PKAVS Carers Hub Winter Newsletter 2022

CEO MESSAGE

I am very pleased and proud to be joining as CEO with such a thriving organisation that can really make a difference to people’s lives. I was CEO for Wellbeing Scotland for 15 years and I am very passionate about mental wellbeing. In total I have worked in the sector for 30 years and I have worked in many different fields including physical health and disability, substance misuse, trauma, and overseas development. I hope to meet many of the people that we support. I am really looking forward to working alongside Raymond and his team.

Janine Rennie PKAVS CEO

RAYMOND’S MESSAGE

After what has been another incredibly busy and for a lot of people a very difficult 12 months this time of year always seems to be a good time to reflect. My reflections of 2022 have turned into a long list of thank you’s to be honest.

I want to say thank you to the many funders who continually support the work we do supporting unpaid carers of all ages living in Perth & Kinross. It’s no exaggeration to say we couldn’t deliver what we do without your unstinting support. I want to thank the staff at the carers centre. I see daily the extra demands placed upon you all but yet you continue to strive to make a positive difference in peoples life time after time.

Thank you to our volunteers who we would be a far poorer service without. With the ever increasing demands we are experiencing at the carers centre we wouldn’t cope without you giving up some of your own time to support us. And last but not least a thank you to each and every unpaid carer for all that you do.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I have said it before and I’ll say it again you don’t get the recognition you deserve for all that you do.

I know the next period will be difficult for some what with the cost of living crisis and so with that in mind we have included some useful contacts in this edition of our newsletter in the hope they may be of some assistance. Please though do not hesitate to contact the carers centre if you need any emotional or practical support in the weeks and months ahead as ultimately that is what we are here for.

I hope you all have a wonderful festive period, spending time with the ones you love.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.

Raymond Jamieson PKAVS Carers Hub Manager

PKAVS Carers Hub would like to thank our fantastic Day Centre volunteers, EasyC tutors, Young Carers and Adult Carers volunteers, Complementary Therapists and Respitality Partners for supporting us not only this year but for all the years we have been delivering this service. Your presence and time are invaluable and appreciated. We could not thank you enough for the support you have provided us through the years and for the many years to come.

Should you wish to volunteer/support us please contact the Carers Hub on 01738 567 076 (option 2) or email carershubadmin@pkavs.org.uk

THANKS TO OUR FUNDERS

VOLUNTEERS

WANTED

Looking for a great way to meet new people, add structure to your weeks and have the reward of helping others? Many people might think volunteering isn’t for them. Too formal, a big commitment, and needs training/qualifications but this isn’t the case. Here at PKAVS Carers Hub, we are looking for people of any age who are friendly, helpful, active and keen to help others. We can then work with you to see what type of opportunities might fit with the time and skills you have to offer.

We have a range of opportunities in our Day Centre and across our young, young adult and adult carers team. If you have a bit of time to give we are sure we will find something you will find rewarding. We provide full support and training appropriate to the role you might take on and provide opportunities to become involved in different activities and events too!

Our volunteers are welcome to take part in any of our training opportunities and we also deliver a volunteer reward scheme!

If you would like to find out more send us your contact details and we can call you back for a chat to tell you a bit more!

Email: carershubadmin@pkavs.org.uk Tel: 01738 567076 (option 2)

ADULT CARERS

VOLUNTEER ROLES

MEDIA/MARKETING VOLUNTEER

Can you use Canva?

Can you create flyers/leaflets/calendars?

Can you create and share social media posts? We would love for you to come and volunteer at the Carers Hub to help us promote information to the carers we support!

SOCIAL GROUPS/TRIPS VOLUNTEER

DAY CENTRE VOLUNTEER ROLES

DAY CENTRE ASSISTANT

Serving cups of tea & lunch, helping with a game of bingo, chatting with our service users.

KITCHEN ASSISTANT

Support our cook in making delicious meals and baking sweet treats for our service users.

DRIVER

Do you have a MiDAS or D1? Could you spare a morning or afternoon to collect and/or drop off our service users? We provide transport to some service users who wouldn’t be able to attend our day club without this service. If you can lend a hand with driving our minibuses on a morning or afternoon it would make a huge difference to those we support.

