Carers Courier

Carers Courier The Newsletter of Swansea Carers Centre

Issue 2 - 2019

In this issue....

Dear Carer Carers Assessments Carers Cwtsh Volunteer news Time for Change

p3 p5 p11 p12 p14

Making a positive difference—to 1 —carers’ lives across Swansea

Our Vision

Is there someone who cannot manage without your help? If so, then you are a Carer and you’re not alone.

is to live in a society where:

Swansea Carers Centre aims to give much needed support and information to carers across Swansea by providing welfare benefit advice, access to grants and special funds, a counselling service, advocacy services, respite care, volunteering opportunities, carers’ mutual support groups, training, consultation opportunities and social occasions. All our services are confidential.

Swansea Carers Centre is a specialist voluntary organisation providing support to carers across the City & County of Swansea. We support all carers of those with an illness or disability including learning disability, mental health problems, addiction, physical disability, dementia and other long term limiting illnesses.

Swansea Carers Centre

104 Mansel Street, Swansea, SA1 5UE

01792 653344

www.swanseacarerscentre.org.uk Office Opening Times: Monday to Friday: 11am-4pm (lines open 9am-4.30pm) Answer phone service available out of hours Personal Callers: 11am-4pm Email: admin@swanseacarerscentre.org.uk Twitter: @Swansea Carers

• The role and contribution that carers make to their families and to society is recognised.

• Carers have access to appropriate support to sustain them in their caring role.

• Carers are respected as equal and expert partners in the planning and delivery of care.

Our Mission

is to make a positive difference to the lives of carers We will do this by working in partnership with statutory and voluntary organisations and by acting independently in the interest of carers throughout the City & County of Swansea.

To join our FREE e-mail list to receive the Courier & other information via e-mail please contact: info@swanseacarerscentre.org.uk ChARiTy nO: 1108865 COMPAny nO: 5352055

The Courier

This newsletter is produced by Swansea Carers Centre. Whilst Swansea Carer Centre has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the information is correct at the time of publication, responsibility cannot be accepted by Swansea Carers Centre for errors, omissions or misleading statements.

The Courier is circulated to over 3,500 carers across the City & County of Swansea. If you would like to receive this newsletter then please contact us. Alternatively if you no longer wish to receive The Courier then please let is know.

For latest news visit www.swanseacarerscentre.org

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Dear Carer or Friends of Swansea Carers Centre . . .

Those of you who will have been associated with the Centre for the past few years will know that we always get involved in the Carers Rights Days and actively organise events to promote and support the rights of carers. This year will be no different.

Carers Rights Day November 21st Having the right information at the right time can make all the difference when you’re looking after someone.

Each year we get involved with Carers Rights Day to help carers in their local community know their rights and find out how to get the help and support they are entitled to. An important part is also to promote the work of carers and raise awareness.

This year Swansea Carers Centre with partners, are planning a conference focusing on your rights to CARERS ASSESSMEnTS. Our aim is to increase awareness of carers rights, and in particular, the right to have their own needs assessed - something which is enshrined in law. The Welsh Government legislated (2016) to ensure that carers who need support to undertake their role as a carer are assessed and their needs identified. Our society would not cope without carers and we would be seeing our health and social care services on their knees if it was not for the efforts of millions of carers in this country.

DUTy On lOCAl AUThORiTy A local authority must: • Offer an assessment to any carer where it appears to that authority that the carer may have needs for support .

• Assess whether the carer has needs for support (or is likely to do so in the future) and if they do, what those needs are likely to be.

This is probably the most important piece of legislation concerning carers in Wales, and it is sad to hear that carer’s access to such assessments varies from one area to another. As an organisation committed to promoting the needs and rights of carers we are committed to supporting carers to have their needs assessed, and we are willing to support anybody seeking an assessment or unhappy with the outcome of an assessment. I would invite any carer who wants to know more about Carers Assessment to get in touch with the Centre and watch out for further information about our CARERS ASSESSMEnT COnFEREnCE which we will be holding on November 21st.

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY – SWANSEA CONFERENCE CARERS ASSESSMEnTS – yOUR RiGhT

21.11.19 MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW SOON . . . . . . MANYLION I DDILYN YN FUAN —3—

Carers of people living with Dementia or someone showing signs of memory loss We are delighted to have been awarded further funding for our service specifically for carers of people living with dementia, or showing signs of dementia. Over the past 9 months the service has provided ongoing support to over 250 Carers. Carers’ emotional, practical, social, information and training needs have been met by staff at Swansea Carers Centre and by agencies and statutory organisations who are joint working on the project.

