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TRANSCRIPT
Mental & Social Healthcare
Information for CarersHelp and advice for relatives and friends who support people using our services
This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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Carers Booklet 2019_V7_pr.pdf 2 03/04/2019 13:41:37
3
This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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Carers Booklet 2019_V7_pr.pdf 3 03/04/2019 13:41:37
This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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Carers Booklet 2019_V7_pr.pdf 6 03/04/2019 13:41:39
This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
7
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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Carers Booklet 2019_V7_pr.pdf 7 03/04/2019 13:41:39
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This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
Your contactsGPName:_____________________________ Tel:_____________________
Care Co-ordinatorName:_____________________________ Tel:_____________________
Other professionalName:_____________________________ Tel:_____________________
ConsultantName:_____________________________ Tel:_____________________
Ward/Out of HoursName:_____________________________ Tel:_____________________
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Carers Booklet 2019_V7_pr.pdf 8 03/04/2019 13:41:39
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This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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Carers Booklet 2019_V7_pr.pdf 9 03/04/2019 13:41:39
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This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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Carers Booklet 2019_V7_pr.pdf 11 03/04/2019 13:41:41
This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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13
This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
14
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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Carers Booklet 2019_V7_pr.pdf 14 03/04/2019 13:41:43
15
This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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Carers Booklet 2019_V7_pr.pdf 15 03/04/2019 13:41:44
This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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Carers Booklet 2019_V7_pr.pdf 16 03/04/2019 13:41:46
This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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Carers Booklet 2019_V7_pr.pdf 17 03/04/2019 13:41:48
This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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Carers Booklet 2019_V7_pr.pdf 18 03/04/2019 13:41:48
This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
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Carers Booklet 2019_V7_pr.pdf 19 03/04/2019 13:41:49
C_Booklet_4_IntrimReview date: October 2019
This booklet provides information and advice for carers who look after someone receiving services from 2gether NHS Foundation Trust.
“A carer is a person who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is frail or has a physical or mental illness, disability or substance misuse issues. The carer is not employed to provide this help but does so to improve the quality of that person’s life."
Thousands of carers experience mental and physical ill health themselves due to the demands of being a carer. Many more are unaware of the support available to them.
This booklet is for carers who have contact with teams throughout 2gether and takes into account different levels of need, types of problems experienced by the service user and different team working arrangements.
You can find out more about the support available to carers by visiting www.2gether.nhs.uk or by asking a member of staff.
Carers’ Charter Our Carers’ Charter was developed with, and for, carers as a joint statement of how we will work together to help make life better. The charter is based on our core values and is our pledge to you.
Whenever we can, we will be: Seeing from your perspective• Recognising your expert knowledge and understanding of the person you care for• Seeking to understand what being a carer means to you• Providing you with an assessment of your needs• Recognising your health needs
Excelling and improving• Working in partnership with you to make sure you are involved in the care we provide• Undertaking regular reviews of feedback from carers• Providing staff training to further develop our knowledge and expertise of working with carers• Asking for your involvement in helping us to improve the experiences of carers using our services Responsive• Making sure that you feel welcome in our care environments• Providing you with relevant information about their care, diagnosis and medication• Providing you with information about other organisations that can help you Valuing and respectful• Listening to you and respecting your perspective• Taking note of what you tell us to help inform best clinical decisions• Respecting that parent carers, young carers and older carers will have different needs• Valuing you as a partner in the planning of care and treatment Inclusive, open and honest• Including you by providing clear and accurate information about the needs of the person you care for• Letting you know what will happen in an emergency• Including you in meetings about the person that you care for
Can do• Involving you in the care and decisions about the person that you care for• Giving you a copy of the care plan• Seeking your views to help us make joint decisions about the care we provide Effective, efficient, economic, equitable• Providing you with the opportunity to share important information to inform the care provided• Recognising and supporting your activities outside your caring role• Supporting you to access relevant services as your caring role and responsibilities change
Young carers
This pack has been designed for adult carers. However young people can also be involved in caring and can really benefit from having their own specialist support, advice and involvement in care planning.
Young carers are defined in two ways. Young adult carer refers to people aged 16-25, while young carer refers specifically to those aged under 18. Young carers care, unpaid, for a family or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition, or an addiction.
For further information you, or the young person involved, can contact one of the following young carer organisations for further information and guidance.