Feedback from Day Centre Volunteer:

“I really look forward to when I volunteer at PKAVS Day Centre. The staff made me feel very welcome when I started. We have a smashing bunch of service users who make the most of each other’s company. There is singing along with ‘Musical Bingo’ and entertainers come in with guitars from time to time…. We have a great laugh and I go home happier after a day at PKAVS”

YOUNG CARERS

VOLUNTEER ROLES

GROUP ACTIVITY VOLUNTEER

Working with children and young people, aged between 5 and 18 years old. We encourage volunteers to take part in all activities and their enthusiasm and attitude impacts greatly on our children and young people. Planned activities take place each week at group such as baking, sports and games. The activities vary depending upon the time of year and any current events or celebrations. We encourage volunteers to share their ideas and skills with us and are delighted for you to have input into the planning and running of activities.

If you are interested in any of our volunteer opportunities please contact the hub on 01738 567076 (option 2) or email carershubadmin@pkavs.org.uk

FORTEVIOT TRUST

We run various social activities for carers including social therapies, yoga, tai chi, walking, cycling, lunch, cuppa and a chat! We organise a monthly day trip and have visited places such as The Kelpies, The V&A, Shopping in Glasgow, trips to the theatre and much more!

Come and volunteer with us to support on day trips and social activities by providing an extra pair of hands, welcoming and chatting to carers and helping with refreshments.

DAY CENTRE

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

PKAVS day services offer unpaid carers access to regular breaks from caring through the person they care for coming along to the carers centre for the day. Whilst here the cared for person is well looked after by our experienced staff team. A day at the centre includes a chance to meet and make new friends and to get a change of scenery whilst taking part in a very busy and assorted calendar of activities including things such as; regular live musical entertainment, organised activities such as gentle exercise, relaxation techniques, arts and crafts, bingo and much more.

The day services also offer day trips and weekend residential breaks for carers and their cared for throughout the year. In fact some of these pictures show what we were up to at the most recent weekend residential break away in Strathpeffer in October.

Clients who attend also are offered a healthy and nutritious 2 course meal prepared freshly each day by our day centre cook. Transport can also be provided to and from the carers centre if required. The cost to attend PKAVS day services is £30 per day and these are available Monday to Friday for 50 weeks in the year.

PKAVS Day Centre has offered us far more than just day care for my husband - we feel that we belong to a wider family where all the staff on every level in there are friendly professional approachable caring patient welcoming and inclusive to all. They offer a wonderful sanctuary for elderly people who have varying health challenges or who simply just feel lonely - to come together on common ground.

PKAVS Day Centre and it’s staff encompass everything I could have wished for - for my husband. As a Carer I never imagined respite time for me because I never thought I’d find a place like this where I can honestly say I walk away for 2 days a week with such peace and happiness in my heart - knowing my husband is happy safe valued and respected as part of such a wonderful team.

Working in partnership with external organisations we are able to deliver a monthly training calendar to support carers with their caring role, improve confidence & wellbeing and enhance skills! The Learning Opportunities Calendar provides FREE training/information sessions to anyone who is an unpaid carer and to any professionals/volunteers who feel it is relevant to their professional development (unless otherwise stated).

Listening to the needs of carers we have been able to deliver sessions covering a variety of areas including:

We email our monthly Learning Opportunities calendar to carers every month (post option available if required). If you would like to be added to our distribution list please contact the hub on 01738 567 076 (option 2) or email carershubadmin@pkavs.org.uk

You can also visit our website and Facebook page to keep up to date with all our training events: Website: www.pkavs.org.uk/events Facebook: @PKAVSCarersHub

EVENTS

FEEDBACK

I really liked the group size, friendliness of the people who were leading the session and the informal setting

CARERS CHRISTMAS DANCE!

Wednesday 21st December 1.00pm – 4.00pm

Radisson Blu Hotel, 1 Leonard Street, Perth, PH2 8HE (previously known as The Station Hotel)

Buffet lunch and refreshments provided. Carers and their loved ones welcome!

