Carers News: Issue 107 September/ October

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1 Carers News: Issue 107 September/ October Registered Charity No Volunteers! We really couldn't do it without you. Hear about our latest fundraising over the Summer months See pages 5 For more details INSIDE THIS ISSUE MEET OUR NEW CEO HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOU JOHN LEWIS SHOW THEIR SUPPORT

2 About Us... Do you support someone who couldn't manage without you? Trafford Carers Centre is a registered charity that supports unpaid carers looking after someone in the Trafford area. Read on to find out how we can help you. Welcome to issue 107 of Carers News We would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our new CEO Gavin Williams, who will be joining us from September. Dear Readers I am delighted to introduce myself as the new CEO of Trafford Carers Centre. I was very impressed from the outset with the Centre s achievements and vibrant services that have been delivered in nearly a 20 year history of innovation in supporting carers in Trafford. I bring with me a strong background in Carer services delivery (Carers Trust and Carers UK) and strategic development with Local Authorities and will be looking to working in partnership with the Board of Trustees, staff and carers to ensure that we grow and develop your excellent achievements to date. The Care Act represents the biggest change in Social Care in the last 60 years and brings enhanced rights to carers across England, as your CEO I will be working hard to ensure our work and work with our partners provides the best support for you, and the people you care for. The Carers Centre will be entering its 20 th year in 2016, and I am very excited to join, in the run up and will be working with the staff to ensure we celebrate and build on our fundraising to reflect the achievements and look toward securing further funding, to grow services. I look forward to meeting with you very soon. Gavin If you have difficulty reading this newsletter, please download a PDF version from our website Contents About Us. 2 Welcome... 2 How we can support you... 3 How to refer to our service.. 3 Fundraising News. 4 Volunteer News. 5 Young Carers Project. 6 Personal Budgets story. 7 GP Liaison work. 8 Support Groups Carers Centre Activity Groups 10 Carers Centre Activity Groups 11 Mental Health work. 12 Outreach posts. 13 Referral Form 14 How to Contact Us. 14 Dates for your Diary Sept. 15 Dates for your Diary Oct The opinions expressed in Trafford Carers News are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of Trafford Carers Centre. Information included in Trafford Carers News is accepted in good faith, but products or services referred to are not thereby endorsed or recommended by Trafford Carers Centre. Trafford Carers Centre is a Company Limited by Guarantee and Registered Charity. Company Number: Charity Number:

3 How we can support you at Trafford Carers Centre Trafford Carers Centre is a non-profit organisation that supports unpaid carers looking after someone who lives in the Trafford area. The majority of our services are free, and everything you tell us will be kept in confidence. We offer the following services; A Carers Helpline offering information, support and advice 1:1 Emotional Support Out of Hours Service Carers assessments and Carers Health Checks, looking at carers needs and supporting them to look after their own health Funding for carers, to enable them to take a break A bi-monthly newsletter, keeping carers up-to-date with local news and events Relaxation therapies and a free counselling service Carers clubs, forums and training sessions Volunteering opportunities A 24hr emergency card service, to give carers peace of mind Support for Young and Young Adult Carers End of life support for carers and their families Training for professionals Carer Awareness Training GP Liaison outreach work Support for Schools Whole Family Support At the Centre we aim to support carers in recognising their own needs, help them achieve their aspirations and ensure they are fully understood, valued and supported in their chosen caring role. How to Refer to our Services There are many ways you can refer to us; You can call the Centre s Helpline on Contact us via on info@traffordcarerscentre.org.uk Ask your social worker or GP to refer you Refer yourself via our online form at Contact us via Facebook.com/TraffordCarers or Come and visit the Centre at 13 Warwick Road, Old Trafford, M16 0QX Or come and meet one of our caseworkers at our many outreach posts across Trafford (see page 13 for full details) Many people don t realise they are carers please pass our details on to anyone who you think may need our support. 3