We’ve held a number of information and ‘training’ sessions. Carers have different information and support needs at different time points. The information is staged so that carers aren’t overwhelmed with too much information all at once. Sessions have ranged from helping people to recognise the initial signs and symptoms of dementia and pathways to diagnosis, assistive technologies within the home, and understanding the progression of dementia. The ‘Virtual Dementia Bus’ was described by one carer as “mind blowing.....it’s helped me understand the fear and frustration that my husband is going through”.

Carers often talk about the stress, conflicting emotions, loneliness and isolation that their care role brings.

The drop - in at the Carers Cwtsh has addressed these feelings that people encounter. Every Tuesday afternoon (1pm-3pm) carers are encouraged to share their experiences with fellow carers and have an opportunity to speak to staff about any issues and concerns affecting them. Most importantly, carers are encouraged to have ‘Me Time’...and give themselves permission to have Fun and Laughter too......YOU DESERVE IT! So far, we’ve enjoyed Music Massage and Mocktails’, holistic therapies, armchair exercises, pet therapy, pampering, and Poems and Pimms at our Cwtsh. That’s just the beginning, there’s a lot more to come over the coming weeks as the ‘Over 60 Carers Club ‘ join us. Carers quote 1 “The Cwtsh has become my safe place, it’s where I come to have a laugh. It’s given me confidence, to the point , I chose it as the venue to have my head shaved for a charity sponsorship”. Carer quote 2 “I find myself bottling things up, until I can let it all out on Tuesday afternoons”. If you haven’t done so already, please pop into your Cwtsh.....where companionship and understanding prevails.

The service also offers temporary carers breaks during times of emergency, hospital and work appointments, gaps whilst waiting for statutory services to come to fruition, or when you need that extra time to concentrate on your own health and well being. The break could be a ‘home sit’, a companion to accompany the cared for to community activities or longer respite options. If you are already receiving other respite services, the service is still available to you when you need extra time for yourself.

“You get used to coping on your own. When I took my wife out of the day centre because I was worried about the charges I just thought I’d have to struggle on. Since having help from the Carers Centre, my wife goes to Topic House, and we both go to the memory choir and Forget me Not. I’ve been supported in getting a grant for an adapted bathroom and I have an appointment for a Carers Assessment” R.T

“ “

“I was tired of bringing up issues with agencies, Swansea Carers did my talking for me. They are helping me to look up options on the Cwtsh lap top to help me move house. I’ve taken part in a CADR group to improve help for Carers and I’ve been given companionship respite care for my husband so I can attend Carers activities at the drop in” J.T.

For support, information or an informal chat please contact: Irene Mortimer Dementia Coordinator for Carers 01792 653344 / irenemortimer@swanseacarerscentre.org.uk —4—

Carers Assessments The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2016 outlines the way social services are delivered in Wales. The Act makes a Carer’s Assessment a legal entitlement for all carers in Wales.

WHAT IS A CARERS ASSESSMENT? A Carer’s Assessment is the first stage for carers to access help and support for themselves and the person they care for. It is your opportunity to discuss with the local council how caring affects your life, what support services you need whether you are able or willing to carry on caring.

The local council may combine your Carers Assessment with the Assessment of person you care for - but this should only be done with your permission.

WHO CAN HAVE A CARERS ASSESSMENT? You can have a Carers Assessment regardless of the amount or type of care you provide, your financial means or the level of support you may need.

• You are entitled to an assessment whether or not you live with the person who you care for.

• If you are sharing caring responsibilities with any other person including a child under 18, you are each entitled to an assessment in your own right.

• You can still have a Carers Assessment regardless of whether the person you care for has had their own assessment - even if the local council has decided that they are not eligible for support.

WHEN CAN YOU HAVE A CARERS ASSESSMENT? As soon as it appears to a local council that you may have needs for support - or are likely to do so in the future - they must offer you an assessment. You can call the Local Authority and ask to be assessed anytime.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE A CARERS ASSESSMENT? The aim of the assessment is to help you get the support you need. Assessments must include: • How much care you are able and willing to provide - and if you want to continue to provide it.

• The outcomes you wish to achieve in your own life.

• Whether you wish to work or want to participate in education, training, or leisure activities.

• The local authority must involve you in the assessment process.