BOOKING REQUIRED! – Book your space by contacting the carers hub on 01738 567 076 (option 2) or email carershubadmin@pkavs.org.uk

I Thought that Kevin was a good teacher, explaining things clearly. It was easy to follow and understand

Lornas knowledge about ADHD was great and she gave clear and concise delivery

Sonya Powell Violet Barclay Kenny Martin

ADULT CARERS

SELF-DIRECTED SUPPORT

The adult carers team continues to be busy with the average number of referrals reaching 60 monthly. We now have 1,576 registered unpaid carers which will have increased by the time you read this.

Carers are now being contacted within 2-3 weeks of their referral being received and are offered person centred outcomes and an Adult Carers Support Plan at this point. Due to the high volume of referrals we no longer have support workers dedicated to each carer however there is always someone in the Adult Carers Office who can deal with any queries or issues that you may have and where possible we will try to ask the worker that you previously had contact with to give you a call, however, this may not always be possible due to staff holidays and sickness.

Since our last newsletter we welcomed two new Telephone Support workers to this busy and popular service. Andy Burns and Angie Bone have joined Mary and Lorna to provide emotional and practical support to over 375 carers.

We also welcomed Pauline Leitch to our Adult Carer Team as an Adult Carer Support Worker and Donna McCaig was successful in gaining the post of Senior Support Worker.

Our male Carer Support Worker Joe continues to develop his groups and activities with 10 activities having taken place over the last year with day trips to Anstruther and the Transport Museum in Glasgow amongst others. Joe is now also hosting monthly peer support groups in Crieff, Blairgowrie, Perth and Aberfeldy. For more information please contact Joe on 01738 567076 (option 2)

This next year may be a difficult one for our unpaid carers due to the cost of living and lack of services. Please be assured that we are here to help you with whatever issues you are facing and will endeavour to ensure you get the appropriate support for your circumstances. This may involve emotional and practical support or signposting to other agencies. Please contact us on 01738 567076 (option 2) for any queries or if you require support.

Finally we would like to wish you all the best for the festivities and New Year.

FEEDBACK FROM CARERS

Since our summer newsletter, our Self-Directed Support Advisor, Billy Morrison has continued to support unpaid Carers and those they care for by providing:

If you would like to know more about self-directed support or would like support from the project please contact Billy Morrison, Self-Directed Support Advisor or Sheila Christie, Self-Directed Support Administrator on 01738 567076 or by email at selfdirectedsupport@pkavs.org.uk

Billy’s working days are Tuesdays to Fridays and Sheila supports the project on a Tuesday and Wednesday

Can you also pass on my thanks to the wonderful team for their help and advice the other week when I phoned – I am pleased to say that I now have a community alarm installed for mum and dad and that they have kindly done a referral for home care. Without the team there I wouldn’t know one half of what help was available and this was so valuable when I felt so alone and overwhelmed with everything.

You have made a real difference in my life over the past 5 years, and even through the lockdowns. My thanks to everyone at PKAVS for the support you have given me.

FEEDBACK

I contacted PKAVS SDS project when my husband’s care needs started to become overwhelming. Billy came to visit us at our home and I felt he was the first professional that fully listened and understood our situation. Billy was amazing, working above and beyond his role to ensure we were supported fully

Many thanks for all the information you have provided. I got the pack in the post and I was really impressed by your accurate and comprehensive summation of my situation in the ACSP. I really appreciate the depth of listening. It is quite something to read my own situation. I got the therapy vouchers too - lovely and fully intend to book.

Billy has a wealth of knowledge and information and was so helpful and supportive.

The support with recruitment through the project was a tremendous support to us, as we would not have had a clue how to go about it.

SOCIAL / HOLISTIC THERAPIES

TIME4ME FUND

SHORT BREAKS SHORT BREAKS

Our social/holistic therapy sessions are running well in both Perth city, Blairgowrie, Kinross and St Madoes. Unpaid carers can join us and other carers for a tea/ coffee and a chat. You can also book in for a holistic therapy during these times, by visiting our new booking system on the PKAVS website.

Unpaid carers are facing unprecedented financial difficulties because of the UK’s current cost of living crisis, piling further stress on those caring for family and friends after an extremely challenging two years caring through COVID-19.

COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY VOUCHERS SCHEME

Our Complementary Therapy Voucher Scheme (CTVS) continues in popularity with more than 550 sets of vouchers issued since the 1st of April this year, compared with a total of 686 vouchers issued during the last financial year.

