Carers Focus Newsletter: July 2023

Dear everyone,

Welcome to our Carers Focus Newsletter. Edinburgh Carers Council’s services are changing, but we’ll continue to keep you informed along the way. If you would like to receive the latest news and updates from us, please let us know by emailing rachael@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk and ask to be placed on our mailing list. You can change your details or be removed from the list at any time.

If you have any queries about any of the contents of this newsletter, please feel free to get in touch.

A look to the future

We are determined to rebuild and grow our organisation following the loss of funding from City of Edinburgh Council to provide independent advocacy to unpaid carers. Over the last four months we have been working with carers in preparation for the transfer of their records and service to VoiceAbility from 1 July 2023. We know that there are many gaps in the provision of independent advocacy for many carers and we are now looking for alternative funding (please see fundraising article on the following page) to allow us to fill these gaps. In the meantime, we will continue to provide the following advocacy services.

Transitions Carer Advocacy Service — This service is for families and carers of people in mental health settings within Lothian who are in a period of transition. For example, the individuals who are being supported may be moving from hospital to rehabilitation wards to community living or from child and adolescent (CAMHS) to adult mental health services. It is funded through NHS Lothian.

Eating Disorder Carer Advocacy Service — This service is part of a new initiative that will provide individual, including peer, advocacy for unpaid carers and adult siblings of people with an eating disorder. It builds on carer peer advocacy work we have started for carers of adults with an eating disorder. It will begin in July 2023. It is funded through NHS Lothian.

Collective Advocacy — We will continue with our Carers Forum to facilitate carers to come together and discuss issues of importance to them. We will feedback issues to health and social care providers.

For more details or to make a referral to these services, please get in touch by emailing info@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk or call our office on 0131 322 8480.

Farewell and Thank You to Greig & Paul

Sadly, we have to say farewell to two of our colleagues at the end of June. Greig Irving, who has worked at Edinburgh Carers Council since 2015, is transferring to VoiceAbility. Paul Flaherty is leaving the organisation after 4 years. We wish both Greig and Paul our best wishes for the future. They have both been such an important part of the team and we thank them for all their great work making a difference to carers over the years.

We need your help

We are raising funds to help us run our existing programmes and develop new ones so we can be there for any carer who needs individual or collective advocacy. Your pledges and donations will help us to continue to stand side-by-side with carers to help overcome barriers they face and to continue the care they provide.

Please visit our online Crowdfunding page: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/edinburgh -carers-council-sc052190-1

Please share this link with everyone and help us to spread the word!

Or, you could give regularly by setting up a direct debit through your bank — please contact us for further information.

Carer Peer Support Volunteers Needed

We are seeking volunteers to help provide 1:1 peer support to carers. Do you have lived experience caring for a family member or friend with mental health difficulties (including an eating disorder), a learning disability, dementia, autism spectrum condition, or a traumatic brain injury? Interested in finding out how to use these experiences to help other carers who may be in a similar situation? If so, we would love to hear from you!

Please get in touch by emailing rachael@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk or give us a call on 0131 322 8480.

Carers Peer Support Group (Eating Disorders) - Great Michael House

The Carers Peer Support Group for those supporting an adult (aged 16+) with an eating disorder is held on the last Tuesday of the month at our office building, Great Michael House, 14 Links Place. The next dates for these groups are 25th July and 29th August from 1pm-2:30pm, with further dates to follow.

Monthly groups also run at the Regional Eating Disorders Unit at St John’s Hospital.

We are also expecting to begin facilitating groups for parents, carers, and adult siblings of a child or young person with an eating disorder in the coming months. To register your interest, please feel free to get in touch with your details so we can let you know once these groups are up and running.

For more details or to book your place, please email emmy@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk or call us on 0131 322 8480

Carers Peer Support Group - Redhall Walled Gardens

The Carers Group at Redhall Walled Garden continues to run on the last Friday of every month, from 2:30pm-4:00pm. This group is a general peer group for family and friends who are supporting someone with mental health difficulties.

Those who are supporting an individual with a learning disability, autism spectrum condition, or traumatic brain injury are also welcome to attend. Join us to meet other carers, share your experiences, and get information, advice and support! Teas, coffees, and biscuits will be available too.

Dates for Carers Peer Support at Redhall Walled Garden in 2023: 28 July, 25 August, 29 September, 27 October, 24 November

For more details or to book your place, please email rachael@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk or call us on 0131 322 8480.

Carers Week Event—6th June 2023—Redhall Walled Garden

For Carers Week this year we partnered with Change Mental Health to host a relaxing day at Redhall Walled Garden on Friday 6th June. Heather Lucchesi from Lightbulb Arts joined us to facilitate a fun art workshop in the morning. Heather taught us how to make our own sketchbooks and demonstrated techniques we can use to practice mindfulness through art, such as neurographic drawing. We had a fantastic lunch and plenty of time to chat and explore the beautiful garden afterwards. Thank you so much to everyone who managed to join us on the day! We hope to organise more events like this in future.

Have your say

Do you support someone who has been living in hospital for a significant period of time?

The Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership wants to improve its services and has launched a new change strategy called the ‘New Era Cultural Change Programme’.

Edinburgh Cares Council is working with this programme to develop pen portraits of carers’ experiences. The voices of people with lived experience, including carers, is vital to the success of this project. Facilitated ‘Deep Dive’ sessions, based on pen portraits and personas, will provide a way to engage with real lives and experiences, bringing stories to the front of mind for staff members.

We are looking for carers to share their experiences and stories with us in order to help others in the future.

Have your say about:

Your experiences of supporting someone who is in hospital for a significant period of time

The processes around looking for and moving to a place to live in the community

What you see are the barriers

What you would like done differently

If you would like to take part, please email info@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk or call our office on 0131 322 8480