Family Carers Update February 2021

The Family Carers Team is very excited to enter 2021 with 3 new Family Project Workers, Sarah Lynch, Martin Hawthorne and Rebecca Bankole. Each bring years of knowledge regarding support for carers, emotional wellbeing and safeguarding.

The Families team continue to deliver Wellbeing Workshops every Monday via Zoom for Family Carers to learn coping strategies to use on a day to day basis and improve overall wellbeing. The sessions include: Sleep Well and Relaxation, Mindfulness, Building Emotional Resilience, Mental Health Awareness, Mental Health Awareness in Children and Young People, Building Confidence and Self-Esteem and Healthy Relationships for Parent Carers. From January until March, we have also secured First Aid Training and Moving and Assisting Training for Family Carers too. This is also delivered via Zoom with certificate of attendance given after course completion.

The Carer’s Coffee Morning ‘s on a Thursday continue to run every fortnight, this is a chance for Carers to virtually meet one another and provide peer to peer support. It also gives carers the chance to meet the team and gain knowledge of what support can be provided for them and their family. So grab a coffee and join us in the comfort of your own home!

Last year the Family Carers Team also joined with the Mac to launch the ‘Hidden Voices’ project. This is a very exciting project for female carers to join together and improve their wellbeing through music. No music experience is needed, just an open mind to having fun and meeting new people. They have been running successfully so far, so if you would like to join a new group for 2021 and music is something you enjoy; join one of our Hidden Voices groups.

The team also continue their 1:1 work with carers who may need support in specific areas of their caring roles. The team can complete Wellbeing Assessments or Statutory Carers Assessments to identify any unmet needs and support you to ensure they are met in a timely manner. You can also apply for a Max Card through the Carers Team and be supported when applying for a Carers Card.

The Family Carers Team also provide a service for GOLDD Carers, this is for someone who cares for an individual with a Learning Disability and Dementia. Through the GOLDD project you can receive weekly support 1:1 via telephone, receive Wellbeing and Carers Assessments to identify and meet unmet needs, join weekly Zoom’s for peer to peer support and get information and advice. The GOLDD project also has it’s own Hidden Voices group, which is currently delivered via Zoom, to improve wellbeing through song writing and music making. To learn more about the GOLDD project, email: lara.carter@midlandmencap.org.uk

For more information regarding any of the services on the Families Team email: families@midlandmencap.org.uk