Due to the benefits unpaid carers get from therapies such as reiki, reflexology or Indian head massage, to name but a few, the scheme is, as you can imagine, incredibly popular. This popularity and funding issues has meant that we have had to take the unfortunate decision to reduce the number of vouchers issued to 6 per year.

Adult unpaid carers (age 18+) can request a set of 6 vouchers once a year. These are valid for 12 months from the date of issue. If you are interested in obtaining therapy vouchers, you can get more information by contacting the Adult Carers Team via the Carers Hub.

Vouchers can then be exchanged with one of our 40 approved therapists, for a complementary therapy free of charge. A full list of approved therapists, and the therapies they provide under the scheme, can be found on our website at www.pkavs.org.uk/ carers/adult-carers/info-support/short-breaks/ complementary-therapy-vouchers

To help our unpaid carers in the more rural areas of Perth and Kinross, we are looking to expand our network of Therapists. If you have premises in rural or Highland Perthshire, and would be interested in joining our voucher scheme, or you know someone who might be, please contact us at carertherapies@pkavs.org.uk for more information.

We are currently working on getting sessions started in the Highland Perthshire area, together with an evening session in Perth! Keep an eye on the website for more information.

Our social therapy sessions are 40 minutes long, this allows our therapists time to sanitise their workstations between clients. If you are providing 30+ hours of care or are a palliative carer, you can book in for a therapy at these groups 2 weeks in advance, with all other carers being able to book their slots one week before.

If you have any queries about these groups, please contact the Carers Hub on 01738 567076, option 2.

It’s important for carers to find time for themselves, their families and friends. It can be challenging to look after someone if you don’t take time out.

We are pleased to be able to offer up to £300 from our Time4Me fund to unpaid carers to help support personalised, flexible short breaks. These can make a real difference for carers, helping them to recharge their batteries which then helps sustain caring relationships and enables carers to have more of a life of their own.

From 1 April to 1 November this year over 280 carers have benefitted from a short break through our Time 4 Me Fund.

A short break can give carers respite from their caring role, something nice to look forward to together with some much needed time to themselves. Caring means something different to every unpaid carer, but, one thing our carers tell us is that they would struggle to keep going without a break and the Time4Me fund is here to help them get that break.

PKAVS Carers Hub has been awarded funding from Shared Care Scotland’s (SCS) Short Breaks Fund to deliver the Time4Me Fund. We have also been awarded further funding from Perth & Kinross Council (PKC) to expand Time4Me to broaden the reach of this fund and help encourage carers living in the rural and potentially isolated areas of Perth & Kinross to access available funding.

A “short break” does not have to be a break away, the fund allows carers to choose something that suits them. Whilst funding was granted for lots of short stays, it was also issued for all manner of other things including swing dance classes, French lessons, a paddle board and wet suit, drawing and painting kit, IT equipment and items for the garden - from plants to polytunnels!

We know that as a carer, you might find you have very little time to look after your own needs and deciding on what a short break means to you and how you can make that reality can feel like a daunting task. The Carers Hub can support unpaid carers to help identify personal outcomes by having a discussion with you.

More information on the scheme can be found on our website at www.pkavs.org.uk/carers/time4me/ or by contacting the carers hub.

RESPITALITY

Despite the tough times many businesses have faced since Covid, we have had some super donations of meaningful Respitality breaks that we have been able to pass on to our unpaid carers. These have included hairdressing vouchers from Louisa Clements Hairdressing Auchterarder, stays with Duchally Lodges near Gleneagles, Ferryrow B&B Largs, Peebles Hydro Hotel and Youth Hostelling Scotland.

James, cares for his mum, and is one of our unpaid carers who was able to benefit from a Respitality break. Recently he, his partner and their 2 dogs enjoyed a stay at Oban Youth Hostel, courtesy of Hostelling Scotland. He had this to say about their stay:

was very stressed and tired before the break. Being by the sea was fantastic and so relaxing. slept so well being away from home. We went on lots of walks and enjoyed the cooked breakfast everyday with beautiful seaside views from the dining room and our room. The staff were fantastic and the Hostel was spotless.

