FANTASTIC NEWS FOR LOCAL FAMILY CARERS ACROSS COUNTY DURHAM

We are delighted to announce we have been successful in securing a contract from

Durham County Council and the local NHS to continue our work with over 9,000 family

Carers of adults and children with disabilities and life limiting illnesses.

Following the merger last year we have competed and won the contract starting on 1st

April 2013. This will enable our 6 local Centres to continue and develop the support to

local people by offering information, advice and practical support.

Securing the contract has made all the hard work worthwhile and given security to the

Staff, Volunteers and Trustees who are tireless in the support they offer. We can now

continue to work in partnership with Durham County Council, local Health Services and

the huge number of local voluntary, community and faith services to ensure anyone

caring for someone has all the information and advice they need and support to look after

their own health and wellbeing.

Below are some photographs of our Staff and Trustees attending meetings to look at how

we will develop the Carers Support Service in the future.

NEWSLETTER

4th Edition

Summer 2013

SEE INSIDE

Carers Week Events

Learning Disability Forums

Carers Groups

Fundraising

Charity Number: 1069278 Company Number: 3534933

CAKE STALL Barnard Castle Market Stall

Wednesday 12th June 9am to 12noon

If you would like to make a cake donation please can you get them to the Barnard

Castle office by Tuesday 11th June. Cakes of all sizes, biscuits, scones and

flapjack all greatly appreciated or

Just come along on the day and treat

yourself!

QUIZ NIGHT Thursday 13th June 7pm to 10pm

Bishop Auckland Rugby Club

£3.50 entry person with buffet included.

Teams of up to 6 will battle it out for the trophy. Come along and join a team or

why not bring your own.

MYSTERY TOURS To celebrate Carers Week we are inviting

Carers to join us on a mystery tour on

Tuesday 11th June.

Pick ups begin around 9am and will be from Consett, Chester Le Street, Durham,

Peterlee, Bishop Auckland and Newton Aycliffe. £10 per person payable in

advance at your local office or by post.

Please complete this slip to book places on either the mystery tour or the

quiz.

I would like to attend the Mystery Tour and I have enclosed payment of £10 per

person (Limit—Carer + one guest). Please state preferred Pick-up point_______________

I will be attending the Quiz. Please indicate how many people.

I will be attending the Afternoon Tea. Please indicate how many people.

Please return your slip and send cheques made payable to Durham County Carers Support to us at Claire House, Victoria Road, Barnard Castle, Co Durham DL12 8HW or pop in to your local Office.

Name ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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CARERS WEEK EVENTS 2013

AFTERNOON TEA Come along and join us for a light lunch

of sandwiches, quiche, cakes and scones at Shotton Hall, Old Shotton from

12.30pm to 3.00pm

£5 per person

Transport may be available at an additional cost. Contact the Peterlee

Office on 0191 5869134 for more information.

BANKING FOR PEOPLE WITH LIMITED MENTAL

CAPACITY

When a person without sufficient mental capacity to manage their financial affairs requires a bank account—perhaps to pay bills in supported housing or to receive their benefits—banks will not always offer the same consistent levels of services. This can be a particular problem for people with learning disabilities, but fortunately there are a number of helpful guides available which explain

your rights and options.

The Financial Services Authorities (FSA) published a booklet in 2009 called ‘Basic Bank Accounts—Just The Facts’. The booklet is still available online, and it sets out in a straightforward way the minimum

requirements for opening an account.

A more detailed guide called ‘Banking for people who lack capacity to make decisions’ offers a useful overview of the role of the Mental Capacity Act. Published by the British Bankers’ Association, the guide is available online. For the FSA please visit www.fsa.gov.uk and for the British

Bankers Association www.bba.org.uk

UNWANTED FURNITURE

NEEDED DISC Furniture Scheme is a Social Enterprise which offers opportunities for people to:-

Furnish their homes at a reasonable cost

Access employment and training opportunities

Reduce waste to landfill.

How it can help others

As families on low incomes continue to struggle to furnish their homes, DISC furniture scheme will take unwanted furniture and White Goods, refurbish them and offer them at affordable prices.

Unwanted Furniture Needed

Please think twice before throwing anything away. DISC Furniture Scheme need:-

Items of furniture

White goods

Children’s furniture, prams, pushchairs, moses baskets.

Collections are arranged at a time and day to suit you and are free of charge from anywhere in County Durham.

Contact 01325 731 160 for more information or

email: furniture@disc-vol.org.uk

DISC Furniture Scheme is a non-profit making service - furniture sales cover the operating costs of the scheme only.

