Christmas-themed image showing closure times

Festive Opening Hours and Support Services

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Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre will be closed from Wednesday 24 December 2025 and will reopen on Monday 5 January 2026. The Carers Centre in Falkirk will close on Tuesday 23 December; however, our phone lines will remain open on Wednesday 24 December. Details of local support and emergency services are available below:

  • If you need an urgent Social Work service outwith normal office hours, you can contact:
    • Clackmannanshire Emergency Social Work on 01786 470500
    • Falkirk Emergency Social Work on 01786 470500
  • For information about local health services which are available, such as GPs and Pharmacies, please visit NHS Forth Valley – Know Who To Turn To When You Are Ill.
  • There is a Minor Injuries Unit for anyone living in NHS Forth Valley. Contact NHS 24 on 111, day or night, before attending the Minor Injuries Unit, or visit Minor Injuries Unit.
  • For an A-Z of health services, you can go to NHS Forth Valley – Local Services Finder.
  • Our friends at CVS Falkirk have also put together a Wellness in Winter page on their website with lots of useful information and links – CVS Falkirk – Wellness in Winter 2025/26
  • Whatever you’re going through, Samaritan’s will face it with you! They’re there for you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – call for FREE on 116123.

Finally, the staff and Board of the Carers Centre wish carers a peaceful, healthy and safe festive season, and we look forward to continuing to offer support in 2026.

Invitation to Dementia Consultation

Consultation: Dementia – Services and Support

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We are inviting Falkirk carers who care for someone with a dementia diagnosis to this consultation.

We would encourage you to join even if you haven’t attended the previous consultations, as your valuable insights can help shape dementia support.

Yvonne Cairns, NHS Forth Valley Dementia and Delirium Lead, and Emma Douglas, leader of the Community Mental Health Team for Older Adult Services, will be joining us again and are continuing to gather your views and experiences related to dementia services and support. The specific topic for this session will be confirmed later. During the session, Yvonne will also share top tips, and any progress that has been made to the services, thanks to carers having shared their experiences last time.

Please register by 2 pm on Tuesday 13 January; however, if you require a translator, please let us know at least 2 weeks in advance.

Details:
📅 Thursday 15 January 2025
⏰ From 10 am to 12 noon
📍 In person at the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre or on Zoom

Carers Rights Day 2025

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 🧡 Empowering Local Carers 

We are inviting unpaid carers from the Falkirk District and Clackmannanshire to a special Carers Rights Day drop-in event, which aims to empower carers with knowledge, support, and connection.

📍 Location: 1A Bank Street, Falkirk, FK1 1NB
🕛 Time: Drop in between 10 am to 4 pm on Thursday 20 November 2025

This year’s national theme, “Know Your Rights, Use Your Rights,” shines a spotlight on the importance of carers understanding their legal entitlements and accessing the support they deserve. With over 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK – many of whom don’t identify as carers – Carers Rights Day is about making sure no one is left behind.

What to Expect on the Day

The Centre will offer a welcoming space where carers can:

  • 💬 Speak directly with the Adult Carers Team and Short Breaks Team
  • 🧠 Test their knowledge at the Interactive “True or False” Rights Wall
  • 📝 Share views through questionnaires and postcards
  • 🎥 Tell their story at the Video Booth, with selected stories featured online (with consent)

The goal is for carers to leave feeling informed, valued, and connected. As Sharlene Ramage, our Carer Participation Development Worker, shared during Carers Week: “Many carers are unaware of the support available to them, or what they’re entitled to. That’s what we’re here to help with.”

Real Stories, Real Impact

The Centre’s work is rooted in the ensuring carers are recognised and supported. Local carers have shared powerful stories of how this support has changed their lives:

  • Fiona, 54, cares for her husband with early-onset dementia. A grant from the Time to Live Fund allowed them to take a short break together, improving their well-being and strengthening their bond.
  • John, who retired early due to health issues while caring for his wife, found renewed purpose through music. With help from the Carers Centre, he received a grant for music therapy sessions, combining his love of singing and guitar with much-needed respite.
  • Young carers have found a safe space at the Carers Centre to balance school and caring responsibilities. One said, “It’s the only place I feel like people understand what I’m going through.”
  • A carer who had never used a computer was supported to get online and now joins regular Zoom sessions. “I didn’t think I could do it, but now I feel connected and less alone.”

Why Carers Rights Day Matters

Carers Rights Day is about more than information – it’s about empowerment. Whether you’re caring for a child with additional needs, a sibling, an elderly relative, or even a neighbour, you have rights, including:

  • The right to request an Adult Carer Support Plan or Young Carer Statement
  • The right to access support services
  • The right to request flexible working arrangements
Join the Conversation!

No booking is required – just drop in! Whether you’re new to caring or have years of experience, this is your chance to learn, connect, and be recognised.

 

Invitation to November Clackmannanshire Carers’ Voice

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Clackmannanshire Carers, you’re invited!

Join us to have your say!

