Links
Listed below are some useful links to other websites which may be of interest. These will be regularly updated.
Please note, Caring with Confidence is not responsible for the contents, reliability or security of the following websites and linking to them should not be considered as an endorsement of any kind.
Carers Direct
Website: www.nhs.uk/carersdirect
Tel: 0808 802 0202
Carers Direct is a practical and comprehensive information, advice and support service for carers.
Call the Carers Direct helpline if you need help with your caring role and want to talk to someone about what options are available to you. The helpline advisers can give you information to help you make decisions about your personal support needs and the needs of the person you're looking after. This information includes assessments, benefits, direct payments, individual budgets, time off and maintaining, leaving or going back to work or education.
The helpline staff will also tell you how to complain if anything goes wrong with any of the services you use or put you in contact with your local authority or NHS services. Our helpline advisers can put you in touch with specialist national or local sources of help, including social care, health and self-help networks and resources.
Alzheimer's & Dementia Support Services (ADSS) North West Kent
Website: www.alzheimers-dementia.org.uk
Tel: 01474 533990
ADSS is an independent registered charity that was set up in 1991 to provide both practical and emotional support to people with dementia and their carers living in North West Kent. This is achieved through specialist multi-cultural services namely: an information helpline, one-to-one carer support, support groups for carers and the person they care for, a carers only support group, day care for people with dementia providing respite for their carers and a Support at Home Service for people with dementia providing respite for carers.
The Alzheimer Cafe (Hampshire)
http://www.alzheimercafe.co.uk
The Alzheimer Cafe is a monthly gathering where people in Hampshire with dementia and their family and friends can be together in a safe, welcoming environment, in the company of other carers, volunteers and health care professionals, for the purpose of emotional support, education and social interaction.
A typical evening at the Cafe starts with an informal chat over light refreshments. A presentation by a professional then follows, combined with a relaxed interview with a willing family member who has hands-on, real experience of the subject being discussed. The evening continues with further social interaction and refreshment and the opportunity to informally chat to the guest speakers. Occasionally evenings are enhanced further by live music or other entertainment.
beat - Beating Eating Disorders
Web: www.b-eat.co.uk
Tel: 0845 634 1414 (Mon-Fri 10.30am - 8.30pm, Sat 1.00pm - 4.30pm)
beat is the leading UK charity for people with eating disorders and their families. Eating disorders are a serious mental illness affecting 1.1 million people in the UK. beat provides helplines for adults and young people, online support and a UK-wide network of self-help groups to help people beat their eating disorder. beat's vision is simple: Eating Disorders will be Beaten.
Carers Advice & Resource Establishment, Sandwell (CARES)
Tel: 0121 558 7003
CARES was established in 1987 and works in partnership with a wide range of both statutory and voluntary organisations in the borough of Sandwell. It offers help, support, information and advice to carers and the people they look after. CARES provides a telephone helpline, an information and advice service (including outreach and home visits), emergency planning, carer support, PCT liaison and development, adult guidance and lifelong learning services.
Carers FIRST West Kent
Tel: 01732 357555
Carers FIRST are a charity which supports unpaid carers in the West Kent area. They offer the following support: information, advice and advocacy, benefits advice, advice on access to services e.g. health, education, housing, leisure, emotional support, carer training and education and short term breaks.
Carers’ Support Bexley
Tel: 020 8302 8011
Carers’ Support is a registered charity whose purpose is to offer information, support and respite for carers in the London Borough of Bexley. The respite service involves volunteers providing help to people in their own homes by giving them a break so they can go out, go away overnight or even have a holiday. They offer emotional support and a listening ear for carers, support and information for stroke survivors and their carers and assistance for young carers via “Parents Power,” a support group for parents with disabilities and their children. They also supply a carer’s information pack, a quarterly newsletter and benefits advice.
Carers UK
Web: www.carersuk.org
Tel: 0808 808 7777 (CarersLine)
Carers UK is the voice of carers. Carers provide unpaid care by looking after an ill, frail or disabled family member, friend or partner. Carers give so much to society yet as a consequence of caring, they experience ill health, poverty and discrimination. Carers UK is an organisation of carers fighting to end this injustice.
Carers UK improves carers' lives by:
- campaigning for the changes that make a real difference for carers
- providing information and advice to carers about their rights and how to get support
- mobilising carers and supporters to influence decision-makers
- gathering hard evidence about what needs to change
- transforming the understanding of caring so that carers are valued and not discriminated against.
Cornwall Rural Community Council (CRCC)
Web: www.cornwallrcc.co.uk/carers
Cornwall Rural Community Council is a registered charity operating throughout Cornwall. They provide:
The Carers’ Support Service: offering advice, information and support to people caring for someone who may be frail, elderly, physically disabled or have a learning disability.
