showing a picture of Dayna the host to our new podcast series

New Podcast Alert!

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Respitality Explained: Supporting Unpaid Carers Through Meaningful Breaks

Learn how unpaid carers can access opportunities to rest, recharge and reconnect with insights from Kerry Sloan, Shared Care Scotland.

We’re excited to launch the very first episode in our brand-new podcast series!
For our debut episode, we’re shining a spotlight on Respitality – an innovative programme offering unpaid carers the chance to enjoy a well-deserved break, thanks to generous hospitality providers across the country.
Join us as we chat with Kerry Sloan, Respitality Manager at Shared Care Scotland, who explains:
✨ What Respitality is and how it works
✨ Who can access it
✨ How to make the most of these amazing opportunities
Whether you’re a carer looking for a break, a professional supporting carers, or simply curious to learn more, this is the perfect place to start. Tune in and discover how Respitality is helping carers recharge, relax, and reconnect.
meeting invite to consultation about Falkirk's Care at Home redesign

Consultation: Falkirk’s Care at Home redesign

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Have Your Say!Β 

Find out about proposed changes, hear how your feedback has influenced developments, and share your views.

Daniel Stoddart, Care at Home and Review Lead for Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership will join us to tell us about developments regarding Falkirk’s Care at Home redesign. Many of you will have been involved with consultations in the Carers Centre with Daniel or completed his questionnaire on Participate+. Daniel will also tell you how your views have helped to shape this new service.

Please register by 1 pm on Tuesday 29 September; however, if you require a translator, please let us know at least 2 weeks in advance.

Details:
📅 Thursday 1 October 2026
⏰ From 1 to 3 pm
📍 In person at the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre or on Zoom
Register for the event here: https://form.jotform.com/CentralCarers/FHSCP-consultation

dementia programme header showing an older lady with her daughter and giving information about the sessions (last Tuesdays of the month from 10.30 am for Falkirk and Clackmannanshire carers)

Dementia Information Sessions – September to December

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Our new Dementia programme is out!

Come along to learn about topics that can help you care for someone with dementia.

Tuesday 29 September 2026: Oral Health – Caring for Smiles

We will welcome Louise Balfour, Oral Health Dental Nurse, NHS Forth Valley for this session. Your oral health and the person’s oral health you care for are more important than you may think. Did you know problems in the mouth can affect the rest of your body? Are you aware of different toothbrushes available to clean the mouth and teeth?

Tuesday 27 October 2026: Dementia – Sensory Changes Part 1

It is important to learn the common signs of sensory changes for those with dementia and how this can affect their daily life. We will look at this over two sessions. In session one, we will consider how changes to vision, hearing and touch can have an impact on the way your loved one may experience the world.

Tuesday 24 November 2026: Dementia – Sensory Changes Part 2

It is important to learn the common signs of sensory changes for those with dementia and how this can affect their daily life. We are looking at this over two sessions. In this session, we will consider how changes to taste and smell, position sense, and balance can have an impact onthe way your loved one may experience the world.

December 2026

There will be no Care with Confidence sessions during the month of December.

You can download the programme leaflet from here.Β You may also be interested in other Care with Confidence sessions, which you can find here.

To register for any of the sessions above, please click here.

For more information, please contact your Training Co-ordinator:

👩Β  Carly Crooks – Working hours: Monday – Thursday
📱Β  07563391108
📧Β  carlycrooks@centralcarers.co.uk
invitation to Falkirk voice on 28th September

September Falkirk Carers’ Voice

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Falkirk Carers, you’re invited!

Learn about support, share your experiences and have your say.Β 

We will welcome Clair Fair, Team Leader, NHS Forth Valley Keep Well Service, who will share information about the services and the support they provide, and also Kim Wylie, Mental Health and Wellbeing Officer, Falkirk Football Foundation, who will talk about the groups and support that they provide, not all of which are football-related!

