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:
• What has worked well for you?
• What challenges have you faced?
• 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.
invitation to a free digital skills course for adult carers

Free Digital Skills Course for Adult Carers

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Get more from technology in everyday life

Gain confidence with digital tools, connect with others, and learn practical skills to help manage your commitments more easily.

We are delighted to welcome Neil McCarroll, Community Learning & Development Support Worker (Adult Learning) from Falkirk Council, who will deliver this practical 6-part training in a relaxed and supportive group setting.

The course will explore digital skills to help you stay connected, organised, informed and safe online. In a welcoming environment, you can develop the confidence to use technology safely and independently, and discover ways to make the most of your time, making it easier to balance all your commitments.

The programme is also a great opportunity to meet others, share experiences and discover useful digital tools at your own pace.

Topics may include:
• Using computers, smartphones & tablets with confidence
• Staying safe online and protecting personal information
• Shopping online safely and finding good deals
• Managing appointments, reminders and calendars
• Ordering repeat prescriptions and accessing services
• Recognising scams, fraud and misleading information
• Using email, messaging and video calls to keep in touch

No previous experience is required; equipment will be provided, and support is available every step of the way.

You are welcome to come along to the first session to see if this programme is useful for you, and then decide if you wish to continue with the rest of the block. Please register on the link below.

Details:

🙋For unpaid carers in the Falkirk district, who are registered with the Carers Centre
📅 Thursdays on the following dates: 3 September, 10 September, 17 September, 24 September, 1 October, 8 October
⏰ From 1 pm to 3 pm
📍 In person only at the Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street
For more information or to register as a carer with the Carers Centre first, please email 📧 daynafaulds@centralcarers.co.uk.
invitation to session to gain practical tips for navigating hospital stays for your child

Parent Carers: Partnering with Healthcare Professionals

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Supporting Your Child in Hospital

Gain the knowledge, confidence, and tools to advocate for your child and work collaboratively with healthcare teams.

Join us for an informative and supportive session with Margaret Ruddy, Lecturer in Nursing and Allied Health, University of Stirling, exploring how parent carers can work in partnership with healthcare professionals when their child is hospitalised.

Whether your child is a newborn, school-aged child, or a teenager, this session will provide practical guidance to help you feel more confident and empowered during hospital stays and healthcare appointments.

Topics we’ll cover:
✅ Recognising your own expertise as a parent carer
✅ Working in partnership with healthcare professionals
✅ Advocating for yourself and your child
✅ Practical tips and considerations when your child is in hospital
✅ Understanding your role in decision-making and care planning

We also want to hear from you. There will be an opportunity to share your experiences and discuss:
• What has worked well for you?
• What challenges have you faced?
• What would you like professionals to better understand?
Your feedback will help shape future support and resources for parent carers.

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 Zoom
For more information or to register as a carer with the Carers Centre first, please email 📧 daynafaulds@centralcarers.co.uk.
invitation to a training session about stress management and self-care strategies

Managing Stress and Looking After Yourself

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Building resilience through stress management and self-care

Gain valuable insights and learn effective techniques

We are delighted to welcome Gwenne McIntosh, Head of Health Sciences, NHS Lothian, who will share valuable insights into stress management and self-care. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from an experienced healthcare professional and leave feeling equipped with useful tools to help you look after yourself and manage life’s challenges more effectively.

Details:

🙋For unpaid carers in the Falkirk district, who are registered with the Carers Centre
📅 Thursday 27 August
⏰ From 10.30 pm to 12.30 pm
📍 Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street or Zoom
For more information or to register as a carer with the Carers Centre first, please email 📧 daynafaulds@centralcarers.co.uk.
invitation to burnout session

Understanding and Managing Burnout

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Recognising and Preventing Burnout

Join us for a practical session on spotting the signs of burnout, protecting your wellbeing, and sustaining your caring role.

Many carers experience burnout at some point, and recognising it early can make a real difference to your wellbeing and the support you provide. Join us at the Carers Centre for an informative and supportive session with Emma Butchard-MacDonald, Senior Principal Clinical Psychologist from NHS Forth Valley.

Emma will explore:
• How to recognise the signs of burnout in yourself
• How burnout can also affect the person you care for
• Practical tips and strategies to manage and prevent burnout
• Ways to look after your own emotional and mental wellbeing

This session is designed to help you feel more confident in spotting the early warning signs and give you tools to support both yourself and your caring role.