WHAT CAN A CARERS ASSESSMENT DO FOR YOU? The support you receive could be for you as the carer or, if appropriate, the person that you care for.

• Direct payments • A place at a day centre • Respite care You can call Social Services yourself and request a Carers Assessment, the contact details are:Social Services for Adults • Common Access Point: 01792 636519 / CAP@swansea.gov.uk • Child and Family (Information, Advice and Assistance): 01792 635700 (for initial enquiries, referrals and to request a carers assessment) 01792 635180 (if your case is open to a Social Worker, you can request a carers assessment via them) Also you can contact the Swansea Carers Centre and we can make a referral on your behalf contact: 01792 653344

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Pare nt Care r Sup po r t a t Swa n se a Carers Centre The parent of a child with a disability or mental health issue will not immediately identify themselves as a carer.

However, the extra responsibilities that come with this form of caring can often have a long-term effect on the parent. At Swansea Carers Centre, we're on hand to offer advice, support and advocacy to parent carers with dependent children. This could be via our parent carer support groups or by seeking advice from our parent carer support worker.

for an informal meet-up, giving them the chance to learn, support and share their stories. Oh and enjoy a coffee and some cake! Some sessions will be relaxed, providing space for you to meet others with similar experiences to yourself over some tea or coffee, but we will also be running some training and information courses related to specific issues parent carers are facing. Details of our full monthly schedule below:

Our parent carer support worker is available to support parent carers with anything from meetings with professionals, helping to ensure that you and/or your child is accessing all the support you are entitled to, and is available to signpost you to various organisations that would be able to help you and your family. Please feel free to just ring up; she would love to meet you at the support groups at the Carers Cwtsh or you can book in for a one-to-one appointment.

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We host our coffee mornings from 10am to 12pm every Tuesday, at our Carers Cwtsh. Each week we welcome a different group of parent carers with similar experiences

First Tuesday of the month: Parent carers of adult children

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Second Tuesday of the month: Parent carers of children aged 0 to 5 years old

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Third Tuesday of the month: Parent carers of children aged 5 to 12 years old

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Fourth Tuesday of the month: Parent carers of children aged 12 to 18 years old

We recently conducted a survey to measure the health and well-being of parent carers after using the parent carer service here at the Carers Centre. All respondents who have attended the parent carer groups said that they found it beneficial to meet with others in similar situations. Meeting and connecting with other people who can relate to your circumstances, can often reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. Parents have said that attending the support group was one of the only times they get to have a laugh, and that it has really helped to speak to other parent carers who are going through a similar set of circumstances. 100% of people also stated that they would use the parent carer service again if needed, and 100% said they would recommend the service to others in similar situations.

“

I cannot thank you enough for all your support; I would not have been able to attend a number of meetings without you.

Having you speak on my behalf really helped me.

“ “

I feel that the staff are very knowledgeable, easy to approach and very supportive.

It was great because the worker gave me a huge amount of information.

I could pick and choose the bits which were most relevant to me, and could then call on the other information when needed. This made searching through reels of information stress-free, as I had all the appropriate information in one email from the worker.

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You n g Adu l t Carers

Very proud to announce our Alex Atkins who has won the “Outstanding youth Worker of The year” Award at this Welsh Government youth Work Excellence Awards on 28th July, for all she has done running the young Adult Carers Project at Swansea Carers Centre #youthWorkWales

liz Rees, our hospital Outreach officer and Alex Atkins our young Adult Carer’s project coordinator attended the 50th anniversary celebrations of Swansea's status as a city in the presence of hRh the Prince of Wales and hRh the Duchess of Cornwall at Victoria Gardens yesterday.

Alex, was presented to hRh The Duchess of Cornwall, where she offered kind words of support to the work we do at Swansea Carers centre supporting Unpaid Carers throughout Swansea. This was a proud day for the organisation!

The Young Adult Carers (YACs) project here at the carers centre is for young people aged 16-25 who are an unpaid carer for a loved one. We offer one to one support, trips and activities as well as two youth clubs per month to give the YACs a break from their caring roles.

Support offered will depend on their own specific needs and the nature of their caring role(s). The project gives emotional as well as practical support to help them deal with the daily struggles in their caring role(s).

One YAC stated how the emotional support has benefited them, "it gives me a chance, to get a lot off my chest and helps me have a more clear mind".

