Carers' Information Service
What's New for Carers
What's New for Carers? is divided into various sections:
Events and Activities time specific events and activities
Local Services ongoing services in the local area
Information local and national information relevant to carers
If you have something to share with Croydon's caring community, please email me and I will be happy to include your item in What's New for Carers?
Free Training Sessions for Carers
The Carers' Information Service, with money from the Carers Grant, holds monthly training sessions for carers on a wide variety of topics. All the training sessions are free of charge to carers living in Croydon and those caring for someone living in Croydon.
Past courses have included First Aid, Laughter Workshop, Life Coaching and Drug and Alcohol Awareness. We are always open to suggestions for future courses.
Our next course will be:
Behaving More Assertively: A course for parent carers
Tuesday 20 January, 10 am - 3 pm (refreshments available from 9.30 am, lunch will be provided)
This course is being run in partnership with the Aiming High Project which is looking at Croydon's short break/respite provision for children with disabilities and their families and aiming to develop new services. We will be gathering your views on respite as part of this session. For more information on Aiming High contact Jane Donson on 020 8726 6400 ext 63608 or email jane.donson@croydon.gov.uk
We can refund transport, childcare and respite costs.
For more information please call Ruth at the Carers' Information Service on
020 8649 9339 ext 221 or email info@carerscontactline.co.uk.
Carers Rights Day 2008
Are you struggling to make ends meet? Worried about high fuel bills?
Struggling to cope during the credit crunch?
The theme for Carers Rights Day 2008 is Making the most of your money.
Croydon will be celebrating Carers Rights Day on Thursday 11 December,
10.30 am – 3 pm in the Mayor’s Parlour, Croydon Town Hall, Katharine Street.
There will be lots of information on benefits, grants, money-saving schemes, discounts, help with energy bills, improving energy efficiency and lots more.
So come along and see what you are entitled to and how much you could be saving!
There will also be festive food and refreshments, and the Trinity School choir will perform a selection of Christmas carols.
For more information, or if you are interested in attending this event, call us on 020 8649 9339 or email info@carerscontactline.co.uk.
Transition to Work for People with Autism
Bromley Autistic Trust , Bromley Mencap and Advantage Unlimited are running a six week programme called Transition to Work for 25 people living in Bromley, Croydon or Sutton with autistic spectrum disorders.
The aim of the programme is to provide relevant work preparation training, build up work skills and secure suitable employment or work experience for the participants.
The programme starts on Monday 1 December, so to find out if any places are still available call Rachel Stevens at Bromley Autistic Trust on 020 8464 2897.
Lobby Parliament on Carers' Benefits
Carers UK are organising a lobby of Parliament on Thursday 4 December in protest at the National Carers Strategy failing to deliver immediate improvements to carers' incomes.
Carers can:
- arrange to meet their MP in Westminster on Thursday 4 December
- arrange to meet their MP locally on Friday 5 December
- write or email their MP.
Carers UK have produced a campaign pack for each of the above scenarios.
For more information or to download a campaign pack visit www.carersuk.org.
Workshop for Carers of Children with Autism
Autism Support Croydon and the National Autistic Society Croydon Branch are holding a workshop on Friday 5 December, 10 am - 2 pm for parents and carers of children and adolescents with an autistic spectrum disorder.
The workshop will deal with behaviour issues and appropriate intervention strategies.
The workshop will be held at Woodside Children's Centre and a light lunch will be provided.
Click here for further information.
For more information or to book your place call 020 8662 4661 or email kirsty.townsend@nas.org.uk.
Beautiful Octopus Club
The Beautiful Octopus Club is a fantastic club night run by and for adults with learning disabilities and is coming to Croydon Clocktower on Wednesday 10 December, 7.30 - 11 pm.
Tickets cost £5 (no concessions). For more information or to book your ticket call 020 8253 1030 or email ticket office@croydon.gov.uk.
MS Information Morning
There will be an Information Morning for anyone affected by MS on Thursday 11 December, 10 am - 12 noon at Christ Church, Brighton Road, Purley CR8 2BN.
The morning is a chance to talk through problems and experiences with people who really understand MS and what it means.
