Objectives

The partnership aims at :

• analysing family carers' needs and the obstacles to their own perception of those needs (psychological obstacles, lack of time, etc.);
•  taking stock of existing tools to raise awareness and train family carers in the self-assessment of their needs; and to undertake a critical analysis of these tools (bad and good practices);
•  analysing the take-up of these tools by family carers and the way they have helped them to express their needs to relevant contacts (professionals, administration, employers, etc.);
•  identifying the training provision to be made for family carers or professionals to help family carers to assess and express their needs;
•  comparing and contrasting the findings to elaborate recommendations for the future design of new tools (training and other tools).
• disseminating the results and recommendations at local, regional, national and EU level.

Approach

The involvement of family carers, considered as learners, is central to the partnership and key to reach the objectives.

The family carers tasks are the following:

• participation in small national meetings to review the situation in their country concerning the different topics of the partnership (e.g. obstacles to self-assessment of needs, existing tools and critical analysis);
•  before these meetings, some preparatory work (e.g. collect of responses to questionnaires at local level, and first analysis; electronic input on the draft recommendations).
• participation in transnational meetings (mobilities) gathering all partner organizations, in several EU Member States, to compare and contrast the various national situations and practices.

Family carers will receive guidance and support from professionals (including methodological support - e.g. provision of ready-to-use questionnaires).