Easter Weekend and Support Services

The Carers Centre will be closed from Friday 18 April 2025 to Monday 21 April 2025 (inclusive), re-opening on Tuesday 22 April 2025.  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.

Stress Awareness Month – #LeadWithLove (April 2025)

Tip#1: Practice self-compassion: Treat yourself with the same kindness you would offer a friend!
 
Stress Awareness Month has returned with this year’s theme being #LeadWithLove, encouraging us to try to approach stressful situations, ourselves, and others with compassion, kindness, understanding and acceptance.
Choosing self-compassion can help you ease the challenging situation, and make a difference to how you feel and react in the moment.
You may find this difficult to do at the beginning, especially if you’re prone to being hard on yourself, but with a bit of practice, you may just find that this is a technique that works for you.
 
We don’t always get to take time for self-care, but we can find tiny moments amidst challenging times when we can pause and choose to be compassionate towards ourselves. Even a minute can make a big difference.
 
How to practice self-compassion:
  • Treat yourself with kindness. If this were a friend, what would you say to them?
  • Acknowledge your feelings without judgement. They show up for a reason. What is that feeling trying to tell you?
  • Don’t judge yourself. Mistakes are a natural part of our lives, especially when you are juggling multiple tasks. Mistakes are there to teach us. What can you do differently next time?
  • Remember you are not alone. We all go through tough times, and it’s okay to ask for help. Who could you contact?
  • Consider your needs. How can I help myself, what would make me feel better now?
We are all different, so not all techniques work for everyone. Should you give practicing self-compassion a try, please share your experience with us by emailing centre@centralcarers.co.uk or commenting on the Self-compassion Facebook, Instagram or X post. 
Find more tips on how to manage stress here: https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/stress/
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Tip#2: Self-help techniques – find what works for you!

Self-help techniques are great for reducing stress, but they’re not a one-size-fits-all approach. We are all unique, and just because something works for some people, it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the right technique for you, too. Therefore, it’s important to experiment so you can find what you like and what helps you.

Some things you could try:

  1. Meditations: https://www.england.nhs.uk/supporting-our-nhs-people/support-now/wellbeing-apps/bright-sky/calm-amongst-chaos/
  2. Breathwork: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/breathing-exercises-for-stress/
  3. Regular physical activity and being outside when possible. What do you enjoy?
  4. Hobbies if your time allows
  5. Practical things NHS recommends:
    • Splitting up big tasks into manageable chunks
    • Planning ahead whenever possible
  6. CBT self-help techniques for reducing stress: https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/self-help-cbt-techniques/

Carer’s Digital Discovery Project

Imagine how much difference it would make to your life if you not only had access to technological devices that can make caring easier, but someone showed you how to use them!

Would you be juggling fewer tasks and feeling less overwhelmed? How about worrying less about your loved ones because you will be able to stay connected? Would you even have more time to yourself to do the things you enjoy? We think so!

Our Carer’s Digital Discovery project is a new space within the Carers Centre that will support you by showcasing how technology can make things a bit easier and less stressful.

The project will provide you with hands-on experience using devices such as voice assistants, wearable alarms, and smart home tools to help with your everyday tasks, monitor those you care for, and stay connected.

You will receive support to set up and use these devices in your own home, improving independence and well-being for both yourself and those you care for.

Help us make a difference! Vote now Backhand index pointing right https://bit.ly/vote_for_fccarerscentre

📍Note
You must live in Ward 7 – South Falkirk, and submit your vote by 28 February! 
Map of Ward 7: https://bit.ly/ward7_southfalkirk_map
List of postcodes in Ward 7: https://bit.ly/4hWnNfO

Current Vacancies – February 2025

We have a new exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated candidate with good interpersonal and communication skills to join our team as a Training Coordinator.

Applications for this post will close on Monday 3 March 2025.

Find out more about this role, and what skills and experience are required from the Job Profile document on our VACANCIES page. You can apply by filling in our Application Pack document, or you can use the below link to submit your application!

Festive Opening Hours and Support Services

FESTIVE OPENING HOURS AND SUPPORT SERVICES

The Carers Centre will be closed from 1pm on Tuesday 24th December 2024, and will re-open on Monday 6th January 2025! 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 during the festive period, such as GP’s 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 over the festive period, you can go to NHS Forth Valley – Winter Zone
    • Our friends at CVS Falkirk have also put together a Winter Warmers 2024: Finding the Right Support this Winter section on their website with lots of useful information and links!
    • 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 happy, healthy and safe festive season, and we look forward to continuing to offer support in 2025.

 

Current Vacancies – October 2024

   

 

Thanks to funding from The Robertson Trust we have an exciting opportunity to join our Young Carers Project as a Young Adult Carer Support Worker.

Applications for this post will close Monday 21st October 2024.

you can find out more about this role and our Organisation at our VACANCIES page! Or if you would like to apply, click below!