4 Fundraising Take Action & Support Grant Trafford Carers Centre has recently been successful in gaining funding of 5,000 via the Carers Trust s Take Action & Support Grant to support young adult carers who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) or at risk of becoming NEET to address and overcome personal barriers to engaging with education, employment and training via tailored and structured support. The Grant will enable us to make one off grants of up to 150 to Young Carers aged years old to address the immediate personal barriers to them engaging with education, employment and training opportunities. If you are a Young Carer, please see page 6 for details on how to apply. In addition to this 1,000 of the grant will be used towards supporting the development and running of Professional Steering Group meetings for stakeholders (employers, trainers, educational personnel etc.) focussed on improving young adult carers engagement with employment, training and education opportunities. Fundraising Collections raise over 500! Over the Summer months we have had a number of collections in supermarkets across Trafford and have raised a fantastic amount of over 500. We couldn't do these types of events if it wasn t for our fantastic volunteers, so we wanted to take this opportunity to thank the following volunteers who helped us over the Summer; Ruth, Gillian, Susan, Mark, Catherine & Christine Thank you Bathroom Takeaway & Cash 4 Kids Thanks to the generosity of Bathroom Takeaway and Cash for Kids one of our Young Carers is going to receive a weekend break and a brand new accessible bathroom which will make caring for his loved one much easier. It s fantastic to know that there are organisations in our community who would provide such an amazing gift for free. VOLUNTEERS GILLIAN AND MARK AT TESCO IN SALE 4

5 Volunteering John Lewis support our new Charity Shop In July six Partners from John Lewis got stuck into some painting and decorating at Trafford Carers Centre s new charity shop in Sale. They were recruited by Systems Support Partner Anita Woodrow, who is two months into a six-month Golden Jubilee Trust Secondment with the charity. She was joined by Graeme Medcalf, Emma Dillon, Adrian Gaddas and John Allcock, from Business Protection, and Nerys Chadwick, from Visual Merchandising. It was a great team day, says Anita. Thank you to everyone, I hope they didn t have too much trouble scrubbing the paint off afterwards! While most of the time was spent painting and decorating, Graeme also took the opportunity to plumb in a washing machine. The place looked a million dollars by the time we left, says Graeme. Well done to everyone involved. Anita is spending one day a week helping to launch the shop, which will also have a health and wellbeing centre above. On behalf of everyone at the Carers Centre we want to say a huge thank you to John Lewis and their partners for all their support with the project over the past few months. Meet Anita Anita Woodrow has joined us on a 6 month secondment from John Lewis to assist us with setting up our new retail store and health and wellbeing project. Anita has some fantastic experience and has already been invaluable in helping us get the project off the ground! Anita s previous experience has meant that she can bring a fantastic new skill set to the store as she has previously worked as a textile designer and managed a studio, there she was involved in designing fabrics, dressing exhibition stands around the UK and Europe. Anita has worked in several areas of John Lewis. Starting in furnishing fabric s taking orders for window blinds. She then moved onto greetings cards, and now works in the systems support and training department. We would like to thank Anita for joining us and thank John Lewis for their amazing Golden Jubilee Trust Scheme which made it all possible. Handyman Needed If anyone knows of someone who has the skills required to be a Handyman here at the Carers Centre and also help out our neighbour Swiis Foster Care to do various repair jobs from painting, replacing lights, to putting up message boards etc. All at a reasonable cost. Can you please call Lynne here at the Centre on

6 Young Carer s Project Key 103 gives one Young Carer tickets to their Summer Live Show Rebecca is a young carer who cares for her elder sibling. She and her boyfriend went to Key 103 s Summer Live event in July and got to see an amazing line up of artists including; Little Mix, Mark Ronson, Ella Ayre and James Bay to name just a few. Take Action & Support Grant The Carers Centre has recently been awarded 4,000 to allow us to make small grants of up to 150 per young carer aged years old. The Grants can be used for the following; Travel costs to enable young adult carers to attend interviews, school, college, university, work or training Fees for training courses or trips Textbooks and revision guides IT equipment Uniform/clothing for school, work, training or interviews Haircuts prior to interviews Driving lessons (if being unable to drive is a barrier to their engaging in education, employment and training. This could be in addition to a Carers Access grant from Carers Trust.) Crisis respite care (short term cover to enable attendance at an interview, training or exam) If you would like to access this grant fund and are a Young Adult Carer registered with us then please contact Kirsty or Daisy to go through an application form. 6