It’s a struggle caring for my Mum and working full time, some self-care was much appreciated. It helped so much to have a break and recharge, this was a fantastic experience and so needed.

Thank you very much to everyone who makes this happen

We are always happy to accept donations from business and if you would be interested in becoming one of our Respitality Partners, please contact Anne Wright our Carers Respite Development Officer at the Carers Hub or via email at carershortbreaks@pkavs.org.uk

On the break, my life was carefree! It was a very good feeling

YOUNG CARERS

We have had a very busy year here at Young Carers! We now have the largest numbers of young carers since our service began many year ago! There are over 550 Young Carers currently registered with us and this number grows weekly. Whilst this has been challenging year, we now have a full staff team of very enthusiastic workers who have been working hard to meet young carers to complete reviews and Young Carer statements. Our rise in referrals increased significantly over lockdown and with additional staffing changes this resulted in a significant a waiting list for support. However with a full team now in place our waiting time for initial contact with a support worker has reduced from 12 weeks to 2 weeks.

SUMMER

We had a great summer free of covid restrictions which has been very welcome! During the summer holidays we supported 11 days trips, offering places to over 152 young carers. These included, Willowgate, Horse-riding, laser tag, Foxlake among many others. This was a great opportunity for new staff to meet young carers in a relaxed and fun way.

In July we took 10 older young carers to London to see the sights. This was a very fast paced trip with many step counted on Sam’s Fitbit! However the group managed to cram in visits to the main tourist attractions from the dungeons to the London eye and even made it up to the Westend to see a performance of Lion King!

This year saw the return of the Young Carers Festival which has been online for the past two years. This event organised by the Carers Trust at Fordell Firs, was attended by groups of young carers from carers services across the whole of Scotland. During this two day event our young carers were able to experience a silent disco, fire show, live band, magic show, access wellness sessions such as massage, mindfulness yoga and much much more!

OCTOBER HOLIDAYS

In October we organised 4 day trips in total with 64 young people taking part, these were a great success and included Willowgate, Active kids, Ryze and even tubing in the rain! In addition to these day trips, 12 young carers were given the opportunity to join us at Dalguise with Canadian Kids4kids camp leader Scott Graham. This was a two day action packed adventure involving archery, abseiling, raft building, obstacles courses and even a hunt for the elusive pickle-weasel! For many of the young people attending this, it was their first time away from home and we were so proud of their willingness to support each other in the challenges and activities.

COUNSELLING

CONSULTATION

At the end of August we sent out a consultation, in part to gather feed for P & K who are working on refreshing Carers Strategy 2019-2022, but also for us to gather feedback about our service. The findings clearly showed that young carers were missing the drop in groups that we delivered before lockdown. We have now set these up again in Blairgowrie and Perth and hope to work with partners in other localities across Perthshire to set similar groups up where there is demand.

Health and wellbeing was also a concern for many young carers and as a result PKC have consulted with Saints in the community and they are going to run weekly groups for young carers from January 2023. These groups will be fully developed by young carers through a focus group taking place at the end of November.

The consultation also highlighted that many young people have missed having a named contact within the team. Whilst we do not have the capacity for all young carers to have an allocated worker as we did in the past, we have listened and where possible young carers will have reviews and any 1-1 support by the same worker who completes their Young Carers statement when they first referred in

Our counselling service delivered through Relationship Scotland has recently increased their time with us from 1 day to 2 days. This service offers young carers the opportunity to attend up to 16 one to one sessions with an experienced counsellor to work through any worries or concerns in a supportive way.

OTHER NEWS

We are delighted and very proud that one of our young carers was selected to take part in this years ‘Surprise Squad’ with BBCs One Show as part of this years Children in Need Appeal on the 18th of November. Whilst being a young carer can impact on many aspects of a young person life it is also important to highlight the many positives and strengths that can be gained. Zuhair will be a great ambassador for our young carers helping raise awareness and reminding our young carers to take pride in the invaluable support they provide to their cared for.