This year the Young Adult Carers have been to various events and activities including a dog therapy session, attending the Welsh Assembly, having a voice on issues regarding Young Adult Carers, Oldwalls afternoon tea as well as walk down Gower to name but a few. They have also attended workshops regarding finance, CVs, wellbeing and their futures with Carers Trust Wales in partnership with Barclays Lifeskills.

The YAC project ensures to provide support and referrals to other services, as extra avenues of support.

The project is a lifeline to these young adults, giving them an opportunity to be 'Young again' as a lot of them have had to grow up faster than their peers due to their caring roles.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the funders of the project for their support, as well as Carers Trust ‘Getting together’ grant and Morriston Ladies Golf for their kind donation.

If you want more information give Alex Atkins a call on 01792 653344 or email

alex@swanseacarerscentre.org.uk —7—

Carers’ Mind, Body & Spirit Training We were glad to receive continuation funding in April for our mind, body & spirit activities thanks to Henry Smith Charity and the Community Foundation Wales.Since then we have provided 73 sessions - 33 training activities and 40 holistic therapies – for 98 carers. We couldn’t have done this without our excellent trainers and dedicated holistic therapy volunteers, who are all 100% committed to working with carers – thank you all so much ☺

Time out – a little me time…of not having a million thoughts rushing round my head, i.e pick up medication, rush to hospitals etc. Many thanks. (Carer)

“

Thank you also to everyone who completed our training survey in May/June, we will be using the results to plan future training.

So far we have run training in Mindfulness, Gentle Flow Yoga, Sing Yourself Happy, Yoga Nidra, Mixed Media, 3 Principles, Felting, Drawing, Painting plus 7 Creative Friday drop in sessions.100% carers said they had learnt new skills and would recommend our training to other carers, 93% reported feeling less stressed, while 98% feel better able to manage their caring role.

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Can’t believe I can hold a note – oh joy! Managed to concentrate on songs and forget about home life. (Carer, Sing Yourself Happy)

We look forward to our next autumn courses - more Mindfulness, African Drumming, Yoga and 3 Principles.

If you’d like to book a place please ring Ali on 653344 / ali@swanseacarerscentre.org.uk

Caring from the Inside Out: 3 Principles for Carers

By Alex Waters, 3 Principles Facilitator & Wellbeing Coach www.3principleswales.com The ‘Caring from the Inside Out’ courses have been run with Swansea Carers Centre for the last four years and it has been such a privilege to share the 3 Principles understanding with adult and young adult carers during this time.The course runs weekly for 2 hours over a six week period and during that time it

is my pleasure to create a safe and welcoming space for carers to relax and connect with one another whilst learning about the 3 Principles - Mind, Thought and Consciousness. They may sound very vague and slightly “fluffy” but actually these principles are simple, practical and profound! They explain how we create our experience of life moment-by-moment, both our good days and bad

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days and everything in between!The most helpful thing about the Principles is that they point us ‘back home’ – to who and what we all really are. We are not our thoughts! We are the creative energy behind any thought that we may notice or not notice. And each thought is experienced by us through the feeling that accompanies it in that moment. So we are only ever just feeling our thinking in the

moment! Our experience of life happens from the inside-out (the 3 Principles understanding is sometimes also referred to as the Inside-Out understanding). Once we really see the implications of this, everything starts to change…we don’t need to take our thoughts and feelings quite so seriously – and we become more aware of the quiet presence of our wisdom behind all our busy thinking.

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What the 3 Principles mean to me: I am more aware of my thoughts and as a sufferer of anxiety, I can now (8 out of 10 times) catch my feelings, and thoughts that exacerbate them. I can now realize that they are just thoughts. Every day is a new day, a new way to see things, a new approach. Once you have the 3 Principles in your life and understand them you can never go back. (Carer, Swansea) We all have wisdom hard-wired into our very being!

It has always been with us, always will be, and can never be damaged/taken/lost. We tend to know this but we forget it most of the time – because we get swept up in feeling that our thoughts are true. When our thoughts are anxious, overwhelmed, resentful, fearful, angry, etc… that is how we will feel in that moment. However, these feeling states will change as the thoughts change – this is why you may feel absolutely at the end of your tether one hour but maybe after a walk/time alone/the distraction of a chore or hobby, you feel you can cope again. Your thoughts had time to move on, and so the feeling moves on too. Our wisdom is always trying to communicate with us through Insight…those ‘lightbulb’ moments that suddenly come to us where we just know what to do in the next moment. We just know. You can call it common sense, intuition, a gut feeling, whatever…it is still wisdom. When I teach young children about their wisdom – they get it faster than the adults!