Gloucestershire Young CarersTelephone: 01452 733060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.glosyoungcarers.org.uk
Herefordshire Young Carer SupportCarers Trust 4all support unpaid carers of all ages and can be contacted on [email protected], Herefordshire Carer Support continue to run young carers clubs and support. Referrals for young carers can be made to [email protected] 07484 245128.Referrals for young adult carers’ support can be made to [email protected] 07548 913863.
You can also visit our website or ask a member of staff for young carer information.
Carers’ Assessment
As the carer of someone receiving our services you should be given the opportunity to talk to us about your own needs.
As a carer, you have a legal right to an assessment of your needs under the Care Act 2014. A member of staff should offer you this opportunity. The care team can do this with you or arrange for another local organisation to work with you depending on which service your friend or relative is seeing.Once the assessment is complete a support plan is made, which may involve contacting and working with other agencies to access the support you need.
A Carers’ Assessment is not a test of your ability to care. It recognises your crucial role, and that supporting your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing is essential. Depending on your needs and eligibility an assessment may result in: • A payment for you to spend on something that makes caring easier• Some practical help for you, for example respite care• Information and guidance about other ways your needs might be met.
You can have a Carers’ Assessment if you are an adult carer. If you or the person you care for is about to be 18, you will have a Transition Assessment which helps identify if someone is eligible for support as an adult. Young Carers (aged under 18) are also entitled to an assessment of their own needs. You can ask a member of our staff how to access these options.
The assessment looks with you at how caring affects your life, including physical and emotional need, and whether you feel able and willing to continue caring. You don’t have to live with the person you are supporting or be caring full time to have an assessment – you may be trying to juggle work and caring and this is what is having a big impact on you. A Carers’ Assessment can be valuable if your caring role is causing you problems or if you have a need as a carer that may require funding.
You do not need to have a Carers‘ Assessment to be able to access most of the carer support available locally. Carer support within the Trust should routinely be offered to you. What is on offer will depend on which team you have contact with but common examples of this support are information on
mental health conditions and learning disabilities, inclusion in discussions about treatment, and advice about how you can support the friend or relative who is using our service.
Carers’ organisations also offer a range of free support that you can access without an assessment. This might include information and guidance about support in the community, emotional support, courses and education about caring, and contact with other carers in similiar situations who know what you are going through and can share their experience. Information about benefits and help to manage debt can also be very useful.
In addition to a formal assessment and support for you, staff should listen to any concerns, views and information you want to share regarding your friend or relative.
For more information, ask your friend or family member’s Care Co-ordinator about Carer’s Assessments.
Planning for an emergency
Planning is key to coping with a crisis so it’s important to think in advance about an action plan.
You and the person you care for might like to write down a plan about what they want to happen if there is an emergency. Often, as part of their care, teams will help your friend or relative to plan what will happen if they become unwell again. If carers are part of that plan they should be involved and have a copy so they know what’s expected and who to contact.
Your friend or relative can also write a plan for themselves about what they want to happen in future and may like to involve you in this. The plan can be in any format. There are some Advance Care Planning tools available from Care-Co-ordinators. Service users, friends and family can talk through and record preferences about treatment, and other future support that might be necessary, and these can be stored in the service user’s records so staff are aware of them if a situation arises.
Carers often recognise early signs that someone’s mental health is deteriorating and, where necessary, teams should provide information through documents, such as the Care Plan, about recognising when someone is becoming unwell. If you feel signs of a relapse are present you
should contact the most appropriate person for advice – who this is will depend on who is involved in your friend or relative’s care. This may be their GP, current care team or a specialist crisis team whose contact details you have been provided with
You should not worry that you will be seen as “making a fuss” – you are the person who may be most aware of a developing problem and staff should respect your opinion.
If you are requesting help, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network has worked with carers to put together the following, which will help you prepare:
Situation: Who is calling and why? Be clear about the situation.Background: How has this come about and what has happened?Assessment: What are the problems that you are worried about?Recommendations: What do you feel would help?Decision: Make a note of what was agreed and who will do what.
If you feel in immediate danger, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Local providers of Carer support services like Carers Trust 4All and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can advise you on schemes to support you in an emergency. As support is usually required quickly they recommend that you contact them to register in advance.
The Gloucestershire Carers HubConway House31 Worcester StGloucester GL1 3AJTelephone 0300 111 9000website www.gloucestershirecarershub.co.uk
Carers Trust4AllFred Bulmer CentreWall StHerefordHR4 9HPTelephone 0333 323 1990or email [email protected]
Useful numbers Don’t be afraid to use the numbers on this page. Please use the spaces to add contact numbers of other people involved in the care of the person you look after.
