Carers Centre Tower Hamlets
CARERS CENTRE TOWER HAMLETS
About Us
The Carers Centre Tower Hamlets is a well established local organisation, an independent registered charity and a Company Limited by Guarantee.
We are based in Stepney, East London and currently work with 1100 unpaid carers who look after people who could not manage without their help. This can be due to age, physical or mental illness, addiction or disability.
Our services are well supported and funded by London Borough of Tower Hamlets Adults Health & Wellbeing, London Catalyst & the Livery Company of Coopers although we also work with a wide range of partners (both statutory and voluntary) throughout the borough and beyond.
Our building is fully accessible and is situated on main bus routes for easy access from central London.
Governance & Management
Our work is governed by a carer-led Board of Trustees i.e. the majority of its members are Carers themselves. The Board is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the organisation and the types of work we undertake on behalf of Tower Hamlets Carers.
Day to day management of the organisation is carried out by the Chief Executive. The staff team currently consists of 7 staff, supplemented by a sessional worker and university students carrying out placements here as a part of their studies towards gaining professional qualifications in health and social care.
We are a member of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, a network of 133 Carers Centres based in local communities throughout the UK
Our Services
The Carers Centre Tower Hamlets provides advice, information and support services to all Carers within the borough. Those services include:
Generic Carers Support Service
Bengali Carers Support Service (bi-lingual)
Carers Rights
Counselling & Stress Management
Mental Health Carers Support Service
Welfare Benefits Service
Social Activities
Complementary Therapies
Sessional Breaks Service
Carers Forum
Access to trust funds & bursaries
Support & training to improve confidence & skills
Home visits for Carers who are housebound
Men's Social group
Care-Plus for Carers of people with end-stage heart failure
Carers Together quarterly newsletter
Carers Support Group
Assessments for Carers Direct Payments
Carers Leisure Card
The following gives just a flavour of the wide variety and types of work we are currently engaged in.
Carers Support Service
This project offers advice, information and an advocacy service to all Carers in Tower Hamlets. The service involves providing advice, information and a casework service on a range of issues relevant to Carers including health & social care, housing, welfare benefits for the Carer & Cared For, respite breaks and support to access community care services. We deal with inward referrals from any agency or self referrals and Carers Assessment of Needs. We make onward referrals for carers to social care, Occupational Therapy, health agencies, GP’s, respite, Carers Handyman, Carers Relief, other carers agencies, wheelchair service etc.
Breaks for Carers
We provide complementary therapies including Reflexology, massage, acupuncture to aid stress management. We also provide counselling for carers regarding Disability issues and the impact of the caring role
Carers Forums & Carers Groups
In addition we provide a monthly Carers Forum and Mental Health Carers Forum, Carers Support Group, Art & Crafts Group, Men's Social group.
Relaxation Day
Relaxation Days are held once a month and enable Carers to come together to participate in a variety of complementary therapies such as a pre-booked massage, reflexology, or acupuncture, session to help with stress management. These regular breaks enable Carers to share their experiences with others in a similar role, have lunch with other Carers and all benefit from mutual support. An average of 60 people attends our relaxation days each month.
Basic Computer Skills Training
We offer a Carers Drop-in Internet Cafe/ IT suite which provides opportunities to learn to use a computer to enable access to information and services via the internet. Sessions are designed to encourage carers to learn the basics of computer use for example creating, editing & saving documents, how to use email and to explore the internet at their own pace.
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