invitation to carers essentials in september

September Carer Essentials

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Falkirk Carers, you’re invited!

This session is designed to inform and empower unpaid carers in Falkirk so that they can care with confidence.

Youโ€™ll learn about:

  • Your rights as an unpaid carer
  • What we do at the Centre and how we can help
  • What other local services and support are available
  • What an Adult Carer Support Plan (ACSP) is and how you can benefit from it
Youโ€™ll also get to meet our teams and have the opportunity to ask your questions!

Ideal for those who:

  • are new to caring for a relative or friend
  • have registered with the Carers Centre in the last 6 months
  • or just would like a refresher of what we do and how we can help

Details:

🙋For unpaid carers in the Falkirk district, who are registered with the Carers Centre
📅 Wednesday 2 September
⏰ From 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm
📍 Carers Centre or Zoom
📝 Register here
For more information or to enquire about future sessions, please email 📧daynafaulds@centralcarers.co.uk
celebration Falkirk Foundation's donations to respitality

Respitality Donor Spotlight: Falkirk Foundation

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Celebrating 4 Years of Support from Falkirk Foundation!

Falkirk Foundation have been supporting unpaid carers in Falkirk and Clackmannanshire to take a break for the past 4 years.

Through their generous donation of football tickets for home matches, they provided over 3000 tickets across 73 matches, allowing carers to take a break and enjoy some time out supporting their local team! These fantastic break opportunities make a huge difference โ€“ thank you for your support!

Who is Falkirk Foundation?

Falkirk Foundation is the official charity and community partner of Falkirk Football Club. Using the power of football, the charity helps people living in the Forth Valley area improve their quality of life. It delivers programmes that support mental health, physical wellbeing, education, employability, and community inclusion for people of all ages. The Foundation works with schools, community groups, and local partners to help people build confidence, develop skills, stay active, and reduce social isolation.

How did carers benefit?

โ€œThank you, Falkirk Foundation, our community is lucky to have youโ€

Carers described the football matches as a valuable break from the pressures of their caring role, giving them the opportunity to relax, enjoy themselves, and focus on something positive. The experience provided quality time with family members, helping people reconnect and create shared memories together. Many reported improved wellbeing, feeling refreshed, uplifted, and better able to cope with their caring responsibilities afterwards. Attending the matches also reduced feelings of isolation by enabling carers to be part of a wider community experience.

Read the full case study here.

Are you a local business?

Learn more about the Respitality initiative and how you can get involved here.

Are you a carer?

To find out more, please contact our Short Breaks team on 01324 611510 (Option 1) or email shortbreaks@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:
โ€ข What has worked well for you?
โ€ข What challenges have you faced?
โ€ข 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 falkirk carers' voice on monday 24 august

August Falkirk Carers’ Voice

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Falkirk Carers, you’re invited!

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

Pauline Phee, Network Manager from Neighbourhood Networks, a service that supports adults with disabilities. Pauline will share information about the services and the support they provide. Lisa Wilson, AHP Falls Lead from Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership, will also be joining us to talk about supports in the community, how to prevent hip fractures, and discuss findings from their recent online questionnaire that you might have completed.

Meeting details:
📅 Monday 24 August 2026
⏰ย From 10 am to 12 noon
📍 At the Carers Centre in Falkirk or via Zoom

Register for the event here by 1pm on Thursday 20 August: 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 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 conversation with primary care mental health team leader from falkirk community hospital

Conversation with the Primary Care Mental Health Team Leader from Falkirk Community Hospital

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Have Your Say on Mental Health Services in Falkirk!

Join a discussion with Falkirk Community Hospital’s Primary Care Mental Health Team Leader

We are pleased to welcome Kara Connor, Primary Care Mental Health Team Leader at Falkirk Community Hospital, who is keen to hear your views and experiences of local mental health services. Kara will also provide information about the support available through the Primary Care Mental Health Team and explain how people can access these services.

Details:

🙋For unpaid carers in the Falkirk district, who are registered with the Carers Centre
📅 Thursday 20 August 2026
⏰ From 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm
📍 In person at the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre or via Zoom
Register for the event here.
invitation to respite review by FHSCP

Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership: Respite Review

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Falkirk carers, you’re invited

Join us to learn more about the upcoming changes to respite, and have your say!

We will welcome Gordon MacKenzie, Localities Service Lead for Falkirkโ€™s Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), who let us know more about changes and updates that are being made regarding the upcoming respite review.

Please register by 1 pm on Tuesday 11 August; however, if you require a translator, please let us know at least 2 weeks in advance.

Details:
📅 Thursday 13 August 2026
⏰ From 1 pm to 3 pm
📍 In person only at the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre or via Zoom
Register for the event here.
invitation to complete national survey about new employment rights for unpaid carers

Government Consultation on Employment Rights for Unpaid Carers

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Have Your Say on Employment Rights for Unpaid Carers

Share your experience and help shape future support for working carers

The Government has launched a new consultation on employment rights for unpaid carers. This is a significant opportunity to influence future support for the millions of unpaid carers who are juggling paid employment with their caring responsibilities.
Carers UK has long called for stronger rights for working carers, and this consultation provides a crucial chance to make the case for change. Importantly, this includes the introduction of a new statutory right to paid Carerโ€™s Leave amongst others.

Through the consultation, the Government is keen to hear from both individuals and employers. Personal experiences can make a real difference in helping policymakers understand the challenges of trying to balance paid work and care.

The consultation closes on Tuesday 1 September 2026. You can find out more about the consultation here, including other ways to submit your response (email or post).

If you have any questions about the consultation, please do not hesitate to contact policy@carersuk.org.

Complete the consultation here.

invitation to help with transitions drop in cafe taking place in May

August 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 Cafรฉs’ 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.ย 

✅ 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 6 August
🕒 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.ย 

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:

  • 17 September
  • 15 October
  • 12 November
  • 10 December
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:
โ€ข How to recognise the signs of burnout in yourself
โ€ข How burnout can also affect the person you care for
โ€ข Practical tips and strategies to manage and prevent burnout
โ€ข 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.