Falkirk & Clackmannanshire Carers Centre - Young Carers

Parents Groups – New Session Starting!

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Falkirk support groups for parents of children and young people (up to 20 years) who have additional support needs will be starting up again at the beginning of September.  Parents groups meet at the Carers Centre on the first Tuesday evening and the first Thursday morning of the month during term time and offer information and support to parent carers regardless of their child’s Illness, disability or condition.  The September meetings will take place at the Carers Centre as follows:

Tuesday 1 September 2015, 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm

Thursday 3 September 2015, 10.30 am to 12 noon

We look forward to welcoming new members as well as those who regularly attend or who haven’t been along to the group for a while and would like to come along for the start of the new session.

For further information, contact Anne Prinn or Claire Crossan at the Carers Centre.

Falkirk & Clackmannanshire Careers Centre

Care With Confidence Autumn 2015 Programme

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A programme of weekly Care With Confidence sessions for carers in Falkirk district and Clackmannanshire will be taking place from the end of August to the end of November 2015.  Topics will include:  planning for the future; foot care; Power of Attorney; stress; Self-Directed Support and a range of other topics.  There is no cost to attend these sessions which are held from 10 am to 12 noon at the Carers Centre in Falkirk and Hawkhill Community Centre in Alloa and carers can come along to some or all of the sessions.

Further information is available from Stella McDonald at the Carers Centre, Falkirk or Ian McCourt at the Carers Centre, Alloa and a copy of the programme can be downloaded here:

Care With Confidence Programme, Falkirk, August 2015

Care With Confidence Programme, Clackmannanshire, August 2015

 

 

Falkirk & Clackmannanshire Carers Centre

Carers Forum Coming Up

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Carers are invited to have their say at local Carers Forum meetings coming up in August:

Wednesday 19th August 2015, 10.00am, Hawkhill Community Centre, 132 Hillcrest Drive, Alloa, FK10 1SB

Monday 24th August 2015, 10.00am, Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street, Falkirk, FK1 1NB

The forum will be discussing the Carers Bill – National Eligibility Framework for Carers with Heather Noller from Carers Trust Scotland, the development of a Forth Valley Carers Card, and there will be news from the local Carers Representative on the Joint Integration Board.

Carers and Health and Social Care professionals are encouraged to attend. To register your attendance, please contact Ian McCourt at the Carers Centre in Alloa or Claire Crossan at the Centre in Falkirk.

Various Logos

Carer Eligibility for Services – Your Views

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Through the Carers (Scotland) Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament, local authorities will have a duty to support carers who meet certain eligibility criteria.

Carers have been very clear in their view that a national framework for eligibility is the only way to avoid the continuing postcode lottery operating throughout Scotland, and the National Carer Organisations (NCOs) are seeking an amendment to The Carers (Scotland) Bill for local authorities to support carers based on national eligibility criteria, rather than local eligibility criteria set by each local authority.

The NCOs have produced a draft Framework for National Eligibility Thresholds which sets out the circumstances in which carers would have a right to a service under The Carers (Scotland) Bill and are seeking views on the Framework which can be downloaded here.

Carers can email their comments to:  coalition@carersnet.org  or fill in a short survey by following this link .

The closing date for comments is the end of August 2015.

Emergency Budget 2015

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What does the Emergency Budget 2015 mean for carers? The Chancellor has set out savings of £12bn from the welfare bill, to be gained from a number of different areas including freezes to many benefits, a lowering of the benefit cap, and significant changes to Tax Credits.  Carers Allowance has not been cut but carers receiving other working age benefits may see part of their income affected.  Carers UK Emergency Budget Briefing provides information on what the Budget means for carers:

http://carersuk-news.org/74C-3JCMV-3510LRNY6C/cr.aspx

Better Breaks Outings 2015 – Summer Outing Closing Date Monday 20 July 2015

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Applications are invited for upcoming Better Breaks Outings for children and young people (up to 20 years) with additional support needs and their families in Falkirk district and Clackmannanshire:

  • Auchingarrich Wildlife Park, Comrie (Falkirk families), Tuesday 4 and Thursday 6 August 2015
  • Auchingarrich Wildlife Park, Comrie (Clackmannanshire families), Wednesday 5 August 2015
  • Pantomime ‘The Little Mermaid’, Macrobert Centre, Stirling (Falkirk and Clackmannanshire families), Saturday 12 December 2015

To request a place, please complete the Better Breaks Application Form available from Rebecca Fowler at the Carers Centre: phone 01324 611510, email to request a form using our contact form or download an application form here: Better Breaks Application Form.

The deadline for receipt of completed applications for the summer outing is Monday 20 July 2015 and for the Christmas outing is Friday 4 September 2015. 

Places cannot be guaranteed and priority will be given to families who have not participated in, or who have participated in fewer, previous Better Breaks outings.

Better Breaks outings are funded by the Scottish Government’s Short Breaks Fund

Short Breaks Fund Logo

The Scottish Government Logo

Ballot Open For Carers Parliament

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The 2015 Carers’ Parliament will be held on 6th October at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh.

Two places are allocated by ballot – which is drawn by carers – for each of the 73 Scottish Parliamentary constituencies. A small number of additional places have been reserved for carers who are contributing to the programme, for example as members of the steering group or speakers for the workshops and to ensure minority groups and young carers are represented. Continue reading “Ballot Open For Carers Parliament” →

Carers Week 2015

Carers Week Success

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As part of our Carers Week programme, Falkirk & Clackmannanshire Carers Centre organised an awareness raising event at Alloa Town Hall on 9th June. As the theme for Carers Week this year was ‘Building Carer Friendly Communities’, the event gave members of the public the opportunity to find out about services in the local community that help to keep them healthy and active and safe in their homes. Information was also provided about carers services and support as it is estimated that 3 out of 5 people will take on a caring role at some point in their lives. Continue reading “Carers Week Success” →