Carer support groups and organisations
Are you a carer?
Do you look after someone? A relative or a child, a partner or a
friend who needs your help because they are ill, frail or have a
disability? Then you are a carer.
The Carers' Resource is a service for carers who care for
somebody who lives within Rochdale Council boundaries. The aim of
the service is to support carers by the delivery of one stop advice
and information, emotional support and access to free training to
equip you with additional skills if you are planning to return to
the workplace.
The services have been developed by Rochdale Borough Council,
with funding from the ERDF and ESF, as part of its response to the
needs and concerns of carers within the borough. It is part of the
Social Inclusion Business Unit and has links with Rochdale Learning
Network (RLN), Rochdale Employment Development Service (REDS),
Moving On and Steps.
Much of the work that carers do is vital but is unpaid and can
often go unrecognised. Now efforts to support these carers have
been recognised with Rochdale Borough Council acknowledged as
a ‘Beacon Council’ by the Government. Beacon status recognises the
good practice that has been developed locally. It means that
Rochdale’s Adult Care Service and its Child Care Service have been
recognised as providing centres of excellence in local government
from which other councils can learn.
Service for carers at The Carers Resource
As a carer we can offer you:
- Access to specialist support and emotional support from other
carers and volunteers. This may include advice, information and
guidance on how to access services that will help you to continue
to provide care for your relative or friend.
- Access to free training and lifelong education to suit your
needs.
- If you have barriers which prevent you from attending The
Carers' Resource, we will provide the necessary support. This may
include the funding of transport and, after assessment, a sitting
service to support your relative while you access our
facilities.
- You will be treated at all times with courtesy and respect.
Rochdale Council is very serious about its commitment to equal
opportunities, and will challenge any incidences of racism,
discrimination or harassment.
- The Carers' Resource will seek to listen to your views around
the service at all times, and to involve you in its consultative
process.
- The Carers' Resource will provide you with assistance if you
have language support needs.
- The Carers' Resource will provide you with support services if
you have a disability of any nature.
- The Carers' Resource will inform you of any changes that may
affect the way you use the service or your entitlement to use
it.
- Any information which attributes to you will be stored in a
secure way and will not be made available to outside agencies
unless disclosure is deemed necessary. (Please refer to our
disclosure policy, available on request)
- There is currently no advocacy service specifically for carers
in the borough, but The Carers Resource can provide information,
advice and emotional support.
What we expect from you
- You will supply the information that is needed to place you on
The Carers' Resource database.
- If you enrol on any courses, you will make every effort to
attend and if you are finding it difficult, you will speak to us
and seek ways around the problem.
- When you are at The Carers' Resource, you will treat all other
carers and staff with respect and consideration. The Carers'
Resource provides a service to all carers irrespective of race,
faith, gender, age, sexual orientation or disability.
- If your situation changes you will inform The Carers' Resource
and discuss with us how you will use the resource in the
future.
- If you know of other carers in your family or by friendship you
will tell them about of The Carers' Resource and encourage them to
get in touch with us.
What will happen at The Carers' Resource
This a brief outline of the processes that we use to make sure
that you are receiving the right services and support from The
Carers' Resource.
Referral
You can refer yourself by simply calling The Carers' Resource
and discussing your problems over the phone, or by arranging an
informal meeting with us. We are operating in Rochdale and Heywood
so you can pick a location which is convenient for you. You can get
other people to contact us on your behalf if you feel the first
step is a big one to take alone (eg your doctor, community nurse,
social worker, support group leader or a friend or relative).
Initial meeting
We understand that meeting us for the first time may feel a bit
daunting so please bring along a friend or other family member if
you wish. At our first meeting we will not expect you to give us
all the information we may need to begin supporting you. However
the more you tell us the better we will be able to support you. We
usually discuss the following general areas with carers in your
preferred language: -
- Yourself and your own needs
- The person you care for and how you support them
- Your benefit or pension needs
- The services that may assist you to support the person you look
after
- Social and Health Care Services and how to use them
- Carer's Assessment
- Your training and educational needs
- Your employment needs
- Your emotional support needs
- Your housing concerns
- Any thing else that you want to discuss, or ask for help
with
On some subjects you will be given the information on the day.
For others, we may need a little time to make more enquires on your
behalf, in which case we will arrange a future meeting
Regular activities
Drop ins
We are open for drop ins all week at specific times. You are
free to call in for support, or just to have a coffee and relax in
our comfy room. If you wish to discuss a problem with a member of
staff, please try to telephone in advance to check that somebody
will be free to see you, particularly if you require assistance in
community languages.
Courses
At present we are running the following free courses for
carers:
- Beginners Computers
- CLAIT & CLAIT Plus
- First Aid at Work
- Personal Development (including stress management, coping
skills and beauty therapy
- Be Creative (crafts)
- Get The Job (including confidence building)
- ESOL (English for speakers of other languages)
- Literacy and Numeracy - improve your reading, writing and
number skills.
Social events
We run social events from time to time, and you are welcome to
come along to these events and to get involved in organising them
if you wish.
Young Adult Carers Support Group
If you are a carer aged between 16 and mid twenties, you are
welcome to get involved with the Young Adult Carers Support Group.
This group uses the Carers Resource as its base, but the members
decide and organise their own programme of events.
Volunteers at The Carers' Resource
Carers are welcome to get involved with voluntary activities at
The Carers' Resource. This could range from arranging a coffee
morning to helping to staff the drop in sessions.
Keeping in touch with the Carers' Resource
Newsletter
We publish regular newsletters to keep our carers up to date
with our activities and to provide other information. If you would
like to include an item in the newsletter, please talk to staff and
we can support you to do this.
Carers week
During June of each year we hold a series of events to raise
awareness of carers' issues. You will be welcome to come along to
all of these events as a carer or as a volunteer.