STATE OF CARING SURVEY: We need your help. Carers UK is carrying out a comprehensive survey, capturing carers’ experiences of social care services, the NHS, the benefits system and technology. The State of Caring Survey also looks at the impact of caring on the ability of carers to work alongside caring, the impact on their health, finances and relationships and what support carers need to live their own lives. Carers can fill in the survey online. Please go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/stateofcaring2013

CARE TO WALK? We would like to invite you to take part in one of our sponsored walks

taking place across the county in July and August of this year. Walks will take place on the following Wednesdays - Newton Aycliffe -10th July, Chester Le Street - 17th July, Consett - 7th August, Easington - 14th August and Barnard Castle—21st August. We would like carers, volunteers, families and friends to take part in easy 3 mile walks to raise funds. Joining fee will be £5 and you can raise funds by asking friends and family to sponsor you. Bring along a picnic to enjoy afterwards. For more information and to request a registration pack please contact Joanne Jones on 01325 524605 or email joanne.jones@dccarers.org

YOUR WELLBEING COUNTS

Your Wellbeing Counts was an event held over 2 days in the Marriott, Royal County Hotel in Durham City. The days were attended by a total of 54 Carers and offered them the opportunity to take a break from their caring role, meet other Carers and gain valuable peer support. Sessions included Keeping Active, Stress Management, Singing and a Belly Dancing demonstration followed by the opportunity to join in! The feedback from Carers was very positive and included comments like “Thoroughly enjoyed the stress free environment”, “Loved being able to relax but also have fun” and “I thoroughly enjoyed the company of other people that are different in many ways but yet we all seemed to gel together and have a lovely day”

SURGERY SESSIONS

Do you live in the Durham or Darlington area and would like an opportunity to come along and chat with a trained and experienced professional on issues around an autism spectrum disorder?

About the Surgery Sessions Each surgery session appointment will last up to 1hr 30 minutes and will be a 1:1 session offering you the opportunity to discuss any topics you choose around an autism spectrum disorder eg diagnosis and what next, education, support and services available, transition planning, managing behaviour

The Surgeries will be held on the following days and at the following venues. To book a

place please contact Deborah Garland 0788 4117741 or email deborah.garland@nas.org.uk

15 May – Newton Aycliffe One Hub

13 June – Hurworth Grange Community Centre Darlington

12 July – Laurel Avenue Childrens Centre

12 August – Peterlee One Point Hub

24 September – Bishop Auckland One Point Hub

THE CONTINENCE SERVICE

The Continence Service as part of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust are committed to providing excellent outcomes for all of our patients. We view all of our patients as individuals and work with them to ensure they are using the best product in order to meet their clinical needs. We have over 10,000 patients actively using the service and if any patient feels the products they are using do not meet their needs then we recommend in the first instance they speak to their Assessing Nurse. The nurse can advise the patient and may reassess if the circumstances have changed. We are also happy to announce that our patients can now benefit from a 15% discount off Attends products if they wish to purchase additional items. This has been agreed with Attends as part of our on-going commitment to patients. The discount is available through the Attends mail order catalogue and the discount code NHS15 should be used. The Continence service would also be happy to provide service users with other suppliers in the local area such as chemists, supermarkets and Boots. For any further advice on how to contact an Assessing Nurse or details of purchasing products please contact the Continence team on 01388 825696.’

Stop Learning Disability Hate Crime Helpline

Stop Hate UK is a national organisation working to provide support to victims of Hate Crime, across the strands of Disability, Gender Identity, Race, Religion and Sexual Orientation. This independent charity has been operating the Stop Hate Line, a 24 hour helpline for Hate Crime victims and witnesses in some areas of the UK, since 2006.

Stop Hate UK has launched a new 24 hour helpline service, Stop Learning Disability Hate Crime, in England and Wales. The new service will be funded by the Ministry of Justice Victim and Witness Fund. People in England and Wales who have experienced, witnessed or know someone who is experiencing Learning Disability Hate Crime can contact the Stop Learning

Disability Hate Crime helpline on 0808 802 1155 for support and information. The helpline is

open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It is free to call the Stop Learning Disability Hate Crime helpline from landlines and most mobiles and the number won’t show on a phone bill.

Calls to the Stop Learning Disability Hate Crime helpline will be answered by trained staff and volunteers, who understand the impact Learning Disability Hate Crime has on victims. Calls are confidential and callers will be asked whether they need ongoing support. Referrals will be made where consent has been given by the victim. Stop Hate UK will also follow up with callers and offer additional support, referrals or signposting where appropriate. All incidents will be reported to the local police by Stop Hate UK, either with the victim’s details for investigation purposes, if that is what the victim wants, or without the details of the victim for information and monitoring purposes.

BUS PASSES FOR OLDER

PEOPLE AND THOSE WITH

DISABILITIES are being

sent a new concessionary bus pass to replace their existing one before it

expires. The passes entitle pass holders to free travel or concessions on local bus services and half price travel on certain local train services.

Durham County Council has checked records before re-issuing the passes, but there is a chance

that some new passes may be issued in error. If you receive a

pass which is incorrect or no longer required, please call 03000 268 667

or email

sustainabletransport@durham.gov.uk

DON’T FORGET DEMENTIA

Don’t forget Dementia support group meets the first Thursday of each month at Claire House, Barnard Castle from 1.30pm to 3.00pm. The

next meeting is Thursday 6th June 2013. We try to keep the meetings informal and friendly. If you care for someone with dementia please join us if you can.