On the agenda:

Care Reform Bill overview
‘What a break means to you’ consultation and Short Breaks Q&A
Updates from
▫️– your Integration Joint Board Carer Representative
▫️– Health & Social Care Partnership, NHS and 3rd Sector
▫️– our Carers Centre
Any issues or concerns shared by carers

Meeting details:
Thursday 13 November 2025
From 10 am to 12 noon
Hawkhill Community Centre, Alloa

Register for the event here: https://form.jotform.com/CentralCarers/clackmannanshire-carers-voice
If you are a professional interested in attending, please contact Nicola on 01324 611510 (option 2) or nicolaweedon@centralcarers.co.uk.

⁉️ Did you know that you can read the previous meeting minutes on our website? Go to https://centralcarers.org/information/publications/

Consultation: Dementia – Stress and Distress

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We are inviting Falkirk carers who care for someone with a dementia diagnosis to this dementia consultation.

We would encourage you to join even if you haven’t attended the previous consultations, as your valuable insights can help shape dementia support.

Yvonne Cairns, NHS Forth Valley Dementia and Delirium Lead, and Emma Douglas, leader of the Community Mental Health Team for Older Adult Services, will be joining us again and are continuing to gather your views and experiences related to dementia services and support. This session will focus on stress and distress, while Yvonne will also share updates and any progress that has been made to the services, thanks to carers having shared their experiences last time.

Please register by 2 pm on Monday 24 November; however, if you require a translator, please let us know at least 2 weeks in advance.

Details:
📅 Thursday, 27 November 2025
⏰ From 10 am to 12 noon
📍 In person at the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre

Consultation by Age Scotland

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Falkirk unpaid carers receiving state pension are invited to have your say!

Beth Allen, Policy Officer at Age Scotland, will be seeking your views about the issue that carers are unable to claim Carer Support Payment (formerly known as Carers Allowance) whilst in receipt of state pension.

Earlier this year, some of you kindly completed some questionnaires regarding this topic. The results have prompted Beth to come to the centre to have a more in-depth conversation with some carers in person because she feels your insights will be invaluable. You are welcome to attend regardless of whether you’ve completed any of the previous questionnaires.

Beth, whose role involves monitoring, analysing and influencing developments in policy which impact people affected by dementia, plans to raise your views and add them to ‘The Big Survey’ carried out by Age Scotland to help achieve meaningful change for Scotland’s carers.

Please register by 2 pm on Wednesday, 5 November; however, if you require a translator, please let us know at least 2 weeks in advance.
Details:
📅 Monday, 10 November 2025
⏰ From 10 am to 12 noon
📍 In person at the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre

Invitation to a consultation by Falkirk HSCP and Falkirk Council

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Falkirk Carers, you are invited to this consultation to share your experiences! 

Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) is working in partnership with Falkirk Council on a new Trauma-Informed Strategy and Action Plan, which aims to improve various services available across the Falkirk District.

They want to ensure that their plans draw on real-life experiences and are grounded in what matters most to the community. Your insights, as a carer, will be invaluable in highlighting what works and what needs to change

Details:
📅 Monday, 1 September 2025
⏰ From 10 am to 12 noon
📍 Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre, or online via Zoom

Carers Centre Manager’s Report 2024/25

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We are pleased to present our annual report, detailing the fantastic results the Carers Centre delivered during 2024/25, including some pictures and quotes showing the impact and value of our work.

We will continue to strive to work hard and support carers of all ages, ensuring that carers in Falkirk and Clackmannanshire are recognised, informed, supported, and given opportunities to be involved with changes that may impact them.

 

Invitation to fill in the State of Caring Survey 2025

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Carers UK have launched their annual State of Caring Survey to help paint a comprehensive picture of what life is like for carers at the moment, the challenges they might face, and the impact caring has on different areas of their lives.

The survey will close on Sunday, 10 August, and they will share the results later in the year. As the survey is designed to deeply understand carers’ experiences, it is a longer survey. Therefore, it might take you about 30 minutes to complete.

This survey is the UK’s most comprehensive research into the lives and experiences of carers. It plays a vital role in shaping policy and improving support services by providing robust evidence to governments, local authorities, and health and social care providers.

Last year, over 12,500 carers shared their experiences. With new proposals and policy changes being announced by the UK Government, it is more important than ever that you have your say. Your voice is essential in driving change and ensuring that carers’ needs are recognised and addressed.

We very much appreciate you taking the time to complete it.

The survey can be accessed here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QN5QWF7

Results from last year

Last year Carers UK were able to use carers’ responses to the survey to successfully:

  • campaign for an increase to the earnings limit on Carer’s Allowance
  • respond to the independent review of Carer’s Allowance overpayments
  • campaign for paid carer’s leave
  • publish a new report calling for changes to older carers’ benefits
  • respond to the consultation on the NHS 10 Year Plan and to the Select Committee report on the cost of inaction on social care

In addition, the results from last year have been discussed on national TV shows, as well as local BBC radio, and in many national and local newspapers, raising the profile of unpaid caring.