consultation with NHS Forth Valley on 12th March from 10 am in the Carers Centre

Consultation: NHS Forth Valley

Falkirk Carers, you’re invited! 

NHS Forth Valley is joining us for this consultation.

Karen Goudie, Executive Nurse Director, and Ross McGuffie, Chief Executive of NHS Forth Valley, are looking to hear your views and experiences about various topics, such as how carers are being recognised within NHS establishments, prescriptions, and carers’ involvement in the hospital discharge process, and much more.

Please register by 1 pm on Tuesday 10 March; however, if you require a translator, please let us know at least 2 weeks in advance.

Details:
📅 Thursday 12 March 2025
⏰ From 10 am to 12 noon
📍 In person at the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre or on Zoom
invitation to Clacks voice on 5th March from 10am and Hawhkhill Community Centre

March Clackmannanshire Carers’ Voice

Clackmannanshire Carers, you’re invited!

Come along to have your say!

With carer support services across Clackmannanshire and Stirling being recommissioned by the Health & Social Care Partnership, we hope you’ll come along and share what services are important to you.

On the agenda:

  • Consultation: What do carers want from carer support services?
  • Updates from
                  – your Integration Joint Board Carer Representative
                  – Health & Social Care Partnership, NHS and 3rd Sector
                  – our Carers Centre
  • Carers’ issues and concerns

Register for the event here: https://form.jotform.com/CentralCarers/clackmannanshire-carers-voice
Or get in touch with Nicola Weedon – nicolaweedon@centralcarers.co.uk

Meeting details:
📅 Thursday 5 March 2026
⏰ From 10 am to 12 noon
📍 Hawkhill Community Centre, Alloa

⁉️ Did you know that you can read the previous meeting minutes on our website? Go to https://centralcarers.org/information/publications/

online survey for adult learning opportunities - closes on 13th March

Online Survey: Free Adult Learning Opportunities

We are exploring interest in free Adult Learning groups for carers in Falkirk.

We would really value your input!

Falkirk Council’s Adult Learning Team is considering offering small, friendly groups to support carers who would like to build confidence in areas such as reading, writing, numbers, or digital skills. These groups would be relaxed, supportive, and tailored to what learners want – whether that’s helping with everyday tasks, supporting children with homework, gaining skills for work, or simply feeling more confident.

By filling in this short and anonymous survey by Friday 13 March, you are helping us understand what would be useful for carers.

You’ll find more information about the types of support the Adult Learning Team can offer here.

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your views. Your feedback helps shape our services and make a difference for carers.

Survey Link: https://forms.office.com/e/SE0SzfHQUe

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with Training Co-ordinator Dayna Faulds – daynafaulds@centralcarers.co.uk

invitation to dementia consultation on 5th March from 10 am

Consultation: Dementia – Services and Support

You are invited to this consultation if you care for someone with dementia, and you live in Falkirk.

We would encourage you to join even if you haven’t attended the previous consultations, as your valuable insights can help shape dementia support.

Yvonne Cairns, NHS Forth Valley Dementia and Delirium Lead, and Emma Douglas, leader of the Community Mental Health Team for Older Adult Services, will be joining us again and are continuing to gather your views and experiences related to dementia services and support. The specific topic for this session will be confirmed later. During the session, Yvonne will also share top tips, and any progress that has been made to the services, thanks to carers having shared their experiences last time.

Please register by 2 pm on Tuesday 3 March; however, if you require a translator, please let us know at least 2 weeks in advance.

Details:
📅 Thursday 5 March 2025
⏰ From 10 am to 12 noon
📍 In person at the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre or on Zoom
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 – January to February

Our new programme has now been released!

Come along to learn about topics that can help you with your caring role. 

Tuesday 24 February 2026: Dementia – Shadowing & Sundowning

You may notice that the person you care for becomes more confused and/or agitated in the late afternoon and evening. This is known as “Sundowning”. Learn about the steps you can take to help reduce sundowning, for their benefit as well as your own. Shadowing is a form of behaviour in which a person with dementia follows their caregiver around. Find out how to manage this behaviour by gaining an understanding of why this occurs..

Tuesday 03 March 2026: Online Banking & Price Comparison Sites 

This beginner-friendly session will introduce online banking, including how to set it up and use common features like checking balances and making payments. You’ll also explore tools to help manage your money and learn how to navigate price comparison websites to find the best deals and support your financial wellbeing.