For more information call Debbie Henn on 020 8660 0389 or Anne McDermott on 020 8656 2155.
Refreshments are provided and help with transport may be available.
Driving Information Day
The Queen Elizabeth's Foundation Mobility Centre in Carshalton, Surrey is holding a free driving information day on Friday 19 December, 10 am - 12 noon for people with physical or learning disabilities and their families and friends.
So if you have a disability and want to learn how to drive this event could hold the answers.
Click here for more information.
To find out more or book a place call 020 8770 1151 or email
Christmas Night Out
There will be a night out for mums and female carers of children with any kind of special need on Friday 19 December, 8pm at Bunga Raya Restaurant, 785 London Road, Thornton Heath CR7 6AW.
The cost is £17.50 for a Malaysian buffet or a traditional turkey meal. There will also be a bar, music and karaoke.
For more information or to book your place call Rebecca Cooper on 07595 258 727 or email rcooperbrown@aol.com.
ADHD Football Club
The ADHD Football Club is for children aged seven to 11.
The club will be holding sessions on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 December, 11 am - 2 pm at Croydon High School, Selsdon.
Click here for further information and a booking form.
Special Needs Clothing
Rackety's sells adaptive clothing for children and adults with special needs/disabilities. Their range includes toys, easy-wear coats, macs, vests, bibs, swim wear, nightwear and much more - all in modern designs and colours.
The local distributor is Jackie Sanders, call 020 8657 1343 or email jackiesanders@blueyonder.co.uk for more information.
Books on Prescription
The Books on Prescription Scheme is a joint venture between Croydon Primary Care Trust and Croydon Libraries.
The scheme allows GPs to prescribe self-help guides, available in the Healthy Living Section of all Croydon libraries, to patients with mild to moderate mental health issues.
For more information visit www.croydon.gov.uk or contact Deo Jairam on 020 8274 6137 or email deo.jairam@croydonpct.nhs.uk.
Special Needs Stay n Play
Stay and Play sessions for children aged 0 - 5 with additional needs are held every Monday, 9 - 11 am, at Fairchildes Children's Centre, Fairchildes Avenue, New Addington, CR0 0AH.
Feel free to just turn up and enjoy meeting other parents/carers in similar situations, and give your child the chance to make new friends!
For more information call Fairchildes Children's Centre on 01689 847136.
Down Syndrome Support
Woodpeckers is a support group for babies and young children with Down Syndrome, and their parents/carers and siblings.
Woodpeckers meets on the second and fourth Thursday of the month,
12.45 - 2.45 pm, at Woodside Children's Centre.
Click here for further information or call 07503 319 775 and leave a message.
Do you want to be in a rock 'n' roll band?
Croydon Clocktower are looking to form a rock band from adults with learning difficulties living in Croydon.
So, if you have a learning disability, play an instrument or like to sing, and want to be in a band, contact Oliver Tipper on 020 8253 1034 or email oliver.tipper@croydon.gov.uk to arrange an audition.
Counselling for Carers
The Rethink Croydon Counselling Service offers up to twelve sessions of counselling to all adult carers in Croydon. Counselling gives carers, who often feel isolated, the chance to talk freely about their lives.
Counselling sessions last 50 minutes and take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, between 10 am and 3 pm, at Courtyard House, 1d Church Road, Croydon CR0 1SG.
There is no charge for this service. Self-referrals are welcome.
For more information contact Roger Oliver on 020 8649 6286, or email croydoncounselling@rethink.org.
Although this service is run by Rethink, it is available to all carers in Croydon, not just carers of someone with mental health problems.
Croydon Learning Disability Partnership
Springboard is a quarterly publication that keeps people up to date with all the events, activites and campaigns of Croydon's Learning Disability Partnership.
Click here to read the Autumn 2008 edition of Springboard.
Pharmacy's Care for the Carer Service
Day Lewis Pharmacy are launching a Care for the Carer service in four of their Croydon pharmacies.
The service offers carers free health checks, medicine advice, free prescription collection service, discounts and much more.
The participating pharmacies are in Norbury, Sanderstead, South Norwood and Thornton Heath.
