invitation to information session for those working in the Falkirk district

Information Session for Professionals

Would you recognise an unpaid carer?

Come along to network and learn about what we do, how you can identify and signpost unpaid carers for support!

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 24 September
⏰ย From 10.30 am to 12.30 pm
📍 Carers Centre, 1a Bank Street or via Zoom

Register for the event here!ย 

⁉️ ย 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 Dementia Consultation

Consultation: Dementia – Services and Support

Do you care for someone with a dementia diagnosis and live in Falkirk?

If so, you are invited to this consultation. We would encourage you to join even if you havenโ€™t attended any the previous ones, asย 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 talk about how carersโ€™ views and feedback shared in the last few sessions have shaped improvements in the accident and emergency department.

Please register by 1 pm on Tuesday 15 September; however,ย if you require a translator, please let us know at least 2 weeks in advance.

Details:
📅 Thursday 17 September 2026
⏰ 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 – September

Our new programme has now been released!

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

Tuesday 8 September 2026: Welfare Benefits Overview

Lyn McKay, Welfare Benefits Adviser, Citizens Advice Bureau, will give us an overview of different benefits, including working-age benefits and older adult benefits, with an opportunity to ask any questions you may have relating to welfare benefits.

Tuesday 15 September 2026: Canine Partners

William Holmes, Volunteer at Canine Partners, will be joining us to talk about the many incredible ways assistance dogs transform the lives of their Partners; not just making them more independent, but helping them gain confidence, socialise and take their place in society. Assistance dogs are trained to meet the needs of individuals with a physical disability or condition affecting their daily life and limiting their independence.

Tuesday 22 September 2026: Bowel Cancer UK Awareness Session

This session will be delivered by Bowel Cancer UK. You will learn important information about bowel cancer, including the prevalence of bowel cancer, the six most common signs and symptoms, and risk factors. Youโ€™ll also learn about the NHS bowel screening programme and the importance of taking part. There will also be an opportunity to ask any questions you might have.

Tuesday 29 September 2026: Caring for Smiles – NHS Forth Valley

Louise Balfour, Oral Health Central Nurse, NHS Forth Valley will talk about the importance of oral health. Did you know problems in the mouth can affect the rest of your body? Are you aware of different toothbrushes available to clean the mouth and teeth? Join us to find out more.

You can download the latest CwC programme leaflet from here.

To register for any of the sessions above, please click here.

For more information, please contact your Training Co-ordinator:

👩ย  Carly Crooks – Working hours: Monday โ€“ Thursday
📱 07563 391108
📧 carlycrooks@centralcarers.co.uk
Invitation to fill out falkirk carers strategy online consultation

Online Consultation: Falkirk Carers Strategy

Have Your Say on Falkirk Carers Strategy

Share your experience and help shape the future of unpaid carers in Falkirk!

Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership are developing a new Falkirk Carers Strategy. Your feedback will help shape the final strategy and how progress is measured over the coming years.

Please follow the link to share your views: Falkirk Carers Strategy | Participate+

The consultation will be open until Sunday 13 September.

invitation to consultation with NHS Forth Valley about their Quality, Safety and Experience Plan

NHS Forth Valley Quality, Safety and Experience Plan

Help shape the future of NHS Forth Valley services!

Your feedback will help ensure the Plan reflects local needs and priorities.

NHS Forth Valley is developing a new Quality, Safety & Experience Plan to support the delivery of their 10-year Population Health and Care Strategy. This Plan will set out how they will continue to improve the quality, safety and experience of everyone who uses NHS Forth Valleyโ€™s services.

We will welcome Jennifer Brisbane, Knowledge Facilitator and Lucy Atalla, Quality Improvement Advisor from NHS Forth Valley, who are seeking your help to shape this new plan. This consultation session will provide an opportunity to discuss the emerging priorities for the Plan, share your experiences and perspectives, and help shape the actions they take to improve quality, safety and experience across NHS Forth Valley. They would like to hear what is working well, where improvements are needed, and what matters most to you. Your feedback will help ensure the final Plan reflects local needs and priorities and is informed by the people who use, deliver and support their services.

There will also be further opportunities to contribute throughout the development process to ensure local feedback is reflected in the final plan.

Details:

🙋For unpaid carers in the Falkirk district, who are registered with the Carers Centre
📅 Monday 7 September 2026
⏰ From 10 am to 12 noon
📍 In person at the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre or via Zoom
Register for the event here.
imagery to describe the post is about minutes for any consultation that took place with Falkirk carers in 2026.

Minutes for consultations with Falkirk Carers

Here you can find all the minutes for consultations with Falkirk carers that took place in 2026.

These meetings provide a great opportunity for carers to meet with other carers, representatives from local authorities, and other third sector organisations. Carers can share their views and experiences to help shape local and national carer support, and learn about useful services, as well as important updates that may impact their caring role. For minutes from the monthly Carers’ Voice meetings, please go to our Publications page.

If you’d like to join upcoming carer consultations, please email Sharlene Ramage, Carer Participation Development Worker, sharleneramage@centralcarers.co.uk.

Date Guest Organisation Topic Link to minutes Progress Updates
20.08.26 Expected Guest Speaker was Primary Care Mental Health Team Leader from Falkirk Community Hospital Services, Support, and hearing carers’ experiences and views Minutes
06.08.26 Hourglass Services and Support for older people experiencing abuse Minutes
31.07.26 University of the West of Scotland Research – Behind the Scenes: Understanding the role of unpaid carers looking after people affected by alcohol and other drug use Minutes
23.07.26 NHS Forth Valley Dementia: Post diagnostic support resources Minutes
18.06.26 NHS Forth Valley, Chief Executive Improvements to Hospital Services Minutes
09.06.26 Social Security Scotland Benefits Minutes
01.06.26 Woodlands Resource Centre (NHS The Bungalows) Mental Health Services for those aged 18-65 Minutes
28.05.26 Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership Changes to Integrated Discharge and Care at Home Services Minutes
21.05.26 Scottish Government and NHS Forth Valley Vaccines: Flu, Covid, RSV Minutes
14.05.26 NHS Forth Valley Dementia: Sensory Changes Minutes
07.05.26 University of Stirling Nursing Programme Minutes
24.04.26 Falkirk Councilโ€™s Children with Disabilities Social Work Team Services and Support Minutes
12.03.26 NHS Forth Valley Discharge Process & Medication Minutes
05.03.26 No guest CONSOLIDATE Network Research Minutes CONSOLIDATE Research Report – July 2026
13.02.26 Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership Hospital Discharge & Care at Home Services Minutes

 

invitation to falkirk carers' voice on monday 24 august

August Falkirk Carers’ Voice

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 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

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

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

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.