Details:

🙋For unpaid carers in the Falkirk district, who are registered with the Carers Centre
📅 Monday 17 August
⏰ From 10.30 am to 12.30 pm
📍 Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street or Zoom
For more information or to register as a carer with the Carers Centre first, please email 📧 daynafaulds@centralcarers.co.uk.
falkirk care at home service online survey

Online Survey: Care at Home Service

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The proposed changes may affect you.

Have your say now!

Daniel Stoddart, Care at Home and Review Lead at the Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership (FHSCP), is seeking carers’ views about the redesign of Falkirk’s Care and Support at Home Service.

They’re moving Falkirk Council’s Care at Home Team towards a reablement-focused service. To do this, they want to expand the team and change the kind of support they provide.

Their proposal is for an expanded Falkirk Council team that does three things:

Short-term reablement-care: This will be their main focus. They will support people new to the service or those leaving hospital. They will provide temporary support to help people increase their independence. Following this, people would move to a different local care provider for any long-term support, unless they have complex care needs.

Short-term support: The Falkirk Council team will also provide short-term support to help prevent emergency care home placements and hospital admissions.

Care at home: The Falkirk Council team will provide care at home to people who need enhanced support or if their needs cannot be met by other providers. This means most people will receive their ongoing care at home support from other local providers.

If you currently receive care at home from the Falkirk Council team, these changes may affect how your care is provided.

Most care at home will be provided by another local provider. If you need to change provider, you can choose your own or ask Falkirk Council to arrange a provider for you.

All local providers are held to the same standards as Falkirk Council’s own services. If you pay for your care, the cost of care would not change. Falkirk Council’s Social Work Adult Services will still manage your care plan.

You can share your views by completing their survey until Monday 6 July, by clicking here.

Important Service update for carers in Clackmannanshire

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Important Service update for carers in Clackmannanshire

We want to let carers in Clackmannanshire know about an upcoming change. From 1 July 2026.  Adult Carer Support Plans and Young Carer Statements, along with ongoing statutory carer support, will transfer to Stirling Carers Centre

We will be writing to Clackmannanshire carers and asking if they would like their information passed over to Stirling Carers Centre. If you have any questions, please get in touch by emailing us at centre@centralcarers.co.uk or by phoning us on 01324 611510.

 

snippet of summer newsletter

Summer Newsletter

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Our Summer Newsletter has arrived!

Supporting, Celebrating and Connecting Carers

In this edition:

Young Carers Action Day 
Carers Week
Updates from the last few months
Upcoming events and training opportunities
Carers Week Prize Draw

 

carers week programme imagery with logo and carers week visuals containing houses, a person, nature signifying communities

Carers Week 2026

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Carers Week 2026 – the countdown has started!

Will you be joining us?

Carers Week is a yearly campaign that aims:

  • to raise awareness about caring and who unpaid carers are
  • to raise awareness of and recognise the challenges unpaid carers face
  • to acknowledge the immense contributions unpaid carers make to our society
  • and to celebrate the vital role unpaid carers play in our communities

The theme for Carers Week 2026, “Building Carer Friendly Communities”, highlights what an important role communities play in ensuring carers get the opportunities and support they need.

Carer friendly communities 

  • recognise who unpaid carers are and the vital role they have in our society
  • understand the impact of caring and what it entails
  • take action to identify and support carers in different ways
  • empower carers to lead fulfilling lives

As a result, unpaid carers can have fairer support and opportunities, living a better life. 

Why we need carer friendly communities?

Unpaid carers often get overlooked, undervalued or are unsupported. Yet, they are the backbone of our communities facing challenges affecting many aspects of their life including but not limited to their physical or mental health, education, relationships, careers, to name a few. Carer friendly communities have the power to turn understanding into action and make support a daily constant in carers’ lives. Even the smallest contribution can make a great impact on carers’ lives. 

At Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre we believe that carers deserve to be recognised for the difficulties they face, respected for their efforts, informed about their rights and options, and supported to continue caring safely. Throughout the week, we will be raising awareness and encouraging communities to take practical and meaningful steps to create positive change.

We will also be celebrating carers with the below programme. 

Our Carers Week Programme:

5 Days of Carers Week Prize Draw

Our popular prize draw will be back! We will be doing a draw each day from Monday 8 June to Friday 12 June. To show our support, prizes include vouchers from multiple local businesses. Please note you only need to enter your details once for all 5 days.

