Solihull Council is encouraging people to take part in the first Social Care Day of Remembrance and Reflection on Thursday 17 March.
Set up by national charities including Skills for Care, the day is an opportunity to say thank you to everyone who works in adult social care. This includes people working in care homes or providing care in people’s own homes, personal assistants, people who work in housing with care (also known as extra care) as well as social workers, occupational therapists and day opportunities staff.
Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council, says: “Many of us have family or friends who have been looked after or supported by people working in adult social care. This is our chance to say thank you, to acknowledge the vital work the sector has done to keep people safe and well during the pandemic and to reflect on what everybody working together has achieved.”
Councillor Karen Grinsell, Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Partnerships and Wellbeing, explains how people can get involved: “Skills for Care has already launched a Thank you (tribute) wall and Memorial wall to gather stories illustrating the commitments and sacrifices our social care workforce has made. We are encouraging Solihull residents to leave a message on the Thank you wall so that people working in adult social care can see them.”
Cllr Tony Dicicco, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, sets out the local activities taking place to mark Social Care Day. “We have set up Thank you post boxes at the Core Library and Chelmsley Wood Library for local messages of support. This ensures that people who don’t have access to the internet or prefer to leave a message locally can also get involved. The boxes will be available from Tuesday 15 March and we will share the messages with care providers and on our website. The Council is also writing to thank each care provider individually and we are encouraging primary schools to make a thank you poster for their local care home or care agency and deliver it to them.”
Look out for coverage on social media using the hashtag #RememberSocialCare.