invitation to a training session about financial well-being on 8th April from 12.30pm

Introduction to Financial Well-being

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Learn about strategies that can help improve your finances.

Join us as we welcome Rebecca Ketterer-Young, Senior Financial Well-being Officer, from Money Advice Scotland.

Rebecca will be hosting an interactive virtual financial well-being session. Time will be given for Q&A. This course examines the essential elements of financial well-being and explores the challenges and barriers that prevent many individuals from achieving it.

Topics include:

  • The lasting impact of the cost-of-living crisis
  • Digital Exclusion, poverty, and domestic abuse.
  • Practical strategies to overcome barriers and enhance financial well-being.

The session will provide you with valuable insights into the link between financial well-being and overall well-being.

🙋For unpaid carers in the Falkirk district and Clackmannanshire who are registered with the Carers Centre. As an adult carer, you can register here.
📅 Wednesday 8 April
⏰ From 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm
📍 This session is fully remote and will take place on Zoom. If you are unable to access Zoom for any reason, you are welcome to join us in the Centre’s activities room, where you’ll be able to watch the training on our screen with other carers.
📝 Register here for the training by 6 pm on Monday 6 April
For more information or to enquire about future sessions, please email 📧 daynafaulds@centralcarers.co.uk
invitation to right to a break consultation by the Scottish Government.

Consultation: Right to a Break

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The Right to a Break Consultation is now open.

Help shape the right that supports you and your caring situation best!

The Scottish Government have launched a 12–week consultation on the new right to a break, seeking views on proposed options for implementation of this right.

This consultation provides an important opportunity for the right to a break to be shaped by the unpaid carers it aims to support, and the organisations that will help deliver this right.

While the right to a break has the potential to be transformative, planning and delivery must recognise the current challenges unpaid carers and services face. The time for effective and meaningful change to short breaks is now.

You can find out more information about this consultation and have your say by clicking here.

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 – March to April

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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. 

Tuesday 31 March 2026: Dementia – Behaviours: Hints & Tips

Changes in behaviour can be one of the most difficult aspects of living with dementia. It’s important to see beyond the behaviour itself and think about what may be causing it. There may be specific reasons why the person with dementia is behaving differently. Come along to learn more about what you can do to help.

Tuesday 07 April 2026: Home Fire Safety

Find out if you are eligible for a Home Fire Safety Visit for people at the highest risk of experiencing a fire in the home. If yes, then the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service will provide:
• identification of potential fire risks in your home
• information about bedtime routines
• help to create a robust escape plan
• advice and testing of smoke alarms
Come along to find out more.

Tuesday 14 April 2026: Focus Group

We invite you to come along to look back over the subjects covered in the last 10 months and help us plan the future Care with Confidence programs for 2026. To thank you for your feedback, this session will be followed by a light lunch.

You can download the latest CwC programme leaflet from here and the Dementia one from here.

To book a place or for further information on any of the above, please contact your Training Co-ordinator:

👩  Donna Mulder – Working hours: 21 hours per week (Monday – Wednesday)
📱  07824 381280
📧  donnamulder@centralcarers.co.uk

If you are a carer in Clackmannanshire, you are welcome to join these Falkirk sessions either over Zoom or, if you’d like to attend in person, travel may be provided. Please reach out to Donna for more information. 

invitation to drop in cafes providing help with transitions for parents and carers of children aged 14-25 with ASN from the Falkirk area

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 Douglas, Transitions Coordinator for Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), is hosting monthly ‘Drop-in Cafés’ 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.

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

Details:

📅 Thursday 2 April
🕒 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. 

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:

  • 7 May
  • 4 June
  • 16 July
  • 6 August
  • 17 September
  • 15 October
  • 12 November
  • 10 December
invitation to national online survey carried out by Heriot-Watt university in partnership with Age Scotland and the University of Strathclyde.

National Dementia Survey – Your views are needed!

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If you care for someone who’s received a dementia diagnosis, this survey is for you!

Heriot-Watt University, in partnership with the University of Strathclyde and Age Scotland, is leading a three-year research initiative called CONSOLIDATE Network.

The research explores how technology can support independence for people living with dementia. They would like to understand the lived experiences, hopes, and challenges of people living with dementia and their unpaid carers. Your insights will be invaluable in helping shape future research and innovation in dementia care. You can find more information about this research here.