Tel: 01872 243 531
The Cornwall Young Carers Project: working with young people who, in most cases are recognised as the main carer. They ensure they receive the most appropriate support for their individual circumstances and activities are also arranged giving them respite opportunities and social interaction with young people in a similar situation.
Tel: 01209 614 956
Counselling Directory
Web: www.counselling-directory.org.uk
The Counselling Directory website provides a UK wide counselling support network, enabling those in distress to find a counsellor close to them and appropriate for their needs. This is a free, confidential service that encourages those in distress to seek help. The website also contains a number of sections on emotional disorders (types of distress section) and information on each consellor's training and experience, areas of counselling covered, fees and contact details.
Crossroads Caring for Carers
Tel: 0845 450 0350
Crossroads Caring for Carers has over 30 years experience of providing practical support services for carers and the people they are supporting. The key purpose of Crossroads Caring for Carers is to ensure that carers can have a break so services aim to be flexible and respond to individual situations. The services are of dual value - emotional support and a break for the carer, and a high-quality tailored service for the person they are supporting. Delivered through a network of local schemes in England, services may vary according to local need.
Every Crossroads Caring for Carers scheme is a member of Crossroads Association - the umbrella body for the network. The Association provides comprehensive policy and quality frameworks, as well as advice and guidance for local schemes and in addition works nationally with partners in the statutory and voluntary sectors to raise awareness of the needs of carers and contribute to policy development.
Disability Recreation Unity Movement (DRUM) Watford
Web: www.drum.ik.com
Tel: 01923 442 114
The DRUM is a small registered charity, based in Watford, providing day services, activities and help for nearly 70 adults with physical and/or sensory disabilities. They also support over 100 carers. Over a third of their members rely on personal care and the DRUM provides a regular day break for these carers with the option to attend any of their activity sessions, social events or day trips. The Carer Support sessions are held every 4-6 weeks and include free training, information and yoga classes. They also provide an opportunity for carers to meet others, develop friendships, share information, ideas and life experiences.
Expert Patients Programme Community Interest Company (EPP CIC)
Tel: 020 7922 7860
EPP was established as a CIC in April 2007 but came into existence in 2002 to deliver courses to people with long-term health conditions across England. The aim of the courses is to help people take back control of their lives by learning new skills to manage their health condition(s) on a daily basis. The courses are facilitated by trained tutors who are also living with a long-term condition.
EPP CIC has wide experience of designing and developing courses suitable for specific groups for example: carers, parents, young people, travellers, those who abuse drugs and alcohol (including support for families), people seeking to return to work, the deafened and people with mental health problems. EPP CIC also delivers courses in nine languages and a variety of formats to suit individual need.
Family Carer Support Service (FCSS)
Web: www.hft.org.uk/carerssupport
Tel: 0117 906 1751
The Family Carer Support Service would like all family carers and their learning disabled relatives to lead full, well supported lives. FCSS works to provide free services throughout England at individual, local, regional and national levels.
They provide information and support to families through:
- personal contact by telephone, letter and email
- workshop courses in which we share knowledge, skills and support
- occasional conferences and seminars for family carers and/or professionals
- family Carer News Digests about policy, practice and carers issues
- developing other family focused materials and publications
- partnership working with other organisations, including the National Family Carer Network and the National Valuing Families Forum
The Gut Trust
Web: www.theguttrust.org
Tel: 0114 272 3253
The Gut Trust is the national charity for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in the UK. There are over 6 million people in the UK who live with IBS which affects the large bowel and can cause considerable pain and discomfort. The Gut Trust aim to inform, support and educate those with IBS and their families and carers to improve their quality of life and to raise public awareness of the condition and the issues surrounding it.
Help and Care
Tel: 0300 111 3303
Help and Care is a registered charity that provides information, support and advice to carers in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset.
Carers can access a number of services and help including:
- Carerslink – a one-stop information and support service for carers
- a Carers Centre – based in Bournemouth, carers can visit the centre to gain support, advice and a listening ear
- carers training and events
- carers advocacy
- a short break service for carers in Poole and Dorset
- a walking group - for carers who enjoy walking and fresh air.
Help and Care treats every carer as an individual and works with carers to find out what support they need to make a difference to their lives.
Herefordshire Carers Support
Web: www.herefordshirecarerssupport.org
Tel: 01432 356068
Herefordshire Carers Support is a member of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and provide:
- a telephone information line
- information packs
- a regular newsletter
- home visits and one to one support
- an emergency card scheme
- carer support groups
- young carers support
- parent carer support and network group - Parent Carer Voice
- mental health and learning disability network groups
Maidstone Carers Project
Tel: 01622 685 276
The Maidstone Carers Project is a point of contact for anyone living in Maidstone and the surrounding rural areas, looking after a family member, partner or friend. It provides information about local services, support systems and the benefits available, offering practical assistance in completing benefit claim forms. The project acts as confidential listening ear, offering emotional support over the phone and face to face. It also has a long standing regular Carers Forum enabling carers to speak directly to the planners and managers of Health and Social Services.
