Community Pot Project 2019/20: Carers' Centre Bath and North East Somerset
Thanks to funding from Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset Community Pot the Carers’ Centre will be able to maintain extended opening hours for our Support Line providing vital support to unpaid family carers across the area during the Covid 19 crisis
The Carers' Centre aims to support carers of all ages in Bath and North East Somerset.
The organization provides a range of advice and support directly to over 4,500 carers a year, all of whom are caring for a seriously ill or disabled family member.
They have a programme of respite activities for carers to ensure that carers are able to take a break, share their experiences and connect with others in similar circumstances.
Their trained staff and volunteer team also provide counseling and emotional support. They provide workshops to help carers cope with caring, navigate digital and physical services to help them stay in control.
They provide personalised support planning and a means through which the carers' voices can be heard to ensure that they are able to influence local planning of services. They know that many carers are hidden and they are raising awareness across the county to educate coummunities to ensure that today’s carers are recognized, valued and supported and the carers of tomorrow are ready.
Since the pandemic three key priorities have emerged:
- the need to reassure and promote carers’ access to clear and trusted information and advice
- the ability to rapidly develop, pilot, evaluate and roll out new ways for carers to maintain their wellbeing and stay connected, and
- support the deployment of over 1,600 Community Connectors across B&NES.
The aim of the project
The Carers' Centre will:
- extend its support line between 8.15am to 3.00pm
- phone their most vulnerable carers
- keep their Coroavirus Hub page on their website up-to-date, which has: an advice page, a page advertising the compassionate community helpline, urgent care needs page, a page for carers to create their own support plan, FAQs, a page for carers to create an emergency plan, a page for young cares and their families, a page to help carers get to grips with technology, a page to help carers stay well and connected and a safeguarding page.
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