NHS 111: Confidential health advice and information on non-emergency situations or where advice or reassurance is required. Telephone 111.
Social Care Services out of hours (emergency only):
Gloucestershire: Adult and Children’s services: 01452 614194.Herefordshire: Adult services: 0330 1239309. Children’s services: 01905 768020.
Gloucestershire Police and West Mercia Police: For non-emergency advice please telephone 101.
Samaritans: Telephone 116 123.
Shelterline: Housing advice helpline. Telephone 0808 800 4444.
Refuge: For women experiencing domestic violence. Telephone 0808 200 0247.
Local information about the team and how to contact them may be included in this pack or on a card. If not please ask a member of staff or visit our website www.2gether.nhs.uk.
Taking care of yourself
It’s important to look after yourself and stay well in order to cope in a demanding caring role.
It can stressful for you if the person you care for is upset or angry or you find yourself in a role you did not choose. It‘s not surprising that many carers experience mental and physical health problems due to the demands of caring. The following tips are about looking after yourself. Some come from other carers and others are from research about carers’ health:
• If you are feeling stressed, anxious, low or depressed speak to your GP about some help for you. This may be through the surgery or from a range of workshops and counselling services the GP can refer you to. You can also refer yourself to the 2gether Let‘s Talk services for some psychological support. Let’s Talk is a free service provided in both counties
by the NHS for people aged 18 and above. They can offer courses, one-to-one support by telephone or face-to-face therapy depending on your needs.
The contact number for Let’s Talk is 0800 073 2200. You can learn more about the service at www.talk2gether.nhs.uk
• If you need to talk through your caring role, local carers’ organisations offer one-to-one and group support.• Try to maintain your physical and mental health by taking some exercise and eating as well as you can.• If you are offered health checks try to take them up. Carers are at a higher risk of having health problems diagnosed later in life because they may miss health checks.• Connect with others - this does not always have to be face-to-face to be effective.• Be compassionate towards yourself - demands on you may be very high so focus on what you have achieved rather than feeling guilty about what you have not.• If it‘s hard for you to say no or set boundaries, investigate assertiveness techniques online, from books on prescription, or a course.
Short breaks and time away for parents/carers of young people
If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with a disability, short breaks for them can include day, evening, overnight, weekend and holiday activities and give young people the opportunity to have fun and relax with friends. Making short breaks possible can range from supporting children and young people to join children's activities and services in their communities to providing specialist services, or a mixture of both.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support services in both counties can advise or signpost parent carers about breaks for young people.
Contact Herefordshire SENDIASS 01432 260955 [email protected]
Gloucestershire SENDIASS 0800 158 3603 or use the contact form on www.sendiassglos.org/contact-us
Carer information sessions and support groups
Carer education and support groups provide:
• Time to talk, share experiences and support each other• Visiting speakers on mental health issues and services• Increased understanding of mental health problems and how they may be managed• Education for carers on looking after their own wellbeing• Information on carers’ rights• A social event
These may be provided by the team, depending on which service your friend or family member has contact with - ask the care co-ordinator if this is part of what the team offers. You can also access carer education and support programmes run by local carer organisations.
In Herefordshire please enquire at [email protected]. In Gloucestershire please enquire through the Gloucestershire Carers Hub 0300 111 9000.
Advocacy services
Advocacy services provide support to ensure disadvantaged people are treated fairly and have equal rights. Services are available in both counties and details can be found below.
GloucestershirePOhWER provides advocacy services, including:
• Independent Care Act Advocacy• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy• Independent Mental Health Advocacy• Independent Health Complaints Advocacy• Independent advocacy to eligible individuals wishing to complain about their experience of adult social care.
To access these services, please call 0300 456 2370 or email [email protected]. You can also text the word ‘pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025.
HerefordshireOnside Advocacy’s self-referral services include Advocacy, Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) to support people who want to complain about NHS care or treatment they have received in the past 12 months and Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for people detained under the Mental Health Act. They offer free, independent and confidential support to adults who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and to carers living in Herefordshire.
To access these services, please call 01905 27525 or email [email protected]
GP Carers’ Register
Many GP practices have an established process and protocol for identifying carers within their practice. However, you should check and inform your GP practice if you are a child or adult caring for someone at home or elsewhere who has a physical or mental illness, has a learning disability, suffers alcohol or drug addiction problems or who is disabled, elderly or frail.