Martlets Hospice Hove
Tel: 01273 273 406
Marlets Hospice provides both practical and emotional assistance to the carers of their patients. As well as this support, they also help to direct carers to outside organisations – largely Crossroads and the local Carers Centre. Contact is made with the carers once their relative has visited the day hospice and then followed up approximately 2 weeks later with the offer of a meeting in their homes. There is a 6-week evening ‘education/support’ programme for carers which is held 2 – 3 times in a 12 month period and pamper mornings during a special Carers Week.
Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association
Tel: 08457 626262
The MND Associations Strategic Framework demonstrates their commitment in supporting the families and carers of people with MND. They continue to work in partnership with others to raise the profile of carers and influence the standards of available information and support. This year they will be developing the help they already provide ensuring support and information is tailored to meet the diverse needs of carers and provided over the entire episode of care giving.
NAM
Web: www.aidsmap.com
Tel: 0207 840 0050
NAM is an HIV information charity providing a range of resources for people living with HIV and those working to support them. Their mission is to support people living with HIV to live longer, healthier lives and to this end, are committed to providing independent, accurate and accessible information.
National Family Carer Network (The Network)
Tel: 07747 460727
The Network’s key objective is to support and work towards promoting better life chances for families that include someone with a learning disability. They aim to link other groups and organisations that support these families, giving a national focus to a wide range of policy issues concerning carers of adults with a learning disability. The Network hold regular events enabling groups, organisations and individual family carers to come together, share ideas and discuss policy issues.
NHS Choices – your health, your choices
Web: www.nhs.uk
NHS Choices is a comprehensive information service that helps to put you in control of your healthcare. The service is intended to help you make choices about your health, from lifestyle decisions about things like smoking, drinking and exercise, through to the practical aspects of finding and using NHS services in England when you need them.
The Carers Direct area of the website also contains information, advice and support specifically for carers and can be accessed from the NHS Choices homepage.
OCD-UK
Web: www.ocduk.org
Formed in 2004, OCD-UK is the leading national charity, independently working with and for people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
Listed amongst the top 10 most debilitating illnesses by the World Health Organisation in terms of loss of income and decreased quality of life, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is thought to affect 2-3% of the UK population.
It is our belief that everyone affected by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder should receive the most appropriate and the highest quality standards of care, support and treatment. Our objective is to make a positive and meaningful difference in the everyday lives of people affected by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, by providing accessible and effective support services and by campaigning for improved access and quality treatment and care for people with OCD. We believe it is vital that every person affected by OCD receives the highest quality of treatment and care that they are entitled to and deserve. We facilitate a safe environment for people affected by OCD to communicate with each other and provide mutual understanding and support.
Partners UK
Web: www.partnersinpolicymaking.co.uk
Partners UK is a national network of families who have a disabled child or disabled adult and their allies, working to build capacity to work in partnership at local, regional and national levels.
Partners in Policymaking is an innovative leadership training programme for parents and relatives of children with disabilities and for disabled people. Partners UK have designed several bespoke courses using the successful Partners model. Each course has been developed using information given by family carers over the past twelve years.
Partners UK has continually built capacity, by having course graduates shadowing the coordinator on courses and then being supported to run courses themselves. All course coordinators are parents of a child/adult with significant support need.
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers
Web: www.carers.org
Tel: 0844 800 4361
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers was created on the initiative of HRH The Princess Royal in 1991. At that time, people caring at home for family members or friends with disabilities and chronic illnesses were scarcely recognised as requiring support.
The Trust is now the largest provider of comprehensive carers support services in the UK. Through its unique network of 141 independently managed Carers' Centres, 83 young carers services and interactive websites, The Trust currently provides quality information, advice and support services to almost 310,000 carers, including over 15,500 young carers.
St Mary’s Hospice South Cumbria
Web: www.stmaryshospice.org/carers
Tel: 01229 580305
The St Mary's Hospice Carers Project aims to enable people in South Cumbria to be more informed and confident about providing care in their own homes. It also helps carers to look after their own health, which is essential if they are going to manage the physical and emotional demands of caring. The services provided offer support to carers regardless of the illness that their loved one is suffering from.
Target Ovarian Cancer
If you are a woman newly-diagnosed or struggling with ovarian cancer, it is important to know you are not alone. Carers provide a vital role for women with ovarian cancer and Target Ovarian Cancer wants to support them too with useful information and guidance. We want to be there every step of the way with women and their carers, taking on their concerns and pushing for improvements in health care. We aim to improve and save lives now and in the future and have launched the biggest ever study – the Target Ovarian Cancer Pathfinder Study - into the experiences of women with ovarian cancer in the UK. Change is long overdue. Ovarian cancer has been underfunded, ill understood and neglected compared to other cancers. Visit www.targetovarian.org.uk to find out more.