Caring Counts - Summer 2024

Caring counts

Carer Support Service (Moray) Summer 2024

We’ve moved!

The Carer Support Service is now at 232 High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BA (the other end of the High Street from where we were), by the Registrar’s Office. We think you’ll find it a much lighter, brighter and user-friendly space with better accessibility for all. There is also a car park within 100m of the building. It’ll take a little while to be fully settled but we’d like to thank you for the patience shown during the transition.

We can’t wait welcome you!

In other news, Quarriers was successful in retaining the carer support service contract for the next three years. Our aim is to continue helping carers ease their caring role so they can also focus on their own health and wellbeing and have more of a life of their own in order to be able to continue caring.

Meet your team

There have also been some staff changes over the past few months.

Service Co-ordinator

Fiona Depute Service Co-ordinator

Communications and Performance Worker

Administrator

From time to time, we also welcome students on placement with the service.

Sandi

Nuala

Audrey

Family Wellbeing Workers

Lee-Anne Liza Naomi Shannon (Maternity leave) Judith Sophie (Maternity leave)

Carers Week — 10-16 June 2024

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face, and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. It also helps people who don’t think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support. Putting carers on the map, the theme for this year, aims to make sure the voices of unpaid carers are heard by politicians, employers, service providers, educational establishments and journalists, and throughout our communities. We want caring to be more visible, ensuring carers feel seen and respected, and can access the services and support they need.

Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said, “We want carers to know they are not forgotten, and they are not alone. The dedicated, committed support unpaid carers provide day in, day out has been valued as the equivalent of a second NHS, but often carers tell us that they feel unseen and undervalued. Many are at breaking point, facing challenges managing caring alongside their own health and wellbeing — with 78% of carers worried about being unable to care in the future.

“Recognition for carers in their communities and at national government level during an election year has never been more important — making Carers Week a vital opportunity to put carers on the map.”

Drop ’n’ Stop sessions

Join us during the week for our Drop ’n’ Stop sessions, where you can pop in for a cuppa and a chat.

Tuesday 11 June

• 10-11am: Decision makers’ Drop ’n’ Stop

• 5-8pm: Working carers’ Drop ’n’ Stop

Thursday 13 June

• 10am-12noon: Unpaid carers’ Drop ’n’ Stop

• 1-3pm: Unpaid carers’ Drop ’n’ Stop

• 5-7pm: Making a mural for young carers

Friday 14 June

• 8.30-10.30am: Professionals’ Drop ’n’ Stop

"No one understands when I need to take time out to care for dad. But he wouldn’t be able to cope without me being there for him."

Unpaid carers often provide a life-line for those they care for. To make sure they are recognised and supported it’s vital we’re putting carers on the map.

Time to Live short breaks - opening soon!

The Carer Support Service has been successful again in securing funds to provide short break opportunities via the Shared Care Scotland Short Breaks Fund Time to Live programme.

Who

The fund is open to unpaid carers of all ages in Moray. However, in an effort to ensure awards go to those people who really need them, applications will be prioritised.

When

The fund will be open for applications on several occasions throughout the project year. The first opportunity to apply will be during Carers Week.

The fund will open at 9am on Monday 10 June and close at 5pm on Friday 21 June.

Don’t worry if you’re unsuccessful this time. You can apply when the fund re- opens later in the year. But be aware, not everyone who applies will secure an award, as funding is limited.

Why

The ethos of Time to Live funding is to ensure unpaid carers can:

• have more of a life of their own

• improve their wellbeing

• be better able to continue caring

While getting away for a few days can be blissful, we would encourage you to consider longer-term benefits that continue to reduce your stress, improve your wellbeing, build your resilience and give you something to look forward to again and again.

What

Breaks come in all shapes and sizes. You’re the one who knows what’ll work for you. You can:

• take the break on your own

• include your cared for in the break

• stay in Moray or go somewhere different

• spend all your money on one thing

• buy lots of smaller breaks

• stay somewhere overnight

• go on a day trip/s

• buy a gym membership...

The choices are endless but remember, this money is all about improving your wellbeing and resilience, and enabling you to put yourself first for a change.

Steven (above) loves cycling to manage his health and wellbeing. He bought a knee massager with his Time to Live award. It not only provides relief to his knees from all that cycling, but also eases his back. He gets benefit from it regularly.

Voices for change

There have been ongoing conversations between Carers Trust and Network Partners in Scotland over the last 12 months about how everyone can work together to influence change. While many areas have good influencing levers locally and a good working relationship with Scottish Government, there is a shared frustration that unpaid carers,

and the services that support them, remain undervalued in our health and social care system and wider society. This, coupled with increased pressures on unpaid carers post-Covid and amidst the cost-of- living crisis, is exasperating an already overworked community of unpaid carers, and services that support them.

In response, the Voices for Change campaign has several outcomes:

1. Appropriate visibility, support and investment in unpaid care in Scotland.

2. Appropriate commissioning for local carer organisations that:

• avoids risk of closure of vital local carer services

• recognises the true cost of delivery, including cost increases from inflation and statutory wage increases

• puts value on the expertise and skill that carers service workers provide

• includes longer-term contracts with annual increases in line with inflation

• recognises the vital role that local carer organisations play in the health and social care ecosystem

• involves unpaid carers and local carer organisations in shaping the local carer support offer, including both within integrated health and care structures

• offers ring-fenced funding to ensure support reaches unpaid carers/accountability/ public monitoring and reporting of where Carers (Scotland) Act money is spent in each local authority.

3. Appropriate recognition for local carers organisations in the service they provide in the ecosystem of our health and social care system.

• increasingly being required to fill the gap in statutory provision

• creative and innovative ways to support and meet the needs of unpaid carers

• local knowledge and expertise, preventing hospital admissions, failed discharge, further strain on social care/services, etc.

• supporting unpaid carers as skilled and specialised, and recognising that they should be remunerated as such.

Find out more this Carers Week.

If you’re interested in getting involved, give us a call.

We need an emblem - can you help?

Calling all creative minds! We’re excited to announce a design an emblem competition to find a visual symbol that captures the essence of the Carer Support Service.

Having just moved office, now is the perfect time to involve you in helping to shape our identity.

What are we looking for?

A unique and memorable emblem that represents the service.

A design that is visually appealing, simple, and can be used across various mediums (print, digital, merchandise, etc.).

A graphic that fits the Quarriers new brand colour scheme by making use of lavender, light blue or light green.

Below are some examples from other organisations.

Alternatively, rather than a graphic, you could send words, a short tagline or slogan related to the work of the service.

Submission Deadline

Send your ideas back to us by Friday 7 June 2024

How to Enter

To submit a hand drawn entry, take a picture or scan your sketch and email it to carersmoray@ quarriers.org.uk.

Alternatively, you can also send a computer generated graphic through to us at the same email address as above.

If you don’t have a computer then feel free to drop by the office and submit your entry in person.

For more information phone the office on 01343 556031.

Choosing the winning design

During Carers Week the service will showcase a selection of entries. Carers will then have the opportunity to choose a winner. If your design is chosen there’s a special prize for you!

The winning design will be adapted by the Quarriers Marketing team into a digital emblem.

Good luck and we can’t wait to see your designs!

Be consulted on services for you and the person you are caring for

Access a local information and advice service

Putting Carers on the Map

Access support if they have eligible needs

Be included in the hospital discharge of the person you care for

Request an adult carer support plan or young carer statement

Quarriers Carer Support Service (Moray): 232 High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BA 01343 556031 • carersmoray@quarriers.org.uk www.quarriers.org.uk/morayvcc

Quarriers is a registered Scottish Charity No SC001960