benefits.”
DCA’s offer includes the Derbyshire All Age Support Service, a Nottinghamshire service, workplace support for employed carers, and strong partnerships with NHS trusts and local authorities. Carers’ voice and co‑production sit at the heart of their mission, shaping everything from service design to policy influence.
During her visit, Dr McLean, who is chair of the Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottingham ICB cluster met staff and carers to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the caring community.
She said: “The commitment and compassion shown by unpaid carers is extraordinary, but equally important is the insight they bring. Carers understand the realities of navigating services, the gaps that create pressure, and the small changes that make the biggest difference.
“If we want to design services that genuinely work, we have to start by listening to them. Their lived experience should inform our commissioning decisions, our priorities and the way we join up support across health and social care. Organisations like DCA ensure those voices are heard clearly, and that is invaluable as we build a system that is responsive, preventative and rooted in real life.”
Young carers receive support in schools, GP practices and community drop‑ins, ensuring help is available close to where they live. Many services work hand‑in‑hand – identifying caring roles early, addressing financial pressures, tackling isolation and connecting carers with wider organisations. DCA also completes carers’ assessments, co‑produces support plans and links people to respite, welfare rights and legal clinics.
The charity prides itself on never leaving carers without support, ensuring phone lines are always answered.
Dr McLean’s visit is part of a wider programme of community engagement to ensure the Integrated Care Board fully understands the work happening across the DLN cluster and reflects it in future commissioning decisions.