Tuesday 10 March 2026: A Guide to Insurance / Energy Bills and Support Available

In the first part of this session, we’ll look at how insurance works, what to look out for when buying insurance, and what happens when you need to make a claim. We’ll also cover some of the common mistakes we can make when purchasing insurance policies. We’ll also provide you with some tips to help you make confident choices about your coverage. After the break,
we will discuss your energy bills, government support with this, maximising your income, and how to get advice if you are struggling

You can download the programme leaflet 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 carers voice on 23rd Feb from 10 am

February Falkirk Carers’ Voice

Falkirk Carers, registration is open!

Come along to have your say!

Join us at the next Falkirk Carers’ Voice for unpaid carers living in the Falkirk district. Meet Gordon McKenzie, Social Work Manager, who would like to hear about your experiences: who cares for the cared-for person while you are in hospital or receiving medical care for yourself?

Danielle Aitken from Sustainable Thinking Scotland C.I.C will also be joining us to tell you about groups and clubs that may promote your well-being and help you in your caring role.

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

Register for the event here: 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/

invite for consultation about hospital discharge and care at home services

Consultation: Hospital Discharge and Care at Home Services

Falkirk Carers, don’t miss this consultation!

You are invited to take part in an important discussion about Hospital Discharge and Care at Home Services.

Lana Ray, Team Manager – Central Locality, at Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership (FHSCP), is keen to hear directly about your experiences. This is an opportunity to share what matters most to you, highlight what is working well, and help shape improvements for carers and the people you support.

To attend this consultation, please register here by 10 am on Wednesday 11 February.

Meeting details:
📅 Friday 13 February 2026
⏰ From 10 am to 12 noon
📍 At the Carers Centre in Falkirk or via Zoom
a person taking a survey in the background, the Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership is seeking carers views by 15 Feb

Consultation: Falkirk Carers Strategy

Falkirk Carers, help shape the next Carers Strategy!

Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership (FHSCP) are seeking initial insights from carers to help identify key priorities for the next Falkirk Carers Strategy (2026 – 2029). 

The strategy sets out how unpaid carers will be identified and supported, and how carers’ rights will be protected under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016. This survey is for carers only. A wider programme of public engagement will take place soon as part of the Falkirk HSCP Strategic Plan engagement activity. 

The Partnership thanks you for taking the time to share your views, as it will help them create a strategy that is realistic, achievable, and shaped by carers’ voices.

Take the survey here by Sunday 15 February: Shaping the Future for Carers in Falkirk

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 – January to February

Our new programme has now been released!

Come along to learn about topics that can help you with your caring role. 

Tuesday 20 January 2026: Welcome Back – Burns Day

Let’s start our 2026 program with a toast to the anniversary of the poet Robert Burns’ birth, one of our most famous and celebrated Scots. Our local historian Ian Scott will join us to share interesting tales of the Bard, followed by a Burns lunch.

Tuesday 27 January 2026: Dementia & Delirium

Delirium is common in people with dementia and can make them increasingly confused and distressed. Learn to recognise the signs and what you can do to help someone feel calmer and more in control. Find out how delirium is treated and what to expect during recovery.

Tuesday 03 February 2026: Digital Switchover

Landlines are changing, and the UK’s telephone network is going digital. By January 2027, the old analogue network will be completely switched off and replaced by new digital landlines, which will work using broadband. Come along to find out how this could affect you and any telecare devices you may use, such as personal alarms, pendant alarms, and home care monitoring systems.

Tuesday 10 February 2026: A guide to driving safer for longer

Your car needs an MOT—shouldn’t mature drivers have a similar check-up?
As we age, changes such as declining eyesight, slower reaction times, and the effects of medication can impact driving ability. To help mature drivers stay safe on the road, Road Safety Scotland has launched a new campaign: “A Guide to Driving Safely for Longer.”
Join us to learn about the legal requirements and discover practical steps you can take to keep driving confidently and safely for as long as possible.

You can download the programme leaflet 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 falkirk carers voice on 26th January from 10 am in the Carers Centre

Invitation to January Falkirk Carers’ Voice

Falkirk Carers, help shape Carers Strategy in 2026 and beyond!

Come along to have your say!

Join us to speak with Jennifer Faichney, Policy and Research Officer at the Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership, about your needs as a carer and what you consider a priority for Falkirk’s carers.

Meeting details:
📅 Monday 26 January 2026
⏰ From 10 am to 12 noon
📍 At the Carers Centre in Falkirk or via Zoom

Register for the event here: 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/