7 Spotlight on Personal Budgets About our Personal Budgets Scheme For many Carers getting a break away from their caring role is often nearly impossible. A new survey conducted by Carers Trust shows that over two thirds (68 per cent) of carers said they won't be going away this year, half haven't had a vacation in the last one to five years and a quarter haven't had a holiday at all in the last five years. Our Carers personal budget scheme aims to allow Carers caring for a loved one to take a break away from their caring role and prevent them from reaching crisis point due to their caring role. Since April 2015 we have already been able to grant a personal budget for over 376 carers registered with us, allowing them to do many things from going to a spa for a break, having a few days away from home on holiday or even going out for a meal in a restaurant. We thought we would take this opportunity to share some of the feedback from Carers who accessed a personal budget to have a break to show you the difference taking even a short break can make, allowing carers to recharge their batteries and really look after their own health and wellbeing. To apply for a personal budget contact the Helpline on Feedback from Carers Thank you so much for my personal budget, I thoroughly enjoyed an evening out with my husband for a delicious meal, it was wonderful Thank you for the cheque that arrived on Saturday. I enjoyed a lovely holiday at Criccieth, North Wales with my two daughters, I have been caring for one of my daughters for 60years. Thanks for all the work you do for Carers, which is much appreciated Just to say thank you so much for my Spa day, I had a wonderful day yesterday 6 hours of pampering and relaxation felt wonderful afterwards and so relaxing, just what I needed at the moment. Many thanks for all the information, it has helped me so much when I thought I could not go on anymore. It has given me the strength to continue the struggle. Once I again thank you, keep up the good work, without your help I don t know what would have happened. 7

8 GP Outreach Trafford Carers Centre is working with GP practices around Trafford to work towards better identification and support for carers. Caring as we know can be very rewarding but it can also adversely affect physical and mental health, resulting in social isolation and financial difficulty. That is why we are promoting targeted, meaningful support at the right stage which can enable carers to maintain their own health and wellbeing, care better and for longer and helps prevent breakdown of the care situation, which can result in emergency admission of the person that they care for. Nine out of ten carers attend their local GP surgery every year, however, many do not identify themselves as a carer and are often not identified by the practice team either. General practices, with their holistic approach and long-term relationship with their patients, are ideally placed to identify and support their patients who are carers. Unfortunately, many practices currently struggle to identify and prioritise the needs of their carers and offer them appropriate support. (RCGP Supporting Carers in General Practice report) We are now working with a number of GP practices across Trafford to offer the following support within GP surgeries; Benefits to carers include: A listening ear. Information and advice. Support. Signposting to Carer Support Groups and carers personal budgets. Encouragement to take care of own health needs. Access to a carer s assessment. Help with accessing benefits. Benefits to GP surgeries include: A clear referral pathway to effective carer support. An additional resource to meet patient needs. Help with early identification of carers own health problems. Promoting and sharing good practice. Increased carer awareness. Cost efficiency through promotion of carer health; crisis prevention; reduction in repeated and missed appointments; reduction in unplanned hospital admissions and secondary care referrals Contact us today on or Shabana on info@traffordcarerscentre.org.uk to find out more about our GP Liaison service. Or visit page 13 to see which GP surgeries and Hospitals our casework team will be at over the next few months. 8

9 Carer Support Groups Update on LD Support Group The next LD sub group will not be held until the New Year, however Karen Ahmed from Trafford Council is running a series of workshops to get peoples views on a number of issues. She would like to meet up with carers of people with learning disabilities and /or autism to find out what kind of help and support works best for carers. She wants to know if the right kind of help is available and, if not,what is missing. These views will inform future planning. The workshop will run from 10.00am pm on Wednesday 23 rd September in Committee Room 5, Trafford Town Hall. Please call Trafford Carers Centre to reserve a place on Bereavement Support Group Held on the first Wednesday of every month 1.00pm 3.00pm and 6.00pm 8.00pm at Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, M16 0QX. The Bereavement support group is a friendly, informal session, open to all carers who have lost someone they cared for. Although Carers share their experiences, there is no pressure to do so, and carers who simply want to listen at the moment are also welcome. Autism Spectrum Condition Support Group The next ASC group will be held on Thursday 17th Sept pm pm at Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, M16 0QX. Young Carers Project Due to a change in staff schedules we will be changing the day of the Young Carers Groups from Thursday s to Wednesday s. It will still be running at the same time of 5.30pm 7.30pm. These changes will be in effect from September onwards: The Younger Children s Group will start on alternate Wednesday s as of 2nd of September. The Teenage Group will start running alternate Wednesday s as of 9th of September. For more information about any of the groups please call us on