THANK YOU

EDUCATION

Our Education Attainment Service is still a very busy part of our project. We are currently supporting 128 young people with education, offering 1-1 tutor support and groups for primary aged young carers. We are very fortunate to have a great bank of tutors who have built strong positive relationships with the young people they support helping increase confidence and attainment. This project has really benefited from the good working partnership with have with Perth and Kinross Education services. We now have a Young Carers Champion in the majority of all schools in Perth and Kinross who help support Young Carers in their school and who can link in with our service to ensure we are all working together for the benefit of our Young Carers.

It is challenging to ensure we meet the needs of our growing service and to ensure we use our limited resources as efficiently as possible. We are grateful for the support we receive from the community and our partners. It is impossible to individually thank everyone who supports us in this wee blurb, but we would like to do a shout out to All Strong Scotland and Mindspace who have delivered fantastic wellbeing support to our young carers, Blairgowrie Rotary Club who funded and accompanied young carers on a summer day trip and who have organised a Panto visit, Little Steps Nursery and Caledonian Housing for fund raising and the Halloween party. Finally, thank you to our very kind anonymous donors who we know would not like if we mentioned them here by name. You know who you are and thank you.

YOUNG ADULT CARERS SOCIAL GROUPS

In 2022 the YAC service has had a focus on Employment and Education. One opportunity we were able to offer was an internship through the Carer’s Trust. With limited positions available at the Carer’s Trust offices in Glasgow it was a great success when a young adult carer registered with PKAVS, Kyra Jeles, got through the application and interview process and was offered an internship. Kyra worked as part of the fundraising team for three months, with one of her main projects being producing a leaflet that would be distributed to funders. Internships, placements, and job opportunities is something which we would like to continue to offer young adult carers in 2023. Our most recent partnership is with All Strong, a local gym located in the city centre of Perth. All strong are offering 3-month placements for YACs to gain their level 2 gym qualification. There’s the opportunity for a new YAC to start this placement every three months for the next two years.

In the last PKAVS newsletter the YAC voice group were just getting started on making a film about what it means to be a young adult carer. The film continues to be a work in progress as it’s been difficult to find a time to meet with YACs busy schedules of work, college, and their caring responsibilities. Although, parts of the film were featured in Ben Owen’s ‘The New Vocal Club’ which was displayed in Perth Theatre from the 4th to the 11th of November. The group also attended a career insight day at the People’s postcode lottery’s offices in Edinburgh. The YACs were able to use their film making experience from YAC voice to make video content to advertise the young carer’s festival which was then posted on the carer’s trust social media.

This year the age ranges within the YAC service changed from 16-25, to 18-25. In the new year we’ll be focusing on how we can make the transition from young carers to young adult carer’s as smooth as possible for those turning 18. Luckily, we have Garry as transition’s worker to work with young carers within this age group. We’re planning on running groups and trips for young carer’s moving up to the YAC service so they can meet myself and existing YACs.

We offer a monthly calendar of social groups and activities for carers and their loved ones to take part in. Many carers find social groups vital in accessing opportunities to relax, have some fun, meet other carers and access support from PKAVS staff. The ability to access peer support from others is often recognised by carers who attend. The groups are a mix of in person and virtual and offer a variety of activities across Perth and Kinross.

These groups include:

This summer we visited The Kelpies at night and enjoyed a lovely meal. We’ve been working in partnership with Horsecross Arts to form a Carers Choir ‘Gie it Laldy’! The choir meets every Wednesday 2-4pm at Perth Theatre. It’s a relaxed fun singing group where everyone is welcome carers and their loved ones. No experience necessary, no need to sheet read music, boost your mood, and meet other carers. Working with our wonderful choir master Amy we have written our on song created by words and inspiration from carers, we will be performing this December at the Young Carers Christmas Extravaganza on Saturday 17th December – we hope to see you there!

If you would like more information about any of our social groups please contact the hub on 01738 567076 (option 2) or email carershubadmin@pkavs.org.uk

I

like to say thank you for the therapy sessions at Jessie Street, Blairgowrie which unfortunately are over-subscribed. The weight of being a carer 24/7 lifts from your shoulders for a wee while after a massage and you feel able to continue in your caring role. I should also say that I have found Rosemary’s relaxation, etc., sessions on Zoom invaluable especially since this can be done at home, does not involve any travelling when time is precious and when fuel is expensive. All of these initiative are very enabling for me to continue ‘caring’, which I will be doing until I pass on.

