Carers/Veterans/PPG

Who are carers?

A carer is anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid.

Are you a carer?

Some people have been looking after family or friends for years and do not recognise themselves as carers. This is why, at Bretton Park Healthcare, we value the often life-long support carers provide and recognise them as equal care partners. We want to offer as much guidance and reassurance as possible, to help you in your caring role. 

Who cares for the carer?

On these page you will find lots of links to very helpful resources, ranging from information about support groups for carers and looking after yourself, through to advice on housing and welfare. Registering as a carer at your GP surgery can help with:

Flexible appointments

Your GP will monitor your health more closely, as they will be more aware of your commitments as a carer and any associated health problems.

Looking after yourself

It’s really important that you look after yourself during these difficult times. The Five Ways to Well Being are steps you can take to maintain wellbeing, from keeping active to connecting with others. General information on maintaining your mental wellbeing can be found at Keep your Head and cpslmind, as well as the government website. Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council provide information on how to get help or to register yourself or others as a vulnerable person.

Carer feedback 

Carers Speak Out page is for carers to tell local/national decision-makers what life is life for them and what needs to change. You can follow this link to see what has been added by other carers and to add your own comments. – caringtogether

Carers assessment and support

Carer assessments for adults caring for adults

• All carers are entitled to a carers assessment. If the cared for person is currently accessing Bretton Park Healthcare services, please speak to Social Prescribing Link Worker who will signpost you to the appropriate agency.
• If the cared for person isn’t accessing Bretton Park Healthcare services the carer can self refer to: 
• Peterborough, [email protected] /  01733 747474 option 4 
• Referral form link Adult Services contact form – What information are you looking for? – Self (achieveservice.com) 
• Tick “looking after somebody” 
• If you are a professional referring somebody click Yes for, Are you completing the form on behalf of somebody.
• If you are self-referring click No for, Are you completing the form on behalf of somebody.   
• Cambridgeshire [email protected] / 01480 373440   Self-referrals to 0345 045 5202 / [email protected] 
• Referral form link Adult Services contact form – What information are you looking for? – Contact details – Section 1 – Self (achieveservice.com) 

Carer assessments for young carers

• All young carers (up to the age of 18) should be  referred for a statutory young carers needs assessment using the on line referral form Young Carers online referral form – Centre 33 or by contacting  03334141809 / [email protected] 

Support for Carers

For further information about organisations supporting carers can be found by following these links: 

Adult carers

Parent carers

Young carers

Parent carers are parents of children and young persons under 25 who provide care, assistance or support to another child or young person who is disabled, physically or mentally ill, or has a substance misuse problem. Parent carers can also be any adult who has the legal responsibility for a child or young person or a foster parent.  

They carry out, often on a regular basis, significant or substantial caring tasks which are more than parents would usually expect to do for a similar aged child without additional needs.

Some of the ways parent carers care for someone are:

• Helping them to get up, get washed or dressed, or helping with toileting when children of a similar age would be able to do this for themselves
• Doing lots of the extra household chores like washing bedding because a child is still not dry at night.
• Needing to keep a child close when near to roads as they would not be safe – when children of the same of age would be able to understand the risk and keep themselves safe.
• Managing behaviour which other children of a similar age would by now be able to manage for themselves.

Support for parent carers:

Pinpoint Cambridgeshire is run for parents – by parents. They give help and information to parent carers of children and young people aged 0-25 with additional needs and disabilities, and give parent carers opportunities to have a say and get involved in improving local services. Follow this link to see the training and support that Pinpoint offer for parent carers.

Family voice are a local registered charity who are actively seeking to improve services in all areas of the lives of children and young people with disabilities or additional needs. Family Voice are here for Parents and Carers of children and young people aged 0—25 years with a disability or additional needs.

Family Voice aim to work together with professionals and parents so that the services for our children and young people meet their needs. Putting parent carers and their children at the centre and helping them to be heard.