Enter the prize draw here:https://form.jotform.com/CentralCarers/cwpd

Monday 8 June 

Pamper Appointments

***Please note appointments will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited to one appointment per carer.

Drop-in Session for Falkirk Carers

  • Time: 10 am to 3 pm
  • Location: at the Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street, Falkirk
  • No booking required 
  • Open to Falkirk carers

If you answer yes to these questions, this session is for you:
– Do you help to look after a partner, child, relative or friend who needs your help due to disability, illness, frailty or addiction?
– Do you live in the Falkirk district?
– Are you between the ages of 8 and 100?

👉 Why attend?
– learn about support available to you, and your rights
– have a casual chat with understanding people and get emotional support if needed
– find out more about benefits you may be eligible for
– free tea/coffee and biscuits
– ask your questions

🫶 You will feel more informed, involved and supported.

Tuesday 9 June 

Guided Hill Walk with Falkirk Outdoors 

  • Time: all day
  • Location: to be confirmed with attendees
  • How to book: By invitation only* (feel free get in touch as we might still have some spaces left)

*Carers who have expressed an interest in Short Break Activities were invited along to try our community- themed activities If you would like to hear more about future short break activities on offer or join our cancellation list, please contact shortbreaks@centralcarers.co.uk. Please note carers must be physically fit and able to walk for 4 hours. 

Consultation with Social Security Scotland regarding Carer Benefits

Wednesday 10 June 

Central Carers Association – Annual General Meeting

  • Time: From 10 am
  • Location: at the Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street, Falkirk

Our Annual General Meeting is open to anyone, and no booking is required. Those who cannot attend in person will be able to join via Zoom. Please only get in touch by calling 01324 611510 or emailing centre@centralcarers.co.uk if:

  • you require the Zoom link
  • live in Clackmannanshire and require transport to attend the meeting
  • would like to become a member of Central Carers Association, which is the local voluntary organisation and the managing body of the Carers Centre. Members can vote at the AGM.

Thursday 11 June

Health & Wellbeing Activity with Good Vibes Meditation Mental Health and Wellbeing Trust

  • Time: From 11 am to 12 noon
  • Location: at the Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street, Falkirk
  • Register here: https://forms.office.com/e/xidqdsP2Qq
  • Open to all Falkirk and Clackmannanshire carers

Clackmannanshire Carers Afternoon Tea for Clackmannanshire Carers

***Please note, this event is only for Clackmannanshire carers, spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Cost to carers is £5. 

Friday 12 June

Cold Water Dip with Sarah McBride, Cold Water Facilitator

  • Time: From 10.30 am to 1 pm
  • Location: to be confirmed with attendees
  • How to book: By invitation only* (feel free get in touch as we might still have some spaces left)

*Carers who have expressed an interest in Short Break Activities were invited along to try our community- themed activities. If you would like to hear more about future short break activities on offer or join our cancellation list, please contact shortbreaks@centralcarers.co.uk. Carers must be in good health and must complete and pass a health questionnaire before participating.

Invitation to annual general meeting with photos from last year

Notice of Annual General Meeting (AGM)

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You’re invited!

Come along to discover the impact we made last year and learn about our future plans.

The 30th AGM of Central Carers Association (CCA) will take place on Wednesday 10 June 2026 at 10.00 am, followed by a members-only lunch in the Carers Centre at 1a Bank Street, Falkirk, FK1 1NB.

The AGM is open to all.

If you live in the Clackmannanshire area and need travel assistance, please contact the Centre using the contact details below. Those who cannot attend in person will be able to join the AGM via Zoom. (Email for the link.)  

CCA is the local voluntary organisation that support carers in Falkirk and Clackmannanshire and is the managing body of the Carers Centre. Full membership of CCA is open to all carers 18 years of age and over in Falkirk and Clackmannanshire, and associate membership is open to young carers under the age of 18. By becoming a Member of CCA, you will be demonstrating your support for the work of the organisation and strengthening its voice as a body that represents carers. Full Members are also entitled to vote at the AGM. The current annual subscription fee is £5 for full or associate membership.  If you would like to become a member, please contact us on 01324 611510 (option 1) or via email: centre@centralcarers.co.uk. 

Meeting Details: 

  • 📅 Wednesday 10 June
  • ⏰ From 10.00 am
  • 📍 Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street or email us for the Zoom link

Contact Details:

  • 📧 centre@centralcarers.co.uk
  • ☎️ 01324 611510