Carer Support News Bulletin

May 2015

This information bulletin is for carers, professionals working with carers and other organisations supporting carers.The Carer Support Team supports informal carers in Wolverhampton. The carer might be looking after someone with a physical or sensory disability, mental health need, learning disability; they may be an older frail person or the parent/carer of a child with a disability.

To find out more about the support we provide contact the carers team on 01902 553409. You can visit our website at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/carers, email us at or drop in to the Carers Centre, Blossoms Fold, Off North Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 4HJ.

Please feel free to pass this bulletin to anyone you think might find it useful.The current edition of the City Carer magazine is available to pick one up from the Carers Centre in Blossom’s Fold or from your local GP surgery, library or information point.

Contents

  1. City Carer Magazine – new look summer issue out now!If you are interested in doing a session or know anyone who may want to come... non members more than welcome... please let me know
  2. Carers Week activities
  3. Care Act & what this means to you: Leaflet attached
  4. Adult Social Care Local Account 2013-14
  5. Care Act Information (attached leaflet)
  6. Healthwatch update
  7. Black Country Neurological Alliance
  8. NICE: Mental health problems in people with learning disabilities
  9. Alzheimer’s Society – Vintage Tea Dance (19 May 2015)
  10. Better off in Wolverhampton
  1. City Carer Magazine

The new look summer edition of the magazine is out now. Please find a copy included with this bulletin. The Carer Support team hope that you find this full of useful information and advice to support you. If you would printed copies of the magazine, if you feel there is someone that could benefit with a copy or if you would like to include some information that might be useful for carers please get in touch with Melinder on 01902 553429 or email .

  1. Carers Week Activities: 8 to 14 June 2015

This year Carers Week is going to be run from 8 to 14 June. Carers Week is an annual campaign organised by Carers UK to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. This year the focus is on Building Carer Friendly Communities. Communities which support carers to look after their loved ones well, while recognising that they are individuals with needs of their own. Part of this support is about looking after their Health and wellbeing. The Carer Support Team organise events and awareness raising activities for informal carers during this time.

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight thechallenges carers face and recognise thecontribution they make to families andcommunities throughout the UK. This yearthe focus is on Building Carer FriendlyCommunities. Communities which supportcarers to look after their loved ones well,while recognising that they are individualswith needs of their own.In Wolverhampton we will be raisingawareness and identify hidden carers byensuring that our information is availableat various information points in the City.In addition we will be having staffedinformation stands at the following:

  • Wednesday 10 June: 10am to 2pm at Asda, Wolverhampton (by the Molineux)
  • Friday 12 June: 10am to 2pm at Bilston Market(Indoor market by doors)
  1. Care Act & what this means to you

A leaflet has been included with this bulletin.

  1. Adult Social Care Local Account 2013 – 14

The Local Account highlights how adult social care services performed in 2013-14. It details successes, challenges and priorities for the coming year.

It shows that Wolverhampton City Council spent £82.7m – nearly a third of its net budget – on social care services for adults in 2013-14.

These include help and support for older residents and people with disabilities or mental health needs, as well as housing support services and the provision of equipment and adaptations to enable people to remain in their own homes for longer.

The Local Account shows that in 2013-14, nearly 6,000 individuals received adult social care or carer support services and that:

  • more people with learning disabilities and mental health difficulties were helped to move into independent or supported living
  • three more dementia cafes were established across the city, giving families support, information and advice on all aspects of living with dementia, or caring for someone with dementia
  • more than 3,150 vulnerable people were helped to continue living independently in their own homes, with the number of people receiving Telecare assistive technology continuing to rise
  • the Adult Social Care Information Portal, a web-based directory of all adult social care services, information, advice and guidance, was launched
  • 253 businesses across the city are now engaged in the ‘Safe Places’ scheme, enabling adults with a learning disability to quickly identify a place of safety by means of a red telephone poster in the windows of shops or in the public areas of buildings.

Councillor Steve Evans, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Services, said: “We are committed to ensuring our services are more personalised, preventative and focused on delivering the best results for those who use them.

“I am pleased at the improvements we are continuing to make to social care services in Wolverhampton highlighted in the Local Account, particularly the further expansion of the Safe Places scheme in the city and the development of more dementia cafes to provide help and support to our growing elderly population.

“2013-14 was a tough year, with the council having to make some very difficult decisions because of the unprecedented financial challenge we face.

“This, together with the introduction of the Care Act 2014, will require further innovation in how services are delivered in future but I am confident that the work we’ve done already will mean that vulnerable people in Wolverhampton continue to be able to access the social care support they need, when they need it.”

