Events across the county to celebrate Carers Week

Carers Week image

Organisations across the county will be hosting a series of events to mark Carers Week this week (10 to 16 June).

This year, the focus for Carers Week is Getting Carers Connected. Caring can be a hugely rewarding experience but carers often find it challenging to take care of their own wellbeing whilst caring. Its impact on all aspects of life from relationships and health to finances and work should not be underestimated. Caring without the right information and support can be tough.

Several events are taking place across Shropshire to celebrate the fantastic contribution carers make to families and communities in Shropshire. Carers Trust 4 All are celebrating Carers Week with a number of events around the county.

• Weds 12 June 2019 10-12 Meet Maysi/Meet Carers Trust 4 All coffee morning. Mayfair Community Centre, Easthope Road, Church Stretton SY6 6BL
• Thursday 13 June 2019 10a.m. to 2p.m. Accessing Public Services Toolkit Workshop – Cerebra will be holding a free workshop for families. The aim of the workshop is to support families having difficulties in relation to health, social care and education support services. The workshop isn’t about giving legal advice or solving individual issues, but about helping parents to get the services that they need for their child and family. Please contact Carers Trust4All on 01743 341995 to book a place.
•  Tuesday 18 June 12.00-3 pm. Cleobury Mortimer Carers Support Group Annual Garden Party, Cleobury Mortimer Social Club, Love Lane, DY14 8PE All Welcome

Everyone has a part to play in connecting carers and helping them to get the support they need to care without putting off their own health needs or losing important relationships with others.

Carers week image

In Shropshire, over 34,000 people are caring for someone, including more than 600 young carers. In reality, these numbers are likely to be much higher. Many people do not recognise themselves as carers, and see this simply as part of being a family member, spouse, partner, friend or neighbour.

Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for adult social care and climate change, said:

“The focus for Carers Week this year is ‘getting carers connected’. Connecting carers to advice, information and services is important, as caring can be complex. In Shropshire, this may come through: on-line information such as Shropshire Choices; advice and support through a carers assessment from Adult Social Care; and access to carers groups to connect to others.

“Carers Trust4All run groups including those for young carers, and can also provide further information and support. Work continues with the Shropshire All-Age Carers Strategy to help ensure carers needs are met.”

Jill Livingstone, Locality Manager for Carers Trust 4all added:

“Caring for someone can impact on all aspects of life from relationships and health to finances and work. Caring without the right information and support can be tough.

During Carers Week, Carers Trust 4 All are running a number of events to highlight the importance of the role carer play in families and communities and to spread the word about the support available to carers in Shropshire, through our service and other organisations.”

Dean Carroll added: “Many people out there do not see themselves as carers. We want to send out a message out to the Shropshire community that helping to look after someone who could not manage otherwise, is caring.”

All age carers strategy

Work that has taken place for 2018-2019 as a part of the All-Age Carers Strategy and Action Plan for Shropshire includes;

• Eight carer designed and led workshops called ‘Taking the Pressure Out of Caring’ were provided for family carers between September and November 2018 across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. These had a focus on reducing stress and seeking timely support and were positively received by those attending. A further workshop for young adult carers will be provided in August 2019
• Carer telephone assessments are now offered where the carer cannot leave the person they care for
• Carers can be offered a referral to Social Prescribing. This is available in 11 GP practices across the county
• A ‘Time 4 You’ event for carers who look after someone with drug/alcohol issues event was held in September 2018, by Shropshire Drug & Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) in Public Health. Stalls included; Al Anon, Adult Social Care incl. Mental Health Social Work Team, Young Addaction, Healthwatch, Help2Change, CAP, Shropshire Recovery Partnership. Yoga, massage, music and mindfulness sessions were available
• Informal training has been provided by Adult Social Care, to help 4 x library van drivers recognise and signpost potential carers to appropriate support and advice
• Young carers from Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin have written and designed a ‘Z’ leaflet to raise awareness of young carers in educational settings
• A Mental Health Carers Working Group which is linked to the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Carer Partnership Boards continues to meet
• Let’s Talk Local’ /Adult Social Care (ASC) sessions in hospitals in Whitchurch Community Hospital, and the Carers Café is in Oswestry (Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt) operate monthly. The Redwoods Centre has ‘Let’s talk mental health’ session every week for inpatients only and their carers.

You can find out information for carers here: 

For details about Carers Week visit here:

Further information

 Any carer or person who feels they may be fulfilling a carer role can contact Carers Trust 4 all direct for information about their services on:

• Carers Support helpline during office hours: 01743 341995.
• All Carer emergency calls: 0333 323 1990 number option 1 and then option 6.

or

• by phoning the First Point of Contact, Shropshire Council on: 0345 678 9044.