10 Carers Activity Groups Our Carer s Choir meets every Monday 4.15pm- 5.40pm at Sale West Community Centre, the group is very friendly and informal, our carers get a great deal from attending as the choir teacher Lucy is very motivational. The choir do external performances at small events which enables them to showcase their hard work and gain confidence. No previous singing experience necessary! A great distraction The choir keeps me singing all week! Great fun! Nice group! Genealogy group The Genealogy group meets the first Tuesday of the month 10.00am 1.00pm at Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, M16 0QX and every second Wednesday at Newhaven, Timperley 1.00pm 3.00pm. Our Carers have enjoyed learning about their extended families at the group but would love more people to join them! If you are interested in finding out about your family tree then come down and join our Genealogy Group. Craft Group The Craft Group meets every Friday at Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, M16 0QX. This is a great social group for carers to attend and make anything from Easter rabbits to handmade Birthday and Christmas cards. Our Carers have said they enjoy the social aspect of the group and really enjoy creating different things it has been described as a great stress buster. A nice friendly atmosphere 10

11 Carers Activity Groups Gardening group The Gardening Group meets every Monday 10.00am-1.00pm at the allotment in Old Trafford, call the Centre for details on how to get there on Our carers have said it helps them feel less isolated and of course is a great place to relax in the sunnier weather. The gardening group also have some cooking facilities which enables them to enjoy the food they produce with other carers at the allotment or at the Centre. The meets every Monday at Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, M16 0QX from 10.00am -1.00pm. The is very well attended and we are very proud of the work they produce, some of which is currently displayed at the Café in John Lewis at the Trafford Centre. Our carers have described the art group as a life line for them and helps them feel part of something and less isolated. It has made me happy and confident 11

12 TCCP Mental Health Mental Health Peer Support Group On the 21st September TCCP are organising their first meeting in order to gather information on what you want and need from a Mental Health Peer support group. We will be looking at how frequently we hold the group, locations and times and topics. Refreshments will be provided. Please call the Centre on to book your place. The Group will be held at St Matthews Community Hall, in the Heart Room from 5.30pm 7.30pm. Mental Health Forum On October 19th from 1.00pm 3.00pm their will be an opportunity for carers who are caring for someone with a Mental Health Condition to meet Abigail Short ( Senior Practitioner and Carers Lead) to voice any concerns or ask any questions you may have. Please call the Helpline to book a space or to get more information. The Group will be held at Moorside Unit, Trafford General Hospital, Moorside Road, Urmston, Manchester M41 5SL. Stretford Foodbank Stretford Foodbank rely on food donations to feed local people in crisis. From pasta to puddings, please give in-date non-perishable food. You can take your gift to the foodbank any Tuesday between 11am -2pm or any Sunday between 12-1pm. Or alternatively you can drop items off at the Centre. Trafford Christian Life Centre 107 Barton Road Stretford M32 9AF St Michael s Church Church Croft 28 The Village off Church Road Flixton M41 6HS They are currently short of cartons of fruit juice, tinned cold meats such as corned beef and ham; Dried UHT milk, deodorants, toilet rolls, shampoo and toiletries. To access the foodbank you need a voucher. Vouchers are held by social care and health organisations and some charities including ourselves and given to those who are in exceptional need. If you are not known to any of these we would advise you to go and discuss your needs with someone in the Citizen s Advice Bureau as they will be able to discuss your circumstances with you and provide some advice. If they feel it is necessary there are people within the Citizen s Advice Bureau who also hold vouchers. Vouchers are generally limited to a maximum of three per person per crisis. Vouchers can only be obtained by referral only. 12

13 Outreach Posts Did you know if you can t make it to the Centre you can come and see our Casework team in the following places throughout Trafford Washway Road Medical Centre - fortnightly Tuesdays 2.00pm -3.00pm (from 1st September) Brooksbar Medical Centre - 1st Monday of the Month 10.00am am Gloucester House Medical Centre - 1st Tuesday of the Month 1.00pm 2.00pm Firsway Medical Centre - Fortnightly 9.00am am (from 7th September) West Timperley Medical Centre - 1st Friday of the month 9.00am-10.00am Davyhulme Medical Centre- 1st Wednesday of the month 10.00am-11.00am Bodmin Road Medical Centre- fortnightly Mondays 9.30am am (from 7th September) Trafford General Hospital - 1st Wednesday of the month 10.30am am (at the clock tower information point) Trafford Carers Centre and Right at Home support unpaid Carers getting back in to the workplace Caring for my mum opened the door to a really rewarding new career thanks to Trafford Carers Centre for helping me to find it. Two years ago, former office worker Helen Antley gave up her job in order to look after her mum, who was suffering from cancer. Throughout her mum s 12 month illness Helen was supported in a number of ways by Trafford Carers Centre. We gave her a home assessment, help to access funding and offered respite and support groups. It was through this very newsletter that Helen Former unpaid family Carer Helen Antley first saw an advertisement for the quality home care provider Right at Home. The idea of working in care must have resonated, as I kept the advert and found it again when I was sorting through papers after mum passed away, said Helen. It seemed like the right time to try something new. Mark Beeby, owner of Right at Home South Trafford, said: Helen is a fantastic CareGiver. We are very proud to have been able to offer her a new career which taps into her wonderfully caring nature and offers many rewards her clients all love her and we get fantastic feedback about the difference she has made to their lives. Helen said: When you have been in that situation of caring for a loved one it makes you evaluate things differently and really appreciate the importance of looking after people properly. It s a very rewarding job and I m really glad I gave it a try. 13