Meeting details:
📅 Monday 28 September 2026
⏰Β From 10 am to 12 noon
📍 At the Carers Centre in Falkirk or via Zoom

Register for the event here by 1 pm on Thursday 24 September: https://form.jotform.com/CentralCarers/falkirk-carers-voice or get in touch with Sharlene Ramage, our Carer Participation Development Worker: sharleneramage@centralcarers.co.uk

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

invitation to information session for those working in the Falkirk district

Information Session for Professionals

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Would you recognise an unpaid carer?

Come along to network and learn about what we do, how you can identify and signpost unpaid carers for support!

If you know any other professionals who work with carers, please let them know about this opportunity. This session will give professionals an overview of what we do at the Carers Centre and how we can work together to support the carers they work with.

✅ Learn how we support unpaid carers
✅ Meet our teams and learn what they all do
✅ Connect with other professionals

✅ Gain practical insights into the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, Adult Carer Support Plans and Young Carer Statements, the hospital discharge process involving the carer, and more!

Let’s work together to support carers in our community!

📅 Thursday 24 September
⏰Β From 10.30 am to 12.30 pm
📍 Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street or via Zoom

Register for the event here!Β 

⁉️ Β Alternatively, if you can’t make this one and you’d like to be informed about upcoming sessions via emails, please register your interest here.

Invitation to Dementia Consultation

Consultation: Dementia – Services and Support

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Do you care for someone with a dementia diagnosis and live in Falkirk?

If so, you are invited to this consultation. We would encourage you to join even if you haven’t attended any the previous ones, asΒ 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 talk about how carers’ views and feedback shared in the last few sessions have shaped improvements in the accident and emergency department.

Please register by 1 pm on Tuesday 15 September; however,Β if you require a translator, please let us know at least 2 weeks in advance.

Details:
📅 Thursday 17 September 2026
⏰ From 10 am to 12 noon
📍 In person at the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre or on Zoom
care with confidence programme header showing an older gentleman and woman with their daughter and giving information about the sessions (Tuesdays from 10.30 am for Falkirk and Clackmannanshire carers)

Care with Confidence Programme – September

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Our new programme has now been released!

Come along to learn about topics that can help you with your caring role.Β 

Tuesday 8 September 2026: Welfare Benefits Overview

Lyn McKay, Welfare Benefits Adviser, Citizens Advice Bureau, will give us an overview of different benefits, including working-age benefits and older adult benefits, with an opportunity to ask any questions you may have relating to welfare benefits.

Tuesday 15 September 2026: Canine Partners

William Holmes, Volunteer at Canine Partners, will be joining us to talk about the many incredible ways assistance dogs transform the lives of their Partners; not just making them more independent, but helping them gain confidence, socialise and take their place in society. Assistance dogs are trained to meet the needs of individuals with a physical disability or condition affecting their daily life and limiting their independence.

Tuesday 22 September 2026: Bowel Cancer UK Awareness Session

This session will be delivered by Bowel Cancer UK. You will learn important information about bowel cancer, including the prevalence of bowel cancer, the six most common signs and symptoms, and risk factors. You’ll also learn about the NHS bowel screening programme and the importance of taking part. There will also be an opportunity to ask any questions you might have.

Tuesday 29 September 2026: Caring for Smiles – NHS Forth Valley

Louise Balfour, Oral Health Central Nurse, NHS Forth Valley will talk about the importance of oral health. Did you know problems in the mouth can affect the rest of your body? Are you aware of different toothbrushes available to clean the mouth and teeth? Join us to find out more.

You can download the latest CwC programme leaflet from here.

To register for any of the sessions above, please click here.

For more information, please contact your Training Co-ordinator:

👩Β  Carly Crooks – Working hours: Monday – Thursday
📱 07563 391108
📧 carlycrooks@centralcarers.co.uk
invitation to help with transitions drop in cafe taking place in May

September Drop-in Cafe: Help with Transitions

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Parents and unpaid carers of young people with additional support needs, pop in for a chat!