For carers this understanding can be especially helpful as you may have little time to ever ‘catch up with yourself’. If your mind is always busy with caring for others it can be a challenge to safeguard your

“

own mental and emotional health. The 3 Principles understanding helps us really see what’s going on when we feel overwhelmed…we’re just feeling some overwhelmed thoughts (and it feels absolutely real!).

Our circumstances are never the real issue (that would be outside-in!). It’s our thoughts about our circumstances that we’re feeling. So, we never actually need our circumstances to change for us to feel a different way…this is great news! Everything you need to feel happy, peaceful, loved, free, connected, creative, etc, is already within you. It IS you. There is nothing that needs to be fixed – we are all far more OK than we ever realize!The Caring from the Inside Out courses are an invitation to just show up, settle, and see what you see! The group process itself often fosters some deep connections between the group members and a real sense of mutual support and community. Swansea Carers Centre was the first organisation in Wales to host 3 Principles groups (thanks to Ali!) and I am delighted that so many carers are finding it so transformative. I have a particular passion for supporting those who care for others – you can read more at www.3principleswales.com. [I also offer individual 3 Principles Coaching to carers for a discounted price of £40 (usually £60) per hour].

I now have new ideas about coping with my caring situation. New confidence and inner strength to carry on. New belief in myself and my abilities.

(Carer, Swansea)

Swansea Carers Centre 104 Mansel Street, Swansea, SA1 5UE

/Swansea-Carers-Centre

Tel: 01792 653344 E-mail: admin@swanseacarerscentre.org.uk

@SwanseaCarers —9—

Kathryn Bids the Carer’s Centre Farewell It was with very mixed emotions that we said Goodbye to Kathryn at a party in her honour on Thursday 5th September.

As many of you will know Kathryn has been a member of staff here for 20 years - that is a lot of years spent trying to make the lives of carers a little easier by ensuring they claim the benefits to which they are entitled, however in the early years of the Carer’s Centre the job was so much more than that – as were the jobs of the rest of the staff at the Centre.

As we had not yet secured more funding to offer more services and more choice to Carers, the staff often found themselves trying to meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable of carers doing the best they could under the most difficult of circumstances. So they were very challenging years but were very happy years and the challenges were always met with a sense of humour and a determination to get the best deal for carers. As Kathryn remarked during her leaving party – “those early years were the vision for what was needed to try and support carers as fully as possible – meeting some of those previously unmet needs”.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since those early years and the work of the Carer’s Centre goes on, but we feel it is important to recognize the part that Kathryn has played in her years at the centre – first as benefits advisor and then as Deputy Director.

Kathryn has decided to hang up her benefits advisor’s hat and retire to spend more time with her children Sarah and Patrick and her grandsons Oliver and Elliot – not forgetting that Kathryn is still a carer for her Dad!!

We all wish you much happiness for Kathryn in the future and I’m sure we speak for all the carers you have helped during your time at the Centre. “ You will be missed.”

Swansea Carers Forum As part of Swansea Carers Centre's efforts to ensure that your views are heard, we're glad to be setting up a Swansea Carers Forum.

The initial meeting took place in March and we teamed up with Dynamix for the second session in September, to help carers plan what they want the forum to look like, what support they need from us and how it will develop.

New members always welcome! Particularly if you are a sandwich carer or parent carer Yours views count and we do want to support you in setting up a forum that stands up for the needs and rights of carers in Swansea.

For more information please contact Swansea Carers Centre (01792) 653344 — 10 —

CARERS CWTSH The Cwtsh, a new initiative by Swansea Carers Centre was officially opened on March 6th by the Welsh Government Minister Julie Morgan AM. The Cwtsh is a resource aimed at carers who feel alone and socially isolated and is a Carers Centre resource which seeks to offer facilities for individual carers and carer groups to meet and engage with the Carers Centre or seek advice and support as needed.

Why develop the Carers Cwtsh ?

Most of the services run by the Carers Centre have historically been delivered from other venues due to the unsuitability of the current premises. It was felt by staff and through feedback from carers that it would be beneficial for carers in Swansea to have an informal drop in type service but also to have most of its activities and services delivered from one venue. Having developed and presented a business case to the Carers Centre Board of Trustees, we were fortunate to receive their support and an investment by them to establish the service. Without their vision and support this service would not have happened. As an organisation we appreciate the investment to establish the service and its now down to the Carers Centre staff and carers to show the service is needed.

