• Living with a long term condition new program

  

  11 November 2019

  AC participant from Erewash said;
  ‘It opened my eyes to other paths and ways of improving my quality of life’
  Local GP said;
  ‘I have had excellent feedback when I have referred people and they have all benefited in some way from attending the course’

  NEW DATES

  People from across Derbyshire with a long-term health condition are substantially benefiting from the courses which are supporting and encouraging participants to self-manage their conditions more effectively to live fuller more meaningful lives.

  They have courses starting in January and February in Matlock, Staveley, Alfreton, Clowne and Swadlincote.

  Please see below the timetable for all of the LWLTC courses taking place across Derbyshire.
  They still have availability for all the dates listed below but are filling places fast so if you have, or know of patients who are interested in attending please refer to them as soon as possible
  Start Dates Time Location
  Tuesday 14th January 20 12.30 – 15.00 Meadow View Care Centre Bakewell Rd Darley Dale Matlock
  Thursday 16th January 20 12.30 – 15.00 Staveley Fire Station Crompton Road Staveley
  Tuesday 18th February 10.30 – 13.00 Alfreton Library Severn Square Alfreton
  Thursday 27th February 20 10.30 – 13.00 The Arc Committee Room 2 High Street Clowne
  Thursday 27th February 20 10.30 – 13.00 Swadlincote Fire Station Community Room
  Thursday 19th March 20 13.30 – 16.00 Tesco Community Room Clay Cross
  Friday 27th March 20 12.30 – 15.00 Eckington Library Market Street Eckington
  Tuesday 7th April 20 10.30 – 13.00 Buxton Library Bank Road Buxton
  Tuesday 14th April 20 10.30 – 13.00 Ripley Library Grosvenor Road Ripley
  Wednesday 22nd April 20 13.00 – 15.30 Salvation Army Hall Long Eaton

  The FREE six-week programme is delivered one day a week for 2.5 hours. It aims to support people with a long- term health or medical condition, to maintain their health and improve their quality of life. The course has been designed to help people with chronic or long term illness regain as much control over their physical and emotional wellbeing as possible. It compliments existing health care programmes and treatments, empowering participants to be more informed and take back control of their lives.

  Topics covered include healthy eating, relaxation, appropriate physical exercise, dealing with pain, fatigue, stress and depression, and communicating effectively with friends, family and health professionals. It also provides a forum to meet with others and share experiences.

  The LWLTC Programme is for anyone who has one or more long-term health conditions such as asthma, arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), depression, diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), heart disease, sickle cell, HIV, ME/chronic fatigue, chronic pain or any other condition. The course is also available and has proved to be beneficial for carers of someone with a long term condition. The programme is delivered by two volunteer tutors who themselves live with long-term conditions and can give practical advice based on their own life experience.

  Feedback has been great. People have said that the programme has really helped them to feel more positively about life, as well as advising on practical changes they can make to improve their wellbeing.

  What people who have attended the courses say
  • Great course able to share thoughts and feelings with like-minded people
  • This was an excellent course providing a variety of strategies to help me live more effectively with a long term condition with all its accompanying problems and ongoing symptoms and issues. Both the tutors were brilliant and worked well together as a team.
  • Course tutors Caring, Effective and always Positive
  • It has helped so much and the tutors deliver the course in a fun and interesting way. I have learnt a lot
  • It was good to meet people with the same problems due to their health and discuss these things
  • I feel ready now to look for a job
  • Due to this course I am more inclined to go out and Socialise with strangers as I have more confidence and have made friends

  For further information or to reserve a space on one of the courses you can contact them at; kziglam@citizensadvicesouthderbyshireandcity.org

  Tel: 07487 257187 or 01283 210107

  

• Derby County FC choose DCA as one of their charity partners

  

  23 October 2019

  Derbyshire Carers Association is delighted to announce that we have been chosen alongside me & dee and Safe & Sound to be the charity partners of Derby County Football Club for the next two seasons.

  The Rams will celebrate the launch of their new charity partners at the home fixture against Preston North End at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday 23rd November 2019 (3pm kick-off), which is the nearest home game to World Children’s Day on Wednesday 20th November.

  From every home match ticket sold for the game, £1 will be donated to each of the charities to get the fundraising started. In addition, a bucket collection will also be staged outside the stadium ahead of kick-off.

  Derby’s target is to achieve £10,000 per season for each charity over the course of the two-year charity partnership and all monies raised through the club will be split completely evenly across the three organisations.

