The work undertaken by MECOPP at both a local and national level, whether it is direct service provision, policy or developmental, must ultimately enable BME carers and carers from other marginalised communities to achieve, either partially or fully, improvements across a range of ‘quality of life indicators’: improve physical and emotional health and wellbeing; increased financial health; increased social capital; a better caring/life balance; increased confidence in support services; and, feeling valued as an equal partner in care.

Organisational outcomes, whether locally or nationally, are based on increasing the ability of that organisation to better recognise, understand and respond to the specific needs of BME and carers from other marginalised communities and are as follows. Organisations and practitioners will:

• Have increased knowledge and understanding of the specific needs of BME carers and service users and carers from other marginalised communities;

• Have increased confidence in, and ability to, support BME carers and service users and carers from other marginalised communities;

• Have increased links with local BME/other marginalised communities and support organisations;

• Have enhanced opportunities for future engagement with BME/other marginalised communities as part of the planning and commissioning process; and,

• Value BME carers and carers from other marginalised communities as equal partners in the provision of care.

Both individual and organisational outcomes support and drive change in the longer term. As more carers are supported to access and use services, those services in turn adapt to accommodate the needs of the individual. The challenge is to ensure that change happens not just at an individual practitioner level but are embraced at an organisational level.