Little Miracles are a multi award winning parent led support group and Charity for families with children from birth to 25 that have additional needs, disabilities and life limiting conditions, their carers and siblings. Little Miracles support families within the Eastern Region via – Support including counselling, occupational therapy, benefits advice and emotional support – Activities including social sessions, youth clubs, after school groups, sports clubs, holiday clubs etc – Training for both the parents/carers and young people.

This May Help The website gives easy-to-follow advice to help families manage their child’s mental health. This advice was developed by NHS professionals and parents who’ve been through their own child’s mental health journey. Parents and carers have shared advice that helped them and that may also help other families.

Contact a Family For families with disabled children. Offers information on specific conditions and rare disorders

Cambridgeshire Children and Families Services on offer for children and families living in Cambridgeshire

Peterborough City Council children and families Services on offer for children and families living in Peterborough

Parent Carer Transitional Plans

The time when a young person is preparing for adulthood can be particularly difficult for
parent carers. We recognise that this stage of their child’s life also brings about change for
the parent themselves as they adjust from one system of support to another as well as
changes around things such as education and housing.

Caring Together have worked with parent carers and partners, including Pinpoint Cambridgeshire and Family Voice Peterborough, to develop support for parents who are at this stage, we are now able to offer a parent carer transition plan to parent carers in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

This is a conversation about your own needs as a parent carer – how you are feeling, changes that lie ahead for you and what support is available to you in caring for an adult. This is an opportunity for you to reflect on your own needs and take time to think about you and your own future. We will also ensure you are linked in with the appropriate support services
available for their child, as they approach adulthood.

If you would like further information on how a parent carer transition plan could help your
family or to make a referral, please telephone our helpline on 01480 499090 or email
[email protected].

Training and support for parent carers

Family voice and Pinpoint offer a schedule of training for parent carers. 

Pinpoint also offer the Tii Hub – Every Friday morning in term times 10am 12pm (ish) we often end later! No diagnosis needed just come “as you are” and meet others who understand . Book free sessions here Events – Pinpoint (pinpoint-cambs.org.uk)

Are you helping to look after and support a loved one who is an adult. 

You might be supporting and helping to maintain a person’s independence. This may be your husband/wife, mum/dad, or even a neighbour or friend. You might be helping to support their memory, support them emotionally, or help with day-to-day tasks like washing, dressing, cooking and cleaning. Whatever form this takes it can begin to put a strain on your relationship, as well as being a strain on you physically and emotionally.

The physical strains of supporting a loved one could be due to taking on more of the household jobs. Also, you might be more involved in washing and dressing your loved one. You might be learning new skills such as dealing with the household finances and how to prepare a meal.

You might be having to adjust to a number of losses, such as a loss of the person your loved one was, the loss of the roles they used to take in your life, the  loss of the future that the two of you had planned together, and the loss of your independence. This can understandably lead to feelings of stress, worry, low mood, guilt, and, at times, resentment for the person you are supporting.

If you are feeling like this then it can often be difficult to ask for help. the following pages aim to given more information about where you can get help and support. 

Support for Adult Carers

A number of organisations are commissioned to provide carers across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. For further information about the organisations responsible for providing this support can be found at here.

If the cared for person is a patient of Bretton Park Healthcare, please ask to speak to our Social Prescribing Link Worker.

They are able to provide a range of support for carers including: 

• Ensuring your details as the carer of the cared for person are recorded in their electronic patient record.  
• Listening to your concerns about the cared for person. 
• Information about the cared for persons diagnosis and how to best support them.
• Condition specific organisations. 
• Referrals for carers assessments.