Click here for full details (this is a large document and wile take a while to open) or call 020 8256 6200.
Dramatherapy Workshops
The National Autistic Society, in partnership with Croydon Arts Council, is holding
Drama Therapy Workshops for children aged 5 - 13 who have an autistic spectrum disorder.
There will be 11 workshops, including a one-on-one session for parents with the drama therapists.
Sessions will be run by Roundabout at The National Autistic Society Resource Centre, 1A
Mansfield Place, South Croydon CR2 6HP.
Places will be offered on a ‘first come first served’ basis to eight children in the first instance. Families given a place will be expected to commit to the full 11 sessions to ensure maximum benefit for their child. Sessions will begin on Monday 12th January.
For more information call Mellissa Gordon on 020 8662 4663 or
email mellissa.gordon@nas.org.uk for an application pack.
Information
Freedom Pass Goes 24 Hour
From Friday 2 January 2009 Elderly Freedom Passes will be accepted on Transport for London services (buses, tubes, trams and Docklands Light Railway) on a 24 hour basis. Time restrictions will no longer apply.
For more information visit www.freedompass.org.
Extra Christmas Bonus
People receiving a range of benefits, such as Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Carer's Allowance, usually receive a £10 Christmas Bonus.
This year the Chancellor has announced an additional tax-free payment of £60. The increase will be paid automatically in the New Year to those receiving qualifying benefits - people do not need to apply.
For more information, including a list of qualifying benefits, visit www.direct.gov.uk or call the Department for Work and Pensions on 0800 141 2591.
Websites for Carers
The Carer offers a range of articles, tips and practical advice on a variety of issues relevant to carers such as accommodation, health issues, money matters and bereavement.
FundingCaring explains the financial options available if you care for an elderly or disabled relative, or are unable to look after yourself.
Both these websites are produced by PtS, a specialist publishing house that aims to provide clear expert-based information on a wide range of human interest topics. PtS currently has over 400 sites, all of which they claim are painstakingly researched and completely unbiased.
Help Write a Special Needs Handbook
The authors of a new Special Needs Handbook are asking for parents/carers of children with disabilities, and the professionals working with them, to contribute tips and advice based on their own experience.
The Special Needs Handbook will be available to download free of charge, and is intended to be an information-sharing, daily problem-solving guide for everyone who works with, or cares for, children with disabilities.
If you would like to contribute call 020 7183 2277 or email helen@specialneedshandbook.com or deborah@specialneedshandbook.com.
Carers Online Book Club
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers runs an online book club where carers can come to talk about the books they have read and post reviews. The books do not have to be about caring, just something you have read and want to share your opinion of.
For more information visit www.carers.org.
Safeguarding Adults Consultation
The Department of Health, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice have launched a national consultation on the review of the No Secrets guidance.
The No Secrets guidance advises local agencies who have a responsibility to investigate and take action when a vulnerable adult is believed to be suffering abuse.
The consultation is asking for the views of everyone from lawyers and social workers to service users and charities.
To take part in the consultation got to www.dh.gov.uk. The deadline for contributions in Saturday 31 January 2009.
Supporting Carers - Guide for GPs
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners, has published a new guide for general practitioners to help them support carers.
Supporting Carers aims to ensure carers are recognised in practices so that they, and those they care for, can enjoy the best possible health.
The guide is free and available to download from www.carers.org.
Walks with Wheelchairs
Walks with Wheelchairs is a website dedicated to providing free information on walks that are accessible for wheelchair users throughout the UK.
The site currently has over 300 walks all over England, including 12 in Surrey and three in Croydon.
For more information visit www.walkswithwheelchairs.com.
Gardening for Disabled Trust
The Gardening for Disabled Trust aims to help people affected by age, accident or disability continue to enjoy their gardens.
The trust can:
- Adapt private gardens to meet the special needs of the disabled.
- Make grants towards tools, raised beds, paving and greenhouses.
- Provide help with special gardens in hospitals, centres and schools.
- Distribute information on garden aids and techniques.
- Provide a forum for disabled gardeners by publishing the Garden Club’s magazine.
For more information visit www.gardeningfordisabledtrust.org.uk.