LOCALITY GROUPS One of the challenges of being a County Wide organisation supporting Carers is ensuring we continue to understand local issues and give Carers opportunities to influence the way we develop. We are setting up locality groups in each of the areas which will meet several times a year to feedback on the service generally and discuss specific concerns and local topics.

We are inviting local Carers in each area to attend these meetings so if you are interested and would like to find more please contact Liz Johns on 01833 600573.

INFORMATION / EDUCATION COURSE FOR CARERS OF PEOPLE WITH

MENTAL ILL HEALTH

Lanchester Road Hospital are running a 6 week course for carers of people with mental ill health. The course will be held on a Monday from 10am to 12noon and we plan to launch the course in Carers Week so the first one will be held on Monday 10th June and the last one will be held on Monday 15th July. The topics covered will be:

Week 1—Introduction to mental health and conditions

Week 2—Accessing services, signposting and working with carers

Week 3—Consent to share / confidentiality

Week 4— In-patient care in County Durham

Week 5—Staying well and coping

Week 6—To be confirmed

For more information please contact Carole Barker at Durham County Carers Support on 01325 313123 or email: carole.barker@dccarers.org. Closing date for booking the course is 17th May.

PARENT CARERS COFFEE SHOP

At Glendene Arts Academy, Peterlee every Tuesday morning from 9.30am to 10.30am.

If you have children with learning difficulties or disabilities and would like to meet other parents or carers, have a cuppa, chat and an hour’s chill time then this is the coffee shop for you. For more information call Melissa on 07833 483550 / 0191 5691420 or Janette at Durham County Carers Support on 0191 500 6035.

LOCAL GROUPS FOR CARERS

PETERLEE MENTAL ILL HEALTH

We have a group running in Peterlee for Carers of people with Mental Ill Health, it is a small group that meets in the community room at Asda in Peterlee, our specialist Support Coordinator Audra Salam is on hand to give support and advice. The group has been meeting on various days so anyone interested in coming along should give either

Audra a call on 0191 500 6032 or Andrea on 0191 500 6010.

HAVE YOUR DETAILS CHANGED?

Name: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Old Address ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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If you no longer wish to receive the newsletter please tick here

Send to: FREEPOST RTAC-BGCX-GLZC, DURHAM COUNTY CARERS SUPPORT, Village Hall, Delves Lane, CONSETT DH8 7BH

We regularly update our records but don’t always know if your circumstances have

changed. If you have a change of address or you’re no longer a carer, please let us know by

completing the slip below and retuning it to the freepost address stated.

Discount scheme for Carers The Carers Card scheme offers Carers discounts and concessions at retail and leisure

facilities throughout County Durham and Darlington. A full Carers Card Directory

has been produced giving details of all stores, businesses and attractions involved in

the scheme, including the discounts or concessions they offer. This will be given to Carers when they

apply for their card. To find out more about the scheme and how to register for your FREE Carers

Card please contact Durham County Carers Support on 0300 005 1213 or email admin@dccarers.org

www.durhamcarers.info/carerscard

Learning Disability Forums continue to be held across the county. Forums are a place where Carers of Adults with a Learning Disability and Parents of Young People going through Transition can meet, share their experiences, be given information regarding their caring role and information about services. At most meetings there are representatives from Durham County Council and NHS to try and answer questions you have.

The next Forums are being held Tuesday 2nd July at the UTASS office in Middleton-in- Teesdale and Tuesday 9

th July at 2D in Crook. Both Forums begin at 10:00am. Attending the

Forums will be Fred Grand, Supported Housing Options Officer for Durham County Council.

If you were like further information please contact Linda Cole on 0191 500 612 or Sue Garrett

on 0191 5006030.

LEARNING DISABILTY FORUMS

DURHAM COUNTY CARERS SUPPORT CONTACT DETAILS

We have 6 local offices in County Durham

TELEPHONE: 0300 005 1213

TEXT: 07624 818 403

EMAIL: admin@dccarers.org

www.dccarers.org

CONTACT US

BISHOP AUCKLAND

Community Centre

30 Edgar Grove

Bishop Auckland

DL14 7QL

Telephone: 01388 451400

Durham County Carers Support is supported by

BARNARD CASTLE

Claire House

Victoria Road

Barnard Castle

DL12 8HW

Telephone: 01833 630202

CHESTER-LE-STREET

Bullion Hall, Bullion Lane

South Approach

Chester Le Street

DH2 2ES

Telephone: 0191 387 1991

CONSETT

Village Hall

Delves Lane

Consett

Co Durham DH8 7BH

Telephone: 01207 502688

NEWTON AYCLIFFE

Suite 3 Avenue House

Newton Aycliffe

DL5 4DH

Telephone: 01325 313123

PETERLEE

13 Upper Yoden Way

Peterlee

SR8 1AX

Telephone: 0191 5869134