What support may be available for me?
Top tips
Let your GP know that you are a carer
GP practices keep a register of their carers. This may give you access to:
- Flu vaccinations
- Adaptable appointments
- Joint appointments
- Access to social prescribers who can direct you to appropriate community help related to your physical and mental health
Stay connected
- Being a carer can be lonely. Register with Staffordshire Together for Carers to meet other carers, either virtually or face to face including access to a 24/7 telephone helpline.
- Access a carers specific social group. Go to Staffordshire Connects to find out what is in your local area.
- Join carers groups on social media.
- Invest in technology like FaceTime and Alexa that help you stay connected with friends, family, and wider networks.
Explore online tools that may be able to help you.
There are a few digital tools and resources that have been designed specially to help support carers in their role. Some of the best ones available have been listed for you below.
Benefits
There are a range of benefits available to carers and working through them can be daunting. Carers UK have a useful guide to these benefits and how to claim them.
Staffordshire Together for Carers offer access to personalised advice and support on benefits, budget planning and emergency household, food and fuel support. For more information, contact Staffordshire Together for Carers Service on 0300 303 0621.
Commonly asked questions
- Answer:
- Staffordshire Connects is a directory of community activities and services in your local area. It contains a dedicated page for carers.
- Answer:
- Yes. Under the Care Act you are entitled to an assessment in your own right, either jointly with the person that you care for, or individually. You can find out more information about this assessment, including what you will be asked and how it might benefit you.
Taking a break from caring
There are several organisations across Staffordshire that can support you as a carer. This can range from leisure activities designed just for you, to social groups that you can attend with the person that you care for. Some are designed specifically for carers whilst others are more general.
For a range of activities in your local area visit: Staffordshire Together for Carers website and view their latest newsletter, or go to Staffordshire Connects which is the directory of community activities and services in your local area. It contains a dedicated page for carers.
If you are eligible, a one off Carers Direct payment can also be used to pay towards a break.
Respite (or replacement) care
For information about respite care and breaks for carers see our pages about respite care.
If you as a carer are eligible for support, you may also be eligible for a carer’s direct payment to help meet your needs. This is a one-off payment given to carers to support them to look after their own wellbeing. For example, this could be used to pay towards a break, for support to help improve your health and emotional wellbeing such as to go to the gym, or to purchase a piece of equipment.
Access to a carers direct payment, will be discussed and agreed with you during your carers assessment where your needs as a carer will be identified.
To request a carers assessment, please contact Staffordshire Cares:
We’ve teamed up with Carers UK to give carers in our area access to a wide range of digital tools and essential resources that may help make their caring situation easier.
To access the information, visit the login page.
If you haven’t used the service before, you will need to register using code DPCN9841. This will only take a few minutes. This code also gives carers access to the Jointly app. This can make caring for someone a little less stressful by helping the people who support someone to keep each other up to date from day to day by using their smartphone or tablet.
Carers UK have a page dedicated to technology and equipment that could help make life as a carer easier.
There are an increasing number of health and wellbeing apps available. We are making it easier to help you find apps that can help you (and the people you care for) to stay healthy and well. Use our health and wellbeing app finder to find trusted apps.
- Health Fabric has a number of features which helps to manage personalised, preventative healthcare.
- Learn My Way - A variety of courses are available from an introduction to going online from setting up an email account.
- Looking after yourself - a range of resources to support carers to look after their physical and emotional wellbeing.
See the equipment and technology pages for information about what and where to buy different products that can assist you with your caring role.
If you need to speak to someone, the Council fund the Staffordshire Together for Carers Service to deliver support to Carers free of charge, this includes:
- A dedicated support worker
- 1-2-1 and group-based support
- Information advice and guidance on range of matters relevant to the caring role
- Access to personalised advice and support on benefits, budget planning and emergency household, food and fuel support
- Support to access community resources, networks, and services
- Support to take breaks from caring, including befriending and peer support
- Support to develop emergency and contingency plans and support with future planning
- Training and skills development
- Newsletters four times per year detailing local groups, activities and training
- Online Carers Community Network for Carers to connect with other Carers and talk about topics most important to them
- A 24/7 Volunteer manned Carers Help and Talk (CHAT) Line
Carers who do not wish to take part in a Carers Assessment but would like to access the information, advice and support provided by the Staffordshire Together for Carers Service can contact them directly, Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm:
Telephone: 0300 303 0621
Text: 07786 201226
General Email: enquiries@staffordshiretogetherforcarers.org.uk
View the Staffordshire Together for Carers Website
If you would like a Carers Assessment, please see our Carers' Assessments Webpage
Other useful organisations / advice
Support for carers - British Sign Language version
There is also an easy read guide available on Bolton Council's website.
In addition to the services offered by Staffordshire Together for Carers, the following charities and organisations provide services for carers across Staffordshire.
More can be found on Staffordshire Connects.