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?
Does Your Child have an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
Bensham Manor School holds a regular support group for parents of children with ASD who attend a Croydon school and the professionals working with them.
There will be a talk on ASD and co-existing problems with anxiety on Thursday 11 March, 4 - 5.30 pm, at Bensham Manor School, Ecclesbourne Road, Thornton Heath CR7 7BN.
The speaker will be Dr Angel Adams, a clinical child psychologist specialising in children and adolescents with ASD. There will be an opportunity to ask questions after the presentation.
Schools are asked to pay an annual subscription of £30 to attend these sessions, and parents are asked to donate £1 per session.
For more information or if you would like to attend contact Laura Matthews or Kristy Petroni on 020 8684 0116 or email
asdsupportgroup@benshammanor.com.
Raising the Standard
Croydon Council is holding its annual residents’ conference on Wednesday 17 March at Fairfield Halls for anyone who lives on an estate or in a property managed by Croydon Council.
The theme for this year’s conference is raising the standard of housing services in Croydon. Residents will have the opportunity to feedback on current services and to speak to senior officers and managers from the key service areas, including housing management and allocations and repairs.
This will be an all day events and lunch and refreshments will be provided.
For more information call Tim Nash on 020 8726 6100 ext 62954.
Special Educational Needs
The Kids Parent Partnership Service supports parents and carers of children with special educational needs.
The service holds monthly drop-in sessions and the next one will be on Thursday 18 March, 10 am - 12.30 pm, in Room 36 (Ground Floor), Leon House Precinct, 217 High Street, Croydon CR9 1LJ. This session will deal with special educational provision, statutory assessments and disability tribunals.
If you would like to attend, or need more information, call 020 8688 8288 or email aurelija.supronaite@kids.org.uk.
Employment Workshop
DisabilityCroydon is holding a Disability and Employment Training Workshop on Thursday 18 March, 10 am - 2 pm, at Strand House, Zion Road, Thornton Heath, CR7 8RG. The workshop is aimed at people with disabilities who want to find out about their employment rights and what support would be available if they start work.
To book a place or for more information call Paul or Anita on 020 8684 5538.
Improving Mental Health Services
The Mental Health Partnership Group is inviting anyone with an interest in mental health services in Croydon to come and discuss the Mental Health Strategy on Thursday 18 March, 1.30 - 5 pm, at the CVA Resource Centre, 82 London Road, CR0 2TB.
Lunch will be provided from 1.30 - 2 pm, followed by speakers and discussion groups.
To register for this event, and to receive discussion documents in advance, contact Sarah Schofield (020 8274 6030, sarah.schofield@croydonpct.nhs.uk) by Tuesday 16 March.
Parents in Partnership
Parents in Partnership (PIP) is a charity run by and on behalf of parents of children with disabilities. PIP works to reach as many parents as possible to make sure they have the information they need to access all the support they are entitled to, and have the opportunity to participate in the development of local services for families.
PIP is celebrating its 18th birthday and the launch of its new website on Monday 22 March with an all day event at the CVA Resource Centre, 82 London Road, West Croydon CR0 2TB, 10 am – 8 pm.
The event will be a chance to meet PIP staff, enjoy a free complementary therapy, take part in workshops and meet other professionals in Croydon working with families with a disabled child. There is no need to book for this event – you are welcome to just turn up on the day.
For more information on this event or any of PIP’s services call 020 8651 6198 or email pip.croydon@hotmail.co.uk.
Carers Involvement Fayre
Mental health service users, carers and professionals are invited to an involvement fayre in the Board Room at Tamworth Community Health Service, 37 Tamworth Road, Croydon CR0 1XT on Monday 22 March, 12.30 - 3.30 pm.
The aim of the fayre is to give people the opportunity to find out more about local mental health services and carer support services, and to become more involved by participating in a carers' consultation panel.
For more information contact Pauline Fisher on 020 8649 6294 or Dermot Boyle on 020 8649 6281.
Club Soda
A club night (run by and for people with learning disabilities) is being held at Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon CR9 1ET on Wednesday 24 March, 7 – 11 pm. There will be live music, short films, karaoke and much more.
Call 020 8253 1030 to book tickets (£6).
CroyCILL Showcase
CroyCILL (Croydon Centre for Independent Living and Learning) is holding an event on Friday 26 March, 10 am – 2.30 pm, at Croydon Park Hotel, 7 Altyre Road, Croydon CR9 5AA to celebrate their first year and review progress.
User-led groups that work with people with disabilities are invited to attend for the chance to network and promote their own projects.
For more information call 020 8684 5538 or email croycill@disabilitycroydon.org.uk.
Free Training for Carers
The Carers' Information Service holds monthly training sessions for carers. All training sessions are free of charge to carers living in Croydon and those caring for someone in the borough. Lunch is provided and the costs of childcare, alternative care and transport may be refunded.
Our next courses will be:
- Becoming Solution Focused in Your Life, Tuesday 13 April and 11 May, 10 am - 4 pm. This is a two-part course and carers need to be able to attend both sessions.
Solution Focused Therapy focuses on what people want their future to be like and any steps they can take (however small) to achieve their goals. Carers will be working under the guidance of Evan George, one of the founders of Solution Focused Therapy.
- Indian Head Massage, Tuesday 8 June, 9.30 am - 4 pm.
An opportunity to receive and learn how to give an Indian head massage and enjoy the many benefits such as tension and stress release, improved circulation and a boosted immune system. Indian Head Massage is not suitable for everybody – contact us for more information.