Once you are registered as a carer manyGP practices offer some or all of the following:
Free annual flu vaccinations.Joint appointments for patients and carers.Back-to-back appointments for patients and their carer.Home appointments for carers who are housebound.Health check for carers, sometimes also linked to an advice clinic.Sharing of relevant information with a carer regarding the illness, treatment and prognosis of the cared-for with appropriate agreement.One or more ‘emergency’ appointment slots ‘free’ each day for carers.A nominated staff member who telephones older or vulnerable patients who are carers on a regular basis.A nominated staff member as a carer lead.A dedicated carer’s noticeboard and carer’s link on their website for information.Link entries on their register to a referral for a carers’ Assessment and/or referral to relevant organisation or agency for advice and support.To link registration to an invitation to a local carers‘ support group.
Confidentiality and information sharing
Our Carers’ Charter sets out how we should involve you in the care of the person you care for.
Staff have a legal duty to keep personal information confidential. For a variety of reasons, service users sometimes do not consent for staff to share information with carers, and if they are able to make that decision staff have to respect it. However, it is good practice for staff to revisit this decision with service users, to ask them if it applies to all information or just some things, and to remind the service user of the positives of carer involvement.
If the person you care for has agreed that information can be shared with you, planned care or treatment should be discussed with you. If not, you can still receive general factual information both verbally and written, as well as support for yourself in your caring role. As the carer you should be helped to understand:• the present situation• any confidentiality restrictions put in place by the service user• the service user’s treatment plan and its aims• any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme• the role of the professionals involved in the service user’s care• how to access help, including out of hours services As the carer you should have:• the opportunity to speak to a professional on your own and share information that you consider relevant and important• rights to your own confidentiality when talking to a professional• encouragement to feel a valued member of the care team• confidence to voice your views and any concerns you may have• support in your caring role • access to an assessment of your own needs and your own written support plan
Carers’ information
If you do not feel that you are getting the information you need, the following questions might be helpful for you to use when talking to staff involved in the care of your friend or relative:
• What tests and assessments will you do?• Are you able to tell me what the diagnosis/current problem is?• Will medication help? Are there any side effects? Who can I talk to for more information about this?• Are there any other treatments and services that might be useful/available?• What is the treatment plan? Can I have a copy of the plan?• How often will the person I care for be seen?• What should I do if I think my friend or relative’s condition is becoming worse?• Where can I get further information about the condition and the services available?• How will I be involved in planning care?• What support is there for me as a carer? It is important that, when we meet with you, the information provided is what you need to know, and explained at the right time. As a carer, you will have questions about the diagnosis, treatment and progress of your friend or relative at different stages of their contact with us.
In some meetings, for example care reviews, there will be a written record of the discussion. When the contact is less formal, you can also ask us to write down the information and provide you with any supplementary information, such as leaflets or information sheets, that might be useful to you.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists produce a very comprehensive list of questions which can act as a guide during discussions with staff. If this is not available as a leaflet from staff it can be accessed at:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/about/campaigns/partnersincarecampaign.aspx
We hope this information is helpful both for carers and service users.
If you need additional copies of this booklet, please contact us:
Write to: Social Inclusion Team, Ambrose House, Units 4 & 5, Meteor Court, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3GG
Telephone: 01452 894200
Email: [email protected]
How we handle your information
As a Trust, we keep information about people who use our services, for example their name, address and the care you receive.
This information helps us to:
• Care – monitor the quality of care provided• Share – give you good care and treatment• Work – plan new services• Reassure – check services are efficient and effective
It is important that we have up-to-date information about the people you care for, and you as their carer. If any circumstances change, such as moving to a new address, please tell us as soon as possible or the next time you see us.
Out of date or wrong information could lead to missed appointments or lead to mistakes being made with care. As a carer, you may be asked to provide up-to-date information for the person you care for.
More information about this can be found in our How we handle your information leaflet, which is included in this pack.
For general enquiries or if you would like further information, additional copies or would like to receive this leaflet in another language, large print or on audio format, please contact the Trust Communications Team at Team at Trust Headquarters, Edward Jenner Court, Pioneer AvenueGloucester Business Park, Brockworth, Gloucester, GL3 4AW. You can email us at [email protected] or call us on 0300 421 7146.
Triangle of Care
The Triangle of Care is a therapeutic alliance between carers, service users and professionals. It aims to promote safety and recovery; sustaining wellbeing in mental health by including and supporting carers. We are a member of the Triangle of Care programme.
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Carers Booklet 2019_V7_pr.pdf 20 03/04/2019 13:41:49