Since that launch in March (although, we had managed to get up and running before then), The Carers Cwtsh has become a cornerstone of what we are able to offer carers in Swansea and the numbers of old and new carers have been encouraging as has the increase in numbers of volunteers we have seen since the beginning of the year.

The Cwtsh now has a busy weekly schedule which is a mixture of new and old groups such as Book club, mental health group, parent carer group, Dementia group, Chinese parents group and Young Adult Carers. Various activities are also run from the centre.

At a recent review one of the issues highlighted was the need to develop a session for male carers which seem to be underrepresented. It is our aim to develop something before the end of the year ( please let us know if you want to be involved in any way)

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All the members of the group without exception have commented that it has enhanced their experience of being part of this group and all would like to see more activities being added in the future.

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Swansea Carers Centre Volunteers It has been a really busy time for our volunteers during the Spring and Summer. The Carers Cwtsh opened, with our team of Cwtsh volunteers having completed induction. We had a Volunteers Indoor picnic for our Spring Volunteer Forum, in which we made plans for an autumn trip. Since then each of the groups of project-based volunteers, Ty Conway, Carers Cwtsh and Youth Club, have met to discuss how things are going within their individual projects.

However, it hasn’t been all work; we also had a Murder Mystery Volunteer Social in the Carers Cwtsh. What a fun evening! And Swansea Carers Choir led a workshop for our volunteers, so they can tell carers about the choir.

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We also welcomed our first Erasmus placement student Anna Rybicka, from Poland, who spent 2 months volunteering at Ty Conway, and at the Dementia Drop In at the Carers Cwtsh. Read about her experience below! The Erasmus programme (short for European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) is an initiative that provides opportunities for students to study or gain work experience in different European countries whilst completing their degree.

So as we move into Autumn there will be the autumn volunteer trip, our volunteer training (programme to be published soon), the autumn forum and volunteer meetings.

As ever a HUGE thank you to our volunteers for their ongoing support, we couldn’t manage without you, and all you bring to Swansea Carers Centre.

MEET OUR VOLUNTEERS ––––––––––––––

60 seconds with Anna Rybicka What do you do as a volunteer?

I volunteer at Swansea Carers Centre Day Centre, Ty Conway, and at the Cwtsh Dementia Drop In, as an Erasmus placement.

How did you first get involved?

I was hoping to find somewhere that could give me experience to correspond with my studies as a psychology student; and could offer an Erasumus Placement for an overseas student (from Poland) over the summer.

What difference has volunteering made to you?

Volunteering has built my confidence for sure.

Relationship-building with people is a benefit of volunteering. I’m learning about client and professional relations through volunteering in a way that I can’t during lectures at university.

What difference has volunteering made to others?

The difference is for the carers who are getting respite through the day centre.

Can you describe volunteering in one sentence?

“Both organisations and volunteers benefit from volunteering so it’s a win – win situation!!!!”

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Time for Change It is estimated that there are up to 1.5 million people in the UK caring for a friend or relative with a Mental Health Condition. (Carers Trust 2013) These conditions range from caring for someone with a learning disability, (e.g.

Autism) a functional mental health condition (e.g. schizophrenia) or an organic mental health condition (e.g.

Dementia). The challenges are similar to those caring for someone with a physical illness or disability but the sheer unpredictability of a mental health condition puts a carer on ‘watch’ 24/7 suffering sleepless nights, exhaustion, a forfeiting of a social life and juggling their needs with those of the person they care for.

Many Carers and service users have expressed their frustration in trying to access services, delays in assessment and diagnosis and their biggest beef?

No-one listens to them!!

‘Every time we are involved in a service change we are asked for our views but no-one really listens and we are never included in the final decision making process – lip service really just to tick a box’

Things get solved when YOU get involved!

Do you use Mental Health Services in Swansea or perhaps you care for a family member or friend with Mental Health issues?

Is the support from NHS Mental Health Services in Swansea meeting your needs.

We need to hear from you!

Join us for a workshop at ‘The Theatre’ in the YMCA, 1 The Kingsway, Swansea SA1 5JQ, that will use real life feedback and your views and experiences to inform an action plan for Swansea based NHS Mental Health Services.