For further details or to book a place contact Ruth Laws, Volunteer and Training Coordinator, on 020 8649 6280 or email info@carerscontactline.co.uk.
Michael Jackson Tribute Evening
An evening of music and dancing on Saturday 24 April, 7 – 11.30 pm, at Trinity School, Shirley Park, Croydon CR9 7AT to raise money for Whitgift SNAP and Treetops.
For more information or to buy tickets call Karen and Andrew Lyons on 020 8777 0785 / 07789 005 272 or email lyonsfamily@hotmail.com.
Admission is for over 16s and is by prepaid ticket only.
EarlyBird Parenting Courses
Places are still available on the National Autistic Society EarlyBird and EarlyBird Plus courses which are being run in partnership with Croydon Council.
EarlyBird is a parenting support programme for families with a pre-school child with an autistic spectrum disorder, EarlyBird Plus is for families with a child aged 4-8 years.
These 10 week courses offer families the chance to find out more about autistic spectrum disorders, behaviour, communication and education. Sessions will involve group work and home visits. EarlyBird Plus also involves your child’s school so they can learn how best to provide support.
EarlyBird takes place on Mondays, 10 am - 12.30 pm starting 8th March 2010.
EarlyBird Plus takes place Wednesdays, 10 am - 2.30 pm starting 3rd March 2010. (It does not matter that you have missed the first session, you can still sign up).
For more information contact Mellissa Muscat (020 8662 4663, mellissa.muscat@nas.org.uk).
Anyone for Tennis?
Mental Health Service users are being invited to take part in tennis sessions at Purley Beeches Tennis Courts on Mondays at 2 pm. Sessions start on 15 March and the cost of the court (£5.10) will be split between the players.
For more information call Dora or Chloe on 020 8253 8205/6.
Age Concern Croydon
Age Concern Croydon offers a range of service to older people in the borough and their families. There have recently been lots of changes within the organisation, including the opening of a second office in Katharine Street. To ensure everyone is up to date with the changes and the services they offer Age Concern Croydon has produced a newsheet giving details of all their current projects and the contact details.
Click here to view the newsheet, or call Age Concern Croydon on 020 8680 5450.
Partnership for Older People
The Partnership for Older People project supports people aged 55 and over, and those caring for them, by offering information and advice at accessible venues around the borough from the POP bus.
Click here for the March 2010 calendar for the POP bus to find out when it will be near you.
Don't Let Yourself be Scammed
Croydon Trading Standards produces an e-bulletin that is full of information on how to avoid being taken in by scams. The e-bulletin lists the most common scams and explains why if something sounds too good to be true - it almost certainly is!
Click here to read the Croydon Trading Standards e-bulletin.
Stroke Support
Croydon Stroke Support Group offers information, advice, social activities, entertainment and exercise for people who have had a stroke and their carers. The group meets on the second Thursday of the month, 2 – 4 pm, and the last Thursday of the month, 12.30 – 3.30 pm, at Christ Church Community Centre, Sumner Road, Croydon CR0 3LJ.
There is also a Mayday Art Group for people who have had a stroke. The art group
meets every Monday, 10 – 11.30 am, at Mayday University Hospital, London Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 7YE.
For more information on either of these groups call John Bateson on 020 8401 3000 ext 4447 or visit www.croydonstrokesupport.co.uk.
Money Matters Survey
Scope Money Matters Survey wants to find out about the financial experiences of people with disabilities, and families with a disabled child, to help Scope provide better advice and services in the future.
The survey takes 10-15 minutes and can be completed at www.scope.org.uk. The deadline is Monday 15 March 2010.
Maintaining Your Relationship
One Plus One, the relationships research organisation, now has a series of articles on its website, www.thecoupleconnection.net, designed to help parents with a disabled child strengthen their relationship while facing the challenges and triumphs of being parent carers.
Mental Health Website
A new website, www.mentalhealthcare.org.uk, has been launched to provide reliable and up to date information for family members, friends and carers of people who have psychosis. The site will continue to be developed over the next couple of months.
Do You Care for a Child with a Disability?
The Department for Children, Schools and Families launched a public consultation on 1 February 2010 which, if agreed, will require all local authorities to provide short break services for parents of disabled children.
To take part in the consultation go to www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations.
The closing date is 26 April 2010.
Money Back on Energy Bills
The government has worked with energy suppliers to develop a scheme to help older pensioners on a low income by giving them £80 off their energy bills in 2010.
To qualify for the scheme you must be (on 26 March 2010):
- receiving the guarantee element of pension credit
- be aged 70 or over or live with a partner who is
- live in a household where they or their partner are responsible for the electricity bill.
There is no need to apply for this rebate - it should be paid automatically. More information will be sent out to eligible parties in June 2010 assuring them that the rebate is on its way.
More information will be available on www.direct.gov.uk.
Call the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for Free
Six of the largest mobile phone companies: O2, Orange, Tesco Mobile, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone no longer charge their customers for calling the DWP’s 0800 benefit claim lines.
This should meant that 90% of UK mobile phone users will be able to call the DWP for free.
Save Money on a Weekend Break
People with a Disabled Persons Railcard can receive up to 35% off a weekend stay at over 400 participating Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Express by Holiday Inn hotels across the UK, Europe and Middle East.
You can book online at www.ichotelsgroup.com or by phoning 0845 124 9973.
Offer is subject to availability and applies to participating hotels only. Terms and Conditions apply.