14 Carers Helpline: Admin Number: Fax: e: w: Trafford Carers Centre 13 Warwick Road Old Trafford M16 0QX Opening Times Monday 9.00am 8.00pm Tuesday 9.00am 8.00pm Wednesday 9.00am 8.00pm Thursday 9.00am 8.00pm Friday 9.00am Carers Facebook.com/TraffordCarers 14

15 Dates for your Diary September September 2015 MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN Genealogy Group at Trafford Carers Centre Bereavement Support Group Coffee Afternoon, at Newhaven YCP - Younger Children s Group Gardening Group Genealogy Group at Newhaven Coffee Afternoon at Fiona Gardens YCP - Teenagers and Young Adults Gardening Group Coffee Afternoon, at Newhaven YCP - Younger Children s Group ASC Support Group 21 Gardening Group Mental Health Peer Coffee Afternoon at Fiona Gardens YCP - Teenagers and Young Adults Gardening Group Coffee Afternoon, at Newhaven YCP - Younger Children s Group Flower Arranging Carers from 10.00am-1.00pm, Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, Old Trafford M16 0QX from 10.00am 1.00pm, Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, Old Trafford, M16 0QX from 4.15pm-5.30pm, Sale West Community Centre, Newbury Avenue, Sale, M33 4QW Bereavement Group from 1.00pm 3.00pm and 6.00pm 8.00pm, Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, Old Trafford, M16 0QX Genealogy Group from 11.00am 1.00pm, Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, Old Trafford M16 0QX Genealogy Group at Newhaven from 1.00pm 3.00pm, Newhaven, Tulip Drive, Timperley, WA15 6LN Young Carers Project Groups, from 5.30pm 7.30pm, Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, Old Trafford Mental Health Peer Support Group, 5.30pm pm, St Matthews Community Hall, the Heart Room. Carers Coffee Afternoon 1.00pm 2.00pm either at Newhaven, Tulip Drive, Timperley, WA15 6LN or at Fiona Gardens, Atkinson Road, Sale, M33 6GG ASC Support Group from 1.00pm 3.00pm, Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, Old Trafford, M16 0QX. Flower Arranging, 10.00am 1.00pm, Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, Old Trafford, M16 0QX 15

16 Dates for your Diary October October 2015 MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN Gardening Group 6 Genealogy Group at Trafford Carers Centre 7 Bereavement Support Group Coffee Afternoon at Fiona Gardens YCP - Teenagers and Young Adults 12 Gardening Group Genealogy Group at Newhaven Coffee Afternoon, at Newhaven YCP - Younger Children s Group 19 Gardening Group Mental Health Forum Coffee Afternoon at Fiona Gardens YCP - Teenagers and Young Adults Gardening Group Coffee Afternoon, at Newhaven YCP - Younger Children s Group Flower Arranging Carers from 10.00am-1.00pm, Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, Old Trafford M16 0QX from 10.00am 1.00pm, Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, Old Trafford, M16 0QX from 4.15pm-5.30pm, Sale West Community Centre, Newbury Avenue, Sale, M33 4QW Bereavement Group from 1.00pm 3.00pm and 6.00pm 8.00pm, Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, Old Trafford, M16 0QX Genealogy Group from 11.00am 1.00pm, Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, Old Trafford M16 0QX Genealogy Group at Newhaven from 1.00pm 3.00pm, Newhaven, Tulip Drive, Timperley, WA15 6LN Young Carers Project Groups, from 5.30pm 7.30pm, Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, Old Trafford Mental Health Carers Forum, 1.00pm pm, Moorside Unit, Trafford General Hospital, Urmston, M41 5SL. Carers Coffee Afternoon 1.00pm 2.00pm either at Newhaven, Tulip Drive, Timperley, WA15 6LN or at Fiona Gardens, Atkinson Road, Sale, M33 6GG Flower Arranging, 10.00am 1.00pm, Trafford Carers Centre, 13 Warwick Road, Old Trafford, M16 0QX 16