Join us if the child you care for is approaching or going through transitions, aged between 14 and 25, and lives in the Falkirk area.

Fiona Maguire (formerly known as Douglas), Transitions Coordinator for Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), is hosting monthly ‘Drop-in CafΓ©s’ in the Carers Centre (1a Bank Street, Falkirk, FK1 1NB). You can drop in between 10 am and 1 pm on the dates below with questions or for a chat about transitions. These sessions are open to unpaid carers registered with the Carers Centre.Β 

✅ Ask questions about support available
✅ Learn how young people are supported in their transitions beyond school

Details:

🙋For unpaid carers in the Falkirk district, who are registered with the Carers Centre
📅 Thursday 17 September
🕒 From 10 am to 1 pm
📍 Carers Centre, 1A Bank Street, Falkirk, FK1 1NB
❗We would appreciate if you could book your place here so that we can anticipate numbers, or just feel free to drop in on the day.Β 

If you have any questions or you are not registered with the Carers Centre, but would like to attend, please email daynafaulds@centralcarers.co.uk.

The next sessions will take place on Thursdays between 10 and 1pm on the following dates:

  • 15 October
  • 12 November
  • 10 December
6- week autism course

6-week Parent Information Programme

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Parents and unpaid carers of children on the autism spectrum, this series is for you.

Join this welcoming, conversational group led by Scottish Autism!

Scottish Autism’s Community Advisors will create a safe space that allows parents and carers to come together, share experiences, and learn from one another. Across six relaxed sessions, the group explores neurodiversity, communication and thinking styles, sensory understanding, stress and wellbeing, family relationships, and wider support networks, with time for reflection and open discussion throughout. This is a space for connection, conversation, and mutual support.

Session 1 (13th Aug): Introduction to Neurodiversity and Autism
Session 2 (20th Aug): Communication and Thinking StylesΒ 
Session 3 (3rd Sept): Sensory UnderstandingΒ 
Session 4 (10th Sept): Stress and WellbeingΒ 
Session 5 (1st Oct): The Wider Family and Circles of SupportΒ 
Session 6 (8th Oct): Final ReflectionsΒ 

Details:

📅 Thursday on the above dates
🕒 From 10.30 am to 12.30 pm
📍 Carers Centre, 1A Bank Street, Falkirk, FK1 1NB or Zoom
❗ Register here.Β 

If you have any questions or you are not registered with the Carers Centre, but would like to attend, please email daynafaulds@centralcarers.co.uk.

invitation to session to feel empowered at medical appointments

Navigating Healthcare

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Feel more confident at medical appointments

Supporting carers to advocate, prepare and partner with healthcare professionals.

Join us for an informative and supportive session with Margaret Ruddy, Lecturer in Nursing and Allied Health at the University of Stirling, exploring how carers can work in partnership with healthcare professionals when the person they look after is admitted to hospital, or during other medical appointments. This session will provide practical guidance to help you feel more confident and empowered during hospital stays and appointments.

Topics covered:
– Preparing for a hospital admission
– Preparing for medical appointments
– Self-care
– Advocacy
– Raising complaints

Many carers have let us know that supporting someone with hospital admissions and appointments can, at times, feel frustrating. Margaret will provide an opportunity to share these experiences in a supportive setting and will share her experiences of how carers can best navigate the hospital setting.

We also want to hear from you. There will be an opportunity to share your experiences and discuss:
β€’ What has worked well for you?
β€’ What challenges have you faced?
β€’ What would you like professionals to better understand?

Details:

🙋For unpaid carers in the Falkirk district, who are registered with the Carers Centre
📅 Tuesday 1 September
⏰ From 10.30 am to 12.30 pm
📍 Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street or on Zoom
For more information or to register as a carer with the Carers Centre first, please email 📧 daynafaulds@centralcarers.co.uk.