  A video about it can be accessed from here…

  A JustGiving page has been set up to coincide with the launch of the partnership and can be found by visiting justgiving.com/crowdfunding/dcfc

  Derby County’s Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Pearce, commented: “As a Football Club, we are proud to announce that we will be working very closely with three charity partners, with an emphasis on the care of children, over the next two seasons.

  “All three charities work tirelessly to serve our local community in a truly inspiring manner, and they should be commended for the work that they do. The youngsters of today deserve every opportunity to have the best possible future and we are committed to making a difference, by raising vital funds and awareness, right across Derbyshire.

  “We are looking forward to developing our relationship with the three charities and helping them grow and continue their outstanding work.”

• Carers Survey Online Link

  

  16 October 2019

  The Council are carrying out a self-assessment exercise on the way they support unpaid family carers in Derbyshire.

  This will help them to reflect on what is going well and where things can be done differently.

  The self-assessment is being supported by the Department of Health and Social Care and every Local Authority across the country will be expected to carry out the same exercise.

  The results will be shared nationally to pinpoint common themes and areas for further work, ensuring everyone is delivering on their duties to carers.

  This is your opportunity to let DCC know how they are currently supporting their unpaid carers across the county and they would like as many carers as possible to contribute to their self–assessment.

  An organisation called Sortified. is helping all local authorities in the East Midlands to do this by hosting an online survey and DCC would appreciate it if you could take 5 minutes to complete this.

  Carers survey link…

• Consultation on Unpaid Family Carers in Derbyshire

  

  15 October 2019

  Derbyshire County Council is due to carry out a self-assessment exercise on the way they support unpaid family carers in Derbyshire.
  This will help them to reflect on what is going well and where things could be done differently.
  They would like to do this together with carers and the people working in Derbyshire who support carers with a little help from an organisation called Sortified.

  You are invited to join a workshop to discuss and decide how DCC are doing locally in supporting unpaid family carers on

  Monday 28th October
  10.00 – 13.00
  at the Post Mill Centre,
  South Normanton, Alfreton DE55 2EJ.

  Light refreshments will be provided.

  If you would like to attend, please
  e-mail ASCH.ac-commissioning@derbyshire.gov.uk
  or call 01629 536177 to book a place.

  This work is being supported by the Department of Health and Social Care and so every Local Authority across the county will be expected to carry out a self-assessment.
  The results will be shared nationally to pinpoint common themes and areas for further work, ensuring everyone is delivering on their duties to carers.

• Mental Health Support for Young Carers

  

  24 September 2019

  We are very pleased to announce…. That DCA has been awarded a large grant from “Children in Need”, this has been awarded to enable us to employ a specialist Mental Health support worker for 3 years to give additional support to our young carers, for those experiencing mental health issues or are caring for a family member with mental health issues.

  The project aims to improve understanding of the cared for’s condition, help them to develop coping strategies, build Mental Health resilience and emotional wellbeing. It will also help them to identify their own mental health needs and to seek the support for those needs.
  Through the project we will recognise the early signs and symptoms of poor mental health and help reduce social isolation for our Young Carers by building better social interaction for peer support and build greater positive relationships, both at home, in school and out in the wider community.

  Young people’s mental health is deservedly a hot topic, young carers in particular are known to experience isolation, stress, stigma and other issues that lead to poor mental health which can impact on their role as a Carer and specifically on their health and wellbeing.

  Those with the highest level of caring are much more likely to have negative feelings about their caring role and to have physical and psychological symptoms, having specialist support is important to them coping.

  Around a third of young carers, care for someone with a mental health condition and go unidentified and unsupported because the illness is less visible.

  Caring for someone with a mental health condition they are more reluctant to tell anyone due to the fear of stigmatisation, and are more fearful due to the unpredictable and intermittent nature of mental health causing them great distress.

  Having a specialist worker to support both the Young Carer and their family’s needs is vital to improving the lives of young carers.

  A survey of 348 young carers found 48% said being a young carer made them feel stressed and 44% said it made them feel tired.

  A survey of 61 young carers in school found that 38% had mental health problems.

  A Carers Trust survey of young adult carers found that 45% reported mental health problems.

  

• Fundraising Success for DCA

  

  11 September 2019

  DCA have been tirelessly working to raise more funds to be able to put on more fun activities for the Carers we support. Recently we have been very successful in gaining some funds for different areas of support as highlighted below:-

  Bolsover Rotary Club have very kindly rewarded a grant of £500 to Bolsover Young Carers for a Chatsworth Christmas visit, this will enable the Young Carers to have a fun day out and get a break from their caring responsibilities.

  Amber Valley Soroptomists International raised £150 towards activities for our Young Carers in the Amber Valley, this will go towards putting on more activities for them during school holidays.