If you are interested in sharing your views, please take the survey here.

Information Session for Professionals

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Falkirk Professionals, you’re invited!

Come along to network and learn about what we do and how you can help unpaid carers!

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 26 March
⏰ From 10.30 am to 12.30 pm
📍 Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street or via Zoom

Register for the event here! 

⁉️  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 Falkirk carers' voice on 23rd of March from 10 am

March Falkirk Carers’ Voice

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Falkirk Carers, it’s time to register!

Come along to learn about local services!

Join us at the next Falkirk Carers’ Voice for unpaid carers living in the Falkirk district. We will welcome Jack Ryan, CEO of Forth Valley Advocacy Services, who will tell us all about the services that they provide, and Julie Hayward from Bailliefields Community Hub, who will talk about their groups and activities that may help you in your caring role!

Meeting details:
📅 Monday 23 March 2026
⏰ From 10 am to 12 noon
📍 At the Carers Centre in Falkirk or via Zoom

Register for the event here by 1pm on Wednesday 18 March: 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 session on 25th March by NHS24 about their services, lady holding a phone

Take Some Breathing Space Information Session

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Learn about Breathing Space and other mental health services available to you.

Join us as we welcome Lisa-Jane Dock from NHS24.

Breathing Space is a free, confidential phone line and webchat service for anyone aged 16+ in Scotland who is experiencing low mood, anxiety, depression, or emotional distress. It provides a safe and supportive listening service, information, and signposting to further help.

Lisa-Jane will provide a practical, accessible overview, she will:

  • Introduce the suite of mental health services provided at NHS 24
  • Explain the purpose of their phone and webchat services
  • Identify who can use the service, and when it may be of use
  • Provide insight into other mental health support services available to you

Details:

🙋For unpaid carers in the Falkirk district and Clackmannanshire
📅 Wednesday 25 March
⏰ From 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm
📍 Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street or Zoom
📝 Register here by 6 pm on Monday 23 March
For more information or to enquire about future sessions, please email 📧 daynafaulds@centralcarers.co.uk
invitation to autims and neurodiversity training on 24th march, showing a man and a child playing

Training: Autism and Neurodiversity Overview

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Join us as we welcome Richard Ibbotson from The Autism Network to the Centre.

With a long background in development and management of autism services, he has led teams to deliver successful supports across all ages, levels of needs and situations.

Aims of the training:

  • Increase understanding of autism and neurodiversity
  • Understand the impact of sensory experiences and differences
  • Challenge some common myths and misconceptions
  • Consider the language used around autism and neurodiversity
  • Understand the diagnosis and its impact
  • Learn about how a neurodiverse brain might work differently
  • Consider the ‘Autism advantage’
  • To use this learning to understand ‘complex needs’ and challenging behaviours
  • Consider access to future support, including advocacy

The emphasis throughout will be on practical understanding rather than prescriptive solutions, recognising that small changes can make meaningful differences.

Details:

🙋For unpaid carers in the Falkirk district and Clackmannanshire
📅 Tuesday 24 March
⏰ From 10.30 pm to 12.30 pm
📍 Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street or Zoom
📝 Register here by 11 pm on Sunday 22 March
For more information or to enquire about future sessions, please email 📧 daynafaulds@centralcarers.co.uk
invitation to training about understanding drug & alcohol use

Training: Understanding Drug and Alcohol use

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Transform Forth Valley will be joining us for an informative and supportive session.

It is designed for carers of someone affected by drug or alcohol use; whether currently or in the past. Those interested in learning more as a preventative approach are also welcome to join.

Norry and Steph from Transform Forth Valley will cover:

  • Understanding what addiction is
  • Identifying and talking about paraphernalia
  • How addiction really impacts the lives of individuals and families
  • Naloxone awareness

We will also discuss how to best support someone experiencing addiction, what services and supports are available locally (both within adult and children’s services) across Forth Valley.

Details:

🙋For unpaid carers in the Falkirk district and Clackmannanshire
📅 Wednesday 18 March
⏰ From 12.30 pm to 2 pm
📍 Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street or Zoom
📝 Register here by 6 pm on Monday 16 March
For more information or to enquire about future sessions, please email 📧 daynafaulds@centralcarers.co.uk