CARERS RIGHTS CARERS VOICE

YOUR RIGHTS IF YOU ARE LOOKING AFTER SOMEONE

The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 gives you rights if you care for or intend to care for someone else. These are:

A LOCAL INFORMATION AND ADVICE SERVICE FOR CARERS ABOUT:

Carers’ rights, including those set out in the carers’ charter.

Income maximisation for carers.

Bereavement support services for carers following the death of a cared-for person.

Emergency care planning and future care planning for carers.

Health and wellbeing (including counselling) for carers.

Advocacy for carers.

Education and training for carers.

A RIGHT TO BE OFFERED OR TO REQUEST AN ADULT CARER SUPPORT PLAN OR YOUNG CARER STATEMENT

This is available to carers of all ages, no matter how many hours of care you give and whether or not they are receiving services.

You do not have to accept the offer of an Adult Carer Support Plan or Young Carer Statement. You can still access some services without it e.g. Community or Universal Support from for example PKAVS or a carer café or support for the person you care for.

LOCAL AUTHORITIES MUST PROVIDE SUPPORT TO CARERS, BASED ON THE CARER’S IDENTIFIED NEEDS WHICH MEET THE LOCAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Our local Adult Carers Eligibility Criteria sets out how a caring may affect a carer across 6 aspects of their life and how the impact could be addressed by improving support. We have a duty to provide support when the impact is high or very high but also a power to support if the impact is low or moderate. This permits us to provide support early to enable the carer to continue caring longer.

When the person you care for is discharged from hospital and they will need some social care support.

As a carer you are an expert through your lived experience of caring and should be able to have a say in services, policies and decisions that affect you and the people that you care for.

Perth and Kinross Carers voice is a Carer led service, whose representatives attend Health and Social Care meetings amongst others to make sure carers voices are heard. We are all either carers or former carers and so have a wealth of lived experience. Carers Voice role is to represent carers views and best interests when developing new strategies, both locally and nationally, to improve carer support and services both within Social Care services and the NHS.

In order to ensure that we are effective in achieving our objectives we need regular input from other carers.

Caring is not a one size fits all situation. Each Caring role presents its own unique difficul-ties, so for example, Dementia carers face different challenges to those caring for those living with Autism or Learning difficulties and they in turn experience different problems to those who care for those who are living with the struggles of Drug or Alcohol Depend-ency and so on throughout the Caring Spectrum.

In other words we need you! We need feedback from all types of carers. Although there are many ways that you can pass your views on to us.

Email: perthandkinrosscarersvoice@gmail.com or Telephone: 07856 660 898

A RIGHT TO BE INVOLVED IN PLANNING THE SERVICES THE PERSON YOU CARE FOR RECEIVES

A RIGHT TO BE INVOLVED IN THE WIDER PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR CARERS AND THE PEOPLE THEY CARE FOR IN YOUR LOCAL AREA

PKAVS Carers Hub is asking unpaid carers to participate in this survey so we can gather information on how your caring situation has changed over the past 12 months and what YOUR needs are at this time. All responses received will be anonymous and collated and shared with Perth & Kinross Health & Social Care Partnership and other local partner agencies so we can start to create a bank of support that best meets your needs as unpaid carers.

You can choose to complete the survey enclosed and return using the pre-addressed envelope provided or complete the survey online at forms.office.com/ r/9kJFdFVkkS or scan the QR code!

All surveys must be returned/submitted by Wednesday 4th January 2023 For further information, please look at our website www.pkavs.org.uk/Privacy-Policy Email carershubadmin@pkavs.org.uk or phone 01738 567076 (option 2)

AND WE WOULD LIKE TO MEET YOU!

Experience tells us that we are more likely to gain useful feedback during friendly and relaxed conversation with unpaid carers.

We are therefore inviting you to join us and other unpaid carers to make new friends over tea or coffee and share your caring experiences in order to improve the lives of others by enabling us to better represent your views.

For those who are unable to join us live, once you have registered with us, we can send you a link to join our meetings on line.

We will also keep you up to date with new proposed changes within the Health and Social care partnership and inform you of new support that you may find helpful.