Current Vacancies – August 2024

We currently have an exciting opportunity to join our dedicated team of support workers who deliver information, support, and involvement services for young carers of all ages across Falkirk district and Clackmannanshire.

Young Carer Involvement Worker (x2)

Applications for this post will close on Monday 19th August 2024..

You can find out more about this role at our VACANCIES page! Or if you’d like to apply, click below!

Current Vacancies – July 2024

The Carers Centre is a growing and forward-thinking organisation with ambition to support an increasing number of children, young people and adults who provide unpaid care for a family member or friend due to disability, illness, addiction, or frailty.

We are currently looking to fill the following role:

        • Young Carer Involvement Worker

Applications for this post will close on Monday 22 July 2024.

You can find out more about this role at our VACANCIES page! Or if you’d like to apply, click below!

Much Ado About Dying – Carers Social Event at the Hippodrome Cinema

A free networking lunch gathering will take place at the Hippodrome Cinema, Bo’ness after the screening of a heartwarming new British documentary about ageing and caring, on Monday 3 June. 

The informal event has been planned around the showing of a new film – Much Ado About Dying (cert. 15) – and will be facilitated by members of the teams at Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers’ Centre and Strathcarron Hospice tbc. 

The film follows Simon Chambers, who is shooting a film in India when his uncle David calls him with a message of doom: “I think I may be dying.”  Simon finds his life drastically interrupted but resolves to try to help his uncle have a good death. What the viewer doesn’t yet know is that David is a total drama queen, a former actor and Shakespeare-lover who has grown old on a diet of attention and applause. 

David’s anarchic spirit is unbreakable. He fights with Simon, refusing to go into a care home, insisting on dying in the squalor of his unheated tumble-down house. He can’t remember where he put his false teeth, but he still knows nearly all the lines from his beloved Shakespeare. David’s real life starts to echo King Lear, Shakespeare’s play about an old man who gives away his kingdom and is driven mad with grief, as David starts giving away thousands of pounds to the “hot young carer” who pops in from time to time.  Despite seemingly insurmountable domestic challenges, illness, and the dreaded care home, they create an award-winning final performance to send David on his way.

Alison Strauss Arts Development Officer (Film and Media) and Hippodrome programmer said:

“Despite the apparently bleak subject matter this is a lovely and funny film.  I was moved to tears by David’s precarious situation but moved to laughter by his fantastically irresistible ‘joie de vivre’.  David’s outlook is a real inspiration for us all, and his nephew Simon’s struggles remind us that you don’t have to be perfect to make a difference.  I am really pleased that the teams from Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers’ Centre [and Strathcarron Hospice tbc] will be on hand for the lunch afterwards.  It will be a friendly and relaxed opportunity for folk to speak amongst themselves about the film – or about anything at all – over a nice sandwich and a cup of tea, and the teams will be able to answer any questions about the services they provide in the area!”

Ami McKnight Support Options for Carers Lead with Falkirk & Clackmannanshire Carers Centre said:

“It is estimated that 3 in 5 of us will, become carers at some point in our lives, and this networking event will be the perfect opportunity to speak with our team and some of our partners about the services we provide to unpaid carers in our community.  Falkirk & Clackmannanshire Carers Centre are pleased to work in partnership with the Hippodrome cinema throughout the year by providing unpaid carers with cinema tickets through the Respitality project.  Carers interested in accessing cinema tickets, or other local Respitality opportunities, can contact the Short Breaks Team on 01324 611510 or shortbreaks@centralcarers.co.uk.”

Tickets for the special screening at 11 am on Monday 3 June are £5 for the film only, or £7.65 for the film with tea/coffee and cake.  All ticket holders are welcome to stay after the film for a complimentary light lunch and informal get-together in the Hippodrome auditorium (12.45 pm – 2 pm).

Much Ado About Dying is screening four times at the Hippodrome Cinema, 10 Hope Steet, Bo’ness EH51 0AA – on Friday 31 May at 4.30 pm, Saturday 1 June at 2.30 pm (captioned for Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences), Sunday 2 June at 7.30 pm.  Adult tickets £8.25 (pre-book) or £8.65 on the door.  Concession tickets £6.40 or £6.70 on the door.  The final screening of Much Ado About Dying plus networking lunch is on Monday 3 June at 11 am.

To book online see What’s On | Hippodrome (hippodromecinema.co.uk).  Bookings can also be made in person at the Hippodrome or by phone 01324 506850. 

Forth Valley Carers Card update

We are delighted to announce that carers who are registered with us can once again apply for a Forth Valley Carers Card.

The Forth Valley Carers Card is a carer identification card that has been developed by local carers, Carers Centres, NHS Forth Valley and local authorities to ensure that carers are more easily identified by health and social care professionals and recognised and valued as equal partners in care.

To apply, please complete our online application form: form.jotform.com/CentralCarers/carers-card

If you are unable to or require help to complete the form, please call us on 01324 611510 (option 1).