  Here at Derbyshire Carers we are thrilled to receive £200 from #RichmondCareHome to help fund activities for the adult Carers we support, we hope to use this to put on some more pamper days.

  The National Lottery have awarded a grant to fund a Befriending Project Worker – Rural to continue to develop the Telephone Befriending Service (for the Carers we support in rural areas & who have the greatest risk of isolation and loneliness), this job is currently being advertised on our website.

  The National Lottery also awarded us a community fund for Young Carers this will go towards preventing social isolation of Young Carers.

  The Edward Gostling Foundation have given us some money to fund more activities for our Young Carers Project.

  Children in Need have also awarded us a grant for a Young Carers Mental Health worker which we have recently recruited for.

  Alvaston WI have given us £175 to help support the Young Carers.

  The Mayor of Ripley gave funds to help us provide additional emotional support to the Young Carers.

  Rothera Sharp has also kindly donated funds to support the Young Carers service.

  The Mary Potter Hospital Trust gave a grant to support a specific family that we support who was in crisis.

  We are continually working to raise unrestricted funds out in our community and if you can help us to fundraise or donate please contact Amanda – Amanda.gowing@derbyshirecarers.co.uk or ring 01773 833 833

  

  

• Derbyshire Home From Hospital Service

  

  29 August 2019

  The Derbyshire Home from Hospital Service provides practical support for vulnerable people leaving hospital, or those living at home but at risk of being
  admitted.

  Who can use the service?
  Anyone who lives in Derbyshire (outside Derby City) or is registered with a GP in Derbyshire and has limited support from family or friends.

  What sort of help does the service offer?
  • Undertaking simple shopping
  • Making sure the home environment is warm and comfortable
  • Arranging for key safes to be fitted and community alarm or telecare systems to be provided if needed
  • Supporting people to pay bills and make appointments
  • Collecting medication prescriptions
  • Helping people to find out about and access community activities to keep them connected to their communities
  • Helping people to understand care options and plan what they need for the future
  • Signposting people to other statutory, voluntary sector and community organisations as appropriate.

  Who can make referrals?
  Anyone can make a referral including self-referrals.

  How to make a referral:
  Please call 01283 817417 Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm. An answerphone is available outside these hours.

  /admin/resources/home-from-hospital-service.pdf

  

• Mental Health Support

  

  28 August 2019

  Could you or someone you know benefit from accessing 1-1 support to help better manage mental health? It’s quick and easy to make a referral into the Derbyshire Recovery and Peer Support Service:

  1. You can call their Single Point of Access number on 01773 734989, Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm.
  There is always someone available to complete the referral form with you which usually takes around 10 minutes.

  2. They can also accept referrals via their service email.
  If you would like an electronic copy of the referral form then please email them at derbyshirerecoverypeersupportservice@rethink.org

  Thanks :)

  

• Derby City Carers Consultation

  

  21 August 2019

  As you may know Derby City Council are seeking the views of carers needs regarding information, advice and peer support.

  It is important for carers to get their views and points across as your answers will impact the Council’s decisions on carers services going forward.

  Derby City Council are holding a consultation for you as carers to fill out and share your valuable thoughts on the proposed changes.

  There is an online copy of the consultation, which you could fill out by going to

  Your city your say latest consultations

  Your views play a crucial part in the decision-making and it is important for the council to understand what support is most valued by carers and what would make the biggest difference.

  The consultation closes on Friday 13th September and we would appreciate as many carers as possible filling out this consultation and getting your much needed views across.

• Healthwatch Derbyshire’s Spotlight on Carers Event

  

  16 August 2019

  Save the Date:
  Healthwatch Derbyshire’s Spotlight on Carers Event

  When: Thursday 10th October 2019

  Where: Belper Town Football Club
  Nailers Events & Conference Centre, Christchurch Meadows, Bridge Street, Belper,
  Derby DE56 1BA (Ample parking available)

  Time: 12.30pm – 4.00pm (Light refreshments available)

  This year they were pleased to publish their carers report, “Understanding the quality of life for carers in Derbyshire”, and it is this report that has formed the theme for their annual event.

  They will feature an overview of the report, along with guest speakers talking about their experiences of being a carer, and also professional speakers discussing their work with carers.

  If you are a carer and would like to join them at this event, please complete the registration form in the attached pdf.

  There will be stalls to browse at intervals throughout the day. A light lunch will be served, following which the AGM will commence. During the AGM, participants will have the opportunity to input their top three priority areas to improve health and social care services across Derbyshire.

  Please note, places are restricted and will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.

  Healthwatch booking form

More posts