Self-referral service for informal carers

Talking Therapy – Carers can self-refer online here or by telephoning 0300 300 0055. Alternatively, they can discuss a referral with their GP. The team offers short-term, evidence-based psychological treatment for common mental health difficulties, such as stress, anxiety, low mood and depression.  All the treatments on offer are recommended by The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Further information can be found on the website: NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Talking Therapies

Organisations responsible for supporting carers

• Alzheimer’s Society – United Against Dementia (alzheimers.org.uk) provides support for people caring for people with dementia. 
• Caring Together provide information and support for all carers. Click here for copies of their carers magazine. A copy of their referral form can be found here  Caring-Together-Referral-Form.docx [docx] 81KB. 
• Rethink Carer Support Cambridgeshire and Peterborough group provides support for carers, friends and families who are supporting loved ones affected by mental illness. Please contact 07783 267013 or e-mail  CambridgeRethinkGroup@rethink.org for further information.
• Rethink mental illness is a national charity providing support for people caring for loved ones with a mental illness
• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust  Adult Eating Disorders service runs a support group for carers of adults with an eating disorder. Further information can be found here. 
• BEAT is the UK’s leading charity supporting anybody affected by eating disorders, anorexia, bulima, EDNOS or any other difficulties with food, weight and shape.
• Making Space support carers who provide practical help and /or emotional support to a friend, relative or partner living with a mental health condition and who is under 65. A copy of their referral for can be found here   Making-Space-Referral-Form.docx [docx] 78KB
• Carers Trust  give carers a voice and highlight their work to the public. The campaign and work with politicians and decision makers to create real change for unpaid carers throughout the UK.
• Carers UK provide a helpful guide for carers. The guide is for anyone caring for family or friends. Outlining carers’ rights, it gives an overview of the practical and financial support available.

Other useful websites

Carers Allowance

Help with Housing

NHS Choices

Carer’s Assessments

Caring and Working

Help with finances

Adult Social care and health

Age UK

Alzheimers Society

Useful websites to support carers of people with Learning Disabilities 

British Institute of Learning Disabilities

Down’s Syndrome Association

Easy Health

Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities

Mencap

Royal College of Psychiatrists’ section on learning disabilities

The National Autistic Society

Cambridgeshire Learning Disability Partnership

Disability Cambridgeshire

PCVS Carers and Advocacy

Peterborough Learning Disability Partnership

VoiceAbility

Carers assessments

The Care Act 2014 acknowledges that carers need to be better supported to continue in their caring role. Local councils and health organisations are now required to promote the wellbeing of all carers, ensure that information, advice and support is available, and to prevent, reduce or delay unpaid carers reaching a crisis point. 

The Care Act 2014 legally entitles all adult carers to a carers assessment if they would like one.  For further information on carers assessment click here. The person you care for does not need to be in receipt of services for you to have an assessment of your own needs as a carer. You are also able to request a review of your needs at any time should your circumstances change. 

How to request a carer’s assessment 

If you would like a carer’s assessment and the cared for person is a patient of Bretton Park Healthcare, please ask to speak to our Social Prescribing Link Worker.

Support for Young Carers

If the person you care for is a patient of Bretton Park Healthcare, please make the administrative staff aware that you are a young carer. Ask to be referred to our Social Prescribing Link Worker. it is a good idea to make them aware that you are a young carer.

The staff supporting the cared for person will be able to: 

• record you as a young carer on the cared for person record
• listen to your views about the cared for person.
• provide you with information about the cared for persons condition and how best to support them. 
• refer you (if you would like) to organisations who support young carers and are able to offer a young carers assessment.

The Young carers support app is available for young carers to download. It contains information about how you can access support and can be downloaded for both android and apple phones by searching for Young Carers Support App.

There are a number of organisations who provide support for young carers. 

Centre33.

Caring Together

Sibs

Carers Trust

Carers’ Direct (NHS website)

Childline Free and confidential helpline for children and young people

Young carers assessment

Thanks to the Children and Families Act 2014, all young carers have a right to an assessment of their needs. This is irrespective of how much care you provide or who you care for. A young carers assessment is to help you think about the support that you need whilst caring for somebody. Centre 33 is responsible for completing young carers statutory assessment. They can be contacted on 03334141809 or emailed [email protected] 

The Young Carers online referral form – Centre 33 is available here.