Most importantly, your views are of the utmost importance to us, together we can make a difference.

We meet at 11:00 on the second Tuesday of every month at PKAVS Carers Hub in Lewis place, Perth and would be delighted to see you.

Ivor Margaret Maureen

Mel Bernie

COST OF LIVING CRISIS SUPPORT

LETS NOT WASTE IT

If you live in North Muirton and would be interested in receiving free home cooked meals please contact the hub on 01738 567 076 (option 2) or email carershubadmin@pkavs.org.uk

CITIZENS ADVICE

Citizens Advice provide information on how to get help with the cost of living including benefits, energy bills, essential costs and budgeting. Visit their website or contact the Perth based office: Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Telephone: 0808 196 9440 (Helpline) Email: Advice@perthcab.org.uk

HELP FOR HOUSEHOLDS

The government is offering help for households. See what cost of living support you could be eligible for such as household costs, energy bills, childcare costs, income support, transport costs and finding work. Visit their website here: Website: www.helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/

FOOD AND FOOD BANKS

PERTH SALVATION ARMY CAFÉ

Filled rolls and hot drinks from 12:30 - 1:30pm Monday - Thursday

Perth Church & Community Centre 77 South Street, Perth, PH2 8PD

Tel: 01738 440090

CHURCHES ACTION FOR THE HOMELESS (CATH)

Day centre: free breakfast and cheap lunch Monday to Friday 9:30am - 3pm

Ladeside St Catherine’s Road Perth PH1 5RY Tel: 01738 633077

BLAIRGOWRIE FOODBANK

Tuesday 10:00 - 11.30 / Thursday 2.30pm - 4:00pm St Catharine’s Community Centre, George Street, Blairgowrie PH10 6EY

CONTACT US

Telephone: 01738 567 076 (option 2) Email: carershubadmin@pkavs.org.uk Online: www.pkavs.org.uk/carers

In Writing: PKAVS Carers Hub, Lewis Place, North Muirton, Perth, PH1 3BD Facebook: @PKAVSCarersHub Twitter: @PKAVScharity

STRUGGLING WITH THE COST OF LIVING? HELP MAY BE AVAILABLE

Rising energy, fuel and food costs are having a significant financial impact on people in our communities. However, if you are struggling to pay your household bills there is a range of support and help available in Perth and Kinross. Website: www.pkc.gov.uk/costofliving

WELFARE RIGHTS TEAM (PERTH & KINROSS COUNCIL)

The Welfare Rights Team aims to ensure that the residents of Perth and Kinross are not missing out on their entitlement to benefits and other related help by providing a free, confidential and impartial benefits advice, information and appeal representation service. Website: www.pkc.gov.uk/welfarerights Telephone: 01738 476900 (option 1) Email: welfarerights@pkc.gov.uk

HOME ENERGY SCOTLAND

The cost of living crisis and the increase in energy prices are worrying for us all. We can help with free, impartial advice on saving energy, keeping warm at home, renewable energy, cutting water waste and more. We’ve also published a detailed list of programmes and services that can help with financial support like debt, emergency funding and fuel vouchers. Website: https://www.homeenergyscotland.org/ Telephone: 0808 808 2282

Mobile: 07510626821

Email: Crieffcommunityfoodbank67@gmail.com

CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE

‘The Ark’ provides a hot meal service on Tuesday nights. Trinity Church of the Nazarene, York Place Perth PH2 8EH

THE BLUE DOOR FOODBANK (AUCHTERARDER)

Tuesday to Friday 10am to 2pm

Tel: 01764 660965

Email: info@BlueDoorFoodbank.org

CHANGED YOUR DETAILS?

If you have received this publication by post or email it means that PKAVS Carers Hub has contact details for you. If your details have changed, please contact the Carers Hub so that we can amend our records. If you no longer wish to receive publications from PKAVS Carers Hub then please let us know and we will remove your details from our mailing lists.

PREFER PAPERLESS?

To help us keep the costs of communications down we would encourage anyone who is able to receive updates via email to get in touch and let us know your email address.

Perth & Kinross Association of Voluntary Service Ltd (PKAVS) is a registered Scottish charity (SC 005561) and a company limited by guarantee (86065).