THE county's social and mental healthcare provider has shown a new commitment to working with and supporting carers.

2gether NHS Foundation Trust has joined the national Triangle of Care scheme.

Run by the Carers Trust, the scheme sets out six key standards to be followed by mental health trusts.

Over the next 12 months, the trust will be self-assessing its services to ensure it is meeting or exceeding those standards, and providing the best possible service to the carers it works with.

Trust chairman, Ruth FitzJohn, said: "We already work very hard to support carers as they play such an important role, not only with our service users but across our communities in general.

"Our partnership working with Carers Gloucestershire, Herefordshire Carers Support and Gloucestershire Young Carers means we are very much involved in enhancing what we do for carers.

"However, membership of the Triangle of Care gives us the opportunity to review the arrangements we have in place, and to look at where improvement might be needed.

"I’m delighted that we’ve been accepted on to the scheme."

The Carers Trust launched the Triangle of Care in 2010, to help guide the support given to the 1.5 million people who care for someone with mental ill health in the UK.

The six key standards within the Triangle of Care state that:

1) Carers and the essential role they play are identified at first contact or as soon as possible thereafter.

2) Staff are ‘carer aware’ and trained in carer engagement strategies.

3) Policy and practice protocols re: confidentiality and sharing information, are in place.

4) Defined post(s) responsible for carers are in place.

5) A carer introduction to the service and staff is available, with a relevant range of information across the care pathway.

6) A range of carer support services is available.

In addition to the above, there also needs to be regular assessing and auditing to ensure these six key standards of carer engagement exist and remain in place.