Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) has been recognised for its sustained commitment to supporting unpaid carers after achieving the Triangle of Care Star 2 Award, while also maintaining its existing Star 1 accreditation.
The Triangle of Care, run by Carers Trust, sets clear national standards that encourage services to make sure carers are recognised early, listened to, supported and involved in care where appropriate and with consent.
For local carers, this means better recognition, clearer information, stronger support and a more consistent approach to involving them as partners in care, whether their loved one is being supported in the community, in hospital, or during a crisis.
LPT signed up to the Triangle of Care programme in September 2023, working alongside local carers and staff to strengthen partnership working.
Achieving Star 2 confirms that these standards are now embedded across community mental health and learning disability services, building on earlier progress in inpatient and crisis care.
Deanne Rennie, associate director of Allied Health Professionals and quality, said: “Achieving the Triangle of Care Star 2 Award is a significant milestone for our Trust and a testament to the commitment of our staff, carers and lived experience partners.
“Unpaid carers play a vital role in supporting people’s health and wellbeing, and this recognition reflects the progress we’ve made in listening to carers, working with them as partners and embedding a ‘think carer’ culture across our services.”
The independent peer review panel commended LPT for its strong leadership and governance, with clear Board‑to‑ward accountability and for aligning the Triangle of Care with wider Trust priorities including the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) and Culture of Care.
The panel also noted the Trust’s mature approach to co‑production, supported by its Lived Experience Leadership Framework, People’s Council and carer Lived Experience Partners.
Areas highlighted as examples of good practice included co‑designed and co‑delivered carer awareness training for staff, improved identification of carers through a new carers dashboard, and innovative roles such as care navigators. The panel also identified strong voluntary sector partnerships and significant progress in supporting and involving young carers, including the launch of a new Young Carers Pack.
Mary Patel, Triangle of Care programme lead at Carers Trust, said: “Unpaid carers are often the one constant in a person’s life, bringing vital insight that helps services provide better care. It’s been fantastic to see Leicestershire Partnership Trust embrace the Triangle of Care and make great strides towards improving how family and friends are included and supported, with lived experience at the heart of their work.
“We’re pleased to see this echoed in positive carer feedback from the Trust’s most recent Care Quality Commission inspection of adult community mental health services.”
LPT will now use the feedback from the peer review to refresh its Triangle of Care Action Plan for 2026–27, strengthening consistency of practice across teams and continuing to improve how carers are identified, supported and involved.
Find out more about the Triangle of Care on the Carers Trust website