Friday April 26th, 10am-3pm Bufffet lunch provided, information stands, pampering ng session. To To register your interest please contact Liz Rees on 01792 653344 (Swansea Carers Centre), John Willey lley y on 07970 436214 (Hafal) or Kay John Williams on 07967 329401

Well things were about to change!

Over the last 2 years the Hospital Outreach Project has been involved with the Service User and Carer Participation Group held in Cefn Coed chaired by Maria Anderton Head of Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing Swansea Locality. Its purpose to involve service users and carers meaningfully in all aspects of service provision, improve communication and involvement of families and improve person centred care. Carers have already contributed to scrutinizing the usefulness of literature given to families of patients admitted to Ysbryd Y Coed and made some very valid changes. Challenging practices or actions related to poor cultures of care was going to be a harder nut to crack! However, Swansea Bay University Health Board (SBUHB) was committed to doing a Listening Event with Staff, people and carers who use services. This commitment followed on from work in 2018 supported by the NHS Delivery unit that looked at making better use of feedback regarding NHS services. So in collaboration with ourselves and HAFAL a ‘Listening Event’ took place on 26th April 2019 at the YMCA. Over fifty people attended including Carers , people who used services, service reps and Swansea Bay Health Board Staff. The Health Board presented the following:

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a) They shared anonymised ‘real’ feedback about Swansea Bay Health Board (HB) Inpatient mental health services (these are the wards in Cefn Coed hospital). Feedback included actual complaints, compliments, incident forms and internal and external review forms. b) Invited people who attended the event to comment on what went well, what was positive about the feedback, what needed to be improved and key themes. c) For people who attended to use the information to suggest improvements and actions that the HB could then communicate to its services to shape addressing improvements or continuing good practice.

Let me tell you no-one held back and the voices of all were heard loud and clear. As one Carer said to me ‘I really felt I was part of something important and for once my opinion was important, I felt people were listening to me and not just waiting to reply’ The proof of the pudding will be in the eating and we had the best ‘ingredients’ on the day. However the best way to test the quality is to taste it rather than admire its appearance, but I am confident that this event and working together in the future will bring about change and give service users, families and carers a voice and equal footing in the health arena.

The full report plus what the SBUHB intend to do next with all the information gathered is available on the following link: www.swanseacarerscentre.org.uk/publications My thanks to all who participated and to the SBUHB for hosting the event.

Liz Rees

Hospital Outreach Worker

The welfare benefits service at Swansea Carers Centre raised over £3.6 million for carers and their cared fors in Swansea last year.

We offer benefit checks, help to complete all Department of Work and Pensions benefit forms such as Attendance Allowance, carers allowance, disability living allowance, Personal independence payment and support families to claim Universal credit. We also help families to complete tax credit renewals, applications for housing benefit and council tax reduction as well as the more unusual benefits like industrial injuries benefits and bereavement benefits.

We recognise that completing forms is a very stressful and difficult task for carers and their families and by offering this help and support we try to make accessing the benefit system a simple and less stressful experience for the carers and their cared fors.

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Are you the parent of a child with a disability?

Are you a parent who cares for an older relative or friend?

Are you finding it hard to manage work and your caring role?

If you answered yes to any of these questions please get in touch to see how we can help.

Information Bespoke training Skills for your caring role Suppor t Groups Work development Carer Awareness tr aining

The Helping Family Carers project is designed and coproduced by carers for carers – this means that we can provide the tailored, personal support you need at the right time to make a difference.

Taking part is easy – come along to one of our support groups, training sessions, through our online surveys or by calling in for a one to one chat.

your project, your choice!

We can help with respite or child care by paying for an existing service you use, or by reimbursing the time of a relative or friend.

Are you part of the ‘sandwich generation’?

More and more parents are combining looking after a dependent child under the age of 18 with caring for an adult relative or friend- this is sometimes called ‘sandwich caring’. However this dual role can sometimes come at a cost and carers may suffer from ill health, face difficulties to access or stay in the labour market or experience financial hardship.

There is increasing awareness of this ‘sandwich generation’, however it is difficult to get a clear understanding of the demands, concerns and support needs of caring for more than one generation and the impact on modern families.

If you are a Sandwich carer and would like to know more about the services that are available to support you please get in touch or to join our Sandwich Carer coffee mornings! (Fridays 10am – 12pm at the Carers Cwtsh, Mansel Street, Swansea)

Contact: Angela@swanseacarerscentre.org.uk or Leanne@swanseacarerscentre.org.uk

Tel: 01792 653344 — 16 —