To read the Adult Social Care Local Account 2013-14, please visit http://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=5928&p=0

To read the Executive Summary of the Adult Social Care Local Account 2013-14, please visit http://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=6415&p=0

Work is now underway to develop the 2014-15 Local Account; we are very keen to get your views on this year’s Local Account and would appreciate if you could feedback to us what you thought by completing a short online survey; this will enable us to improve on our approach to the next Local Account. To access the online survey please visit:

For further information on the Local Account or to receive printed copies of information,

please contact:Amrita Sharma, Regulation & Business Support Officer, Wolverhampton City Council, Tel: 01902 555140 orEmail:

  1. Care Act Information (see attached leaflet)
  1. Healthwatch update

What is Healthwatch Wolverhampton?

Healthwatch is an independent service. It was set up to make sure that you can have your say about health and social care services in Wolverhampton.

  • It will gather what people say, and use it to help shape health and social care services in Wolverhampton.
  • It will provide information to help people make choices about the health service they use.
  • It will help refer people to someone to support them in making a complaint.

How will healthwatch do this?

  • Will get people involved in talking about their experiences with the health and social care services.
  • Will use the information gathered from what people say to help decision makers improve the quality of local services.
  • Will make recommendations for improvements based on evidence.
  • Will reflect the diversity of Wolverhampton’s population, including children and young people.
  • Will continue to build on the work that is already taking place.
  • Will work in partnership with services.

How can I get involved?

There are many ways you can get involved with the work that Healthwatch is doing.

  • You can become a Champion
  • You can become a Volunteer
  • You can become a Supporter

To find out more about the difference with each of the above roles and more about healthwatch, come to our event on Wednesday 20 May 2015, at the

The Lindens, 211 Tettenhall Road, Wolverhampton, WV6 0DD,

There will be 3 sessions ~ (you only need to attend one)

  1. 10am to 12 midday
  2. 2pm to 4pm
  3. 6pm to 8pm

To book a place contact 01902 426271 or log onto

  1. Black Country Neurological Alliance

The Black Country Neurological Alliance is organising a “Road Show”, which is to take place at the Molineux Football Stadium on the 18th of June, from 3.30pm until 7pm. Various organisations who provide support to people affected by neurological conditions will be attending with information stands and presentations. Details will be available on our website: Please join us, it’s free and light refreshments will be available. For further information please email To book please email The venue is fully accessible and there is parking on site.

  1. NICE: Mental health problems in people with learning disabilities

The Department of Health has asked the National Institute For Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to produce a clinical guideline on “mental health problems in people with learning disabilities.” This will provide good practice advice and will be developed during 2015. The completed guidance will be launched in September 2016 following a period of consultation.

NICE have already appointed a Guideline Development Group (GDG) who are an independent committee of people who largely provide and commission services for people with learning disabilities who experience mental health problems. The GDG recognise that they will benefit enormously from the contribution of people with learning disabilities and family carers sharing their knowledge and experience.

Therefore, NICE have asked the British Institute of Learning Disabilities(BILD) to recruit, work with and support two expert groups to make sure that the guidance recognises and addresses the experiences of people with learning disabilities and family carers.

We still have places available on the expert group for family carers of children and young people with severe or profound learning disability who have had mental health problems. We would like to hear from family carers about their experiences of getting support and navigating the mental health system. We would also like to hear their views about what the mental health guidelines say or should say. However, we will not be asking about behaviour that challenges as this will be covered by another NICE guideline

The Family carer expert group will meet three times in 2015 at BILD’s offices in Birmingham on 28th April, 26th June and 30th September. Each meeting will be facilitated by an experienced member of BILD staff. The Guideline Development Group will identify the issues and information to be discussed at each meeting and BILD will report to the GDG on what has been discussed at each meeting.

In terms of practical arrangements, BILD will be responsible for arranging and paying for travel and family carers who will need to pay support costs for their relative will have these reimbursed. To find out more or if you would like to get involved, please contact Emma Loft () at BILD or ring 0121 415 6960.

  1. Alzheimer’s Society, Wolverhampton Dementia Action Alliance:

Vintage Tea Dance 19 May 2015

Wolverhampton’s Dementia Action Alliance would like to invite you to a Vintage Tea Dance with tea and cakes to celebrate Dementia Awareness Week. This will take place on 19 May 2015, from 2pm to 4pm in the Mayor’s Parlour, Civic Centre. Places will be on a first come first served basis so please contact Jane on 07714 139406 or email

  1. Better off in Wolverhampton

Better off in Wolverhampton is a big lottery funded project aimed at helping improve the financial capability of council and housing association tenants based in Wolverhampton.

We are here to offer support and information for anyone who feels they could use some assistance with budgeting, benefit entitlements, bills or setting up their first tenancy.

We provide an outreach service and will arrange appointments at a place and time that is convenient for the service user. An initial assessment will be carried out to determine the kind of help required and this can be given for as long as needed. We may be able help find the best deals and work out how you can save money and be better off.

You can be referred to the service via one of our partner agencies or a self-referral can be made by calling on 01902 572027 or email at .

Melinder Kaur, Information Officer

Carer Support Centre, Blossoms Fold, Wolverhampton, WV1 4HJ

Tel: 01902 553429 Email:

www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/carers