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TRANSCRIPT
Carefree transforms vacant
accommodation into vital breaks
for unpaid carers.
Welcome to the Caring Economy
About Carefree’s mission is to provide every full-time unpaidcarer with access to a break. Our dream is a world inwhich sharing resources for the benefit of othersbecomes the norm.
Carefree’s groundbreaking ecosystem paves the wayfor a connected community response to systemicchallenges within the social care sector. Our goal is asustainable future in which all of us can thrive andeveryone benefits; a new kind of social economy withcaring at its centre, strengthening communities, buildingresilience and improving lives.
This is the Caring Economy.
You have to look after yourself
before you can look after
someone else and I think I had
lost sight of that.Phil - Carer
Simon Tregonning Chairman, Classic Cottages
Carers give their
time freely and
make a massive
difference to the
people they look
after.
In the UK, 80% of home care is unpaid. It is provided by ahidden workforce of 9 million remarkable individuals, 2million of whom provide full-time care. Their contribution tothe public sector is worth a staggering £132 billion eachyear, equivalent to the entire NHS budget, yet the tendencyis to see them as somehow different from other frontlineworkers.
In truth, unpaid carers are an integral, vital andirreplaceable part of the system. They experience many ofthe same pressures as their salaried counterparts and theirneed for support is every bit as great. Unfortunately,assistance is thin on the ground. Without adequate helpfrom the state, caring for someone takes its toll. Themajority of carers develop health problems of their own.Many struggle to make ends meet. To make matters worse,most of them rarely take a break.
So what can be done about it?
9 million unpaid carers
9 millionThe
Challenge
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unpaid carershave had no breakfor 5 years
46%
2 million full-time unpaid carers
2 million
Kate Willard - Stobart Group
As a business trusted to deliver great
travel experiences, our partnership
with Carefree is a natural fit. Their
mission and drive are phenomenal.
We love them.
20 potential 3-nightbreaks each year
million
1unsold hotel rooms inthe UK every week
million
5low season vacancyfor holiday cottages
months
The answer is alchemy.
Excess capacity is a fact of life for every hotel and holiday cottageowner, but unsold inventory doesn't have to lose its value. On thecontrary, every vacancy is a break waiting to happen. Offeringaccommodation to carers has a dramatic impact on their wellbeingand is enormously beneficial for our social care system, which reliesheavily on their contribution yet lacks the resources to provide themwith respite. It’s a simple transformation with a powerful impact.And it’s priceless.
The
Solution
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The impact of a break on a carer’s wellbeing istremendous, but it doesn’t end there. By joiningforces with the business and the social care sectorswe are not only demonstrating a new way to tacklecomplex social challenges, we are also buildingresilience in a system that is overstretched andunder-resourced. And with resilience comeslongevity.
The changes that we make now will shape the socialcare landscape for years to come, and as all of uswill either give or receive care at some point in ourlifetime, those changes have a particular significancefor us all.
The
Impact
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98%carers reportimprovement inwellbeing
86%carers would nothave had a breakwithout our help
96%community partnersreport increasedaccess to breaks
Susan - Carer
Just what the doctor ordered and much better
than any prescription they could ever give.
ResponsiveMulti-channel online support for hospitality staff.
Connected outcomesBy connecting our services online wesupport digital inclusion, empower carersto make independent choices and getthem a fair share of new communityresources.
Collective impactCarefree has a built-in reportingmechanism enabling our partners toclearly see and communicate thedifference we’ve made to carers’lives.
ResponsiveWe know that some carers strugglewith technology, so we providemulti-channel customer support tohelp them through the bookingprocess.
FlexibleHospitality Partners can add, remove or adjustdonated inventory in real-time using ourautomated tools.
SupportiveImmersive training for localoperators and staff.
EngagingAn enjoyable and rewardingexperience for employees.
InformativeDownload reports on your social value andshare heart-warming stories with yourcustomers, community and staff.
EffectivePartners have the option to cover the £25admin fee on behalf of the carer, generatingmaximum value from limited breaks budgets.
EfficientOur simple referral tool is designedto impinge as little as possible ontime and resources.
Book a breakCarers can log onand make bookingson a securebookings hub.
Refer carersCommunity Partners canrefer carers known tothem via the referal tool.
News andupdatesStay in the know withall the latest news andbreaks availability fromwithin your profile.
Hospitality Partners are able to donate rooms through our Booking PlatformCommunity Partners are able to refer registered carers using our Referral ToolUnregistered carers can apply directly using our Referral ToolOnce verified, carers are issued with a Carefree ID and invited to choose a break on our Booking PlatformWe provide multiple channels of customer support and online Member Spaces for all of our users
Carefree provides the means by which these surplusassets can be shared. We build partnerships acrossthe business and social sectors, employing easy-to-use, flexible technology to mobilise a network ofsupport for those in need.
How it works
The Platform
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To ensure a consistent volume of breaks for carers,accommodation providers are asked to donate a fixednumber of breaks each month on a recurring basis withthe option to increase the allocation at any stage. Hotelbreaks are 3 nights for one carer plus companion withbreakfast included. Holiday cottage breaks are 4-7nights for one carer plus companion and up to twodependant children. Breaks are listed on our fullyautomated booking platform, which is accessible only byverified caregivers. Carefree forwards reservations toproviders for confirmation and handles all pre-breakadministration.
The way we work
Gift Rooms
A short break can be life-changing for a carer, yet themajority rarely manage to take time off. Governmentsupport is scarce and with little possibility of generatingan income of their own, a break becomes anunaffordable luxury. Nearly half of all carers haven’t hadany time off in the last 5 years.
The potential for meeting this challenge is enormous.Our resource sharing platform connects accommodationproviders with carers throughout the country, enablingyou to unleash the value of your surplus inventory andembed social impact into the DNA of your organisation.
If you’re still wondering why any of this is relevant to youor your business, consider this: 60% of us will be a carerat some point in our lifetime. Almost all of us will becared for. So the predicament faced by carers is not anabstract notion, it’s your future. And if it’s your future, it’salso the future of every guest that walks through yourdoor.
Why donate?
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Go for it 100%. We couldn’t be more grateful.Claire - Carer
Follow us!
Join the
community!Collectively, we have the power to shape the future of socialcare. With your help we can get there faster.
If you are interested in funding opportunities or a brandpartnership please send an email to: [email protected]
If you would like to find out more about taking a break, get intouch or register as a unpaid carer via the website:www.carefreespace.org and join our community!
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This is not just about carers, it’s about
our whole society and our community
all giving something back.Ruth McLeod -Kernew Carers Service
Second Home45-47 Clerkenwell GreenLondonEC1R 0EBUnited Kingdom
+44(0)[email protected]
Carefreebreaks Trading as Carefree - Registered Charity No. 1176459