Carers Leeds, 6-8 The Headrow, Leeds LS1 6PT
Tel: 0113 246 8338 or E-mail:
Website:
Company Registered No: 3242065
Charity No: 1058706
CARERS NEWS
Sponsored by Direct Line Insurance
February/March 2009
Editorial
This is a rather “heavyweight” edition of Carers News, following the publication of various reports in the Autumn.
I apologise for this, but feel you will want to be aware of developments. There is no doubt that carers are feeling the pinch financially but, disappointingly, there seems little chance of an early change to Carers Allowance.
A National Carers’ Protest is planned for Wednesday 22nd April in London. This is a grassroots carer-led initiative, though Carers UK and other carers’ organisations are supporting the group. Carers Leeds will not be organising a trip to London, but we will support any carers who wish to organise the trip themselves by offering any resources from our centre that would help.
Check out the online forum for discussion and planning, including publicity materials, at
Jill Foalks
News from Carers Leeds
Trustee Changes
Following our very enjoyable Annual General Meeting in November, there have been several changes on our Board of Trustees.
Thanks go to the following people who have stood down from the Board: Pat Parker, who was Chairperson for 5 of her 7 years’ membership; Drew Dodds, who served as Treasurer for 10 years; Jennie Collins and Gurcharan Singh Kundi.
Tony Spice is the new Chairman. He has many years’ experience in the Voluntary Sector, both as an employee and as a Trustee. Margaret Faulkner and Sian Cartwright are our Vice Chairpersons.
We are in the process of recruiting new Trustees and would welcome calls on 0113 246 8338 from anyone interested in being considered for membership of the Board.
We are also still in the process of appointing two paid staff - a new Manager and a Carers’ Group Development Worker.
Tony and the other Trustees look forward with enthusiasm to developing Carers Leeds over the coming year and hope the future is bright for us all.
A New Parent Carer Support Group in Otley will be launched on Tuesday 17th February at 10.30 am at Otley Children’s Centre, Ashfield Primary School, Weston Lane.
Thanks to Otley Town Council and Otley Beer Festival, who have generously funded the group, it will meet monthly and will offer complementary therapies, outings, social events and mutual support.
Can you spare 2 or 3 hours once a month?
We are seeking volunteers to be part of our Time for Carers grants allocation panel. It meets on Mondays once every few weeks, at 12.30 pm. Sandwiches are provided. Panel members look at grant applications in pairs, with support from our Finance Officer, Gill Hutchison.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for Time for Carers, please call Gill on 0113 380 4302. Currently people from Black and Minority Ethnic communities and carers aged 18-25 are under-represented on the panel and we would particularly welcome applications from those groups.
Extend exercise classes are mostly chair-based classes to music – they are fun, lively and are aimed at getting your body moving without being too challenging. The classes we have held here have been very much enjoyed by carers.
We are pleased to announce that we have been funded by the Healthy Leeds Special Grants Programme to run monthly Extend classes at Carers Leeds until June this year. Please see page 5 for dates. Carers are welcome to book onto one or all of the Extend classes. If you attend a class you can stay afterwards for a drink, snack and chat, but full lunch will not be available.
Should you need help with the cost of replacement care and/or transport to enable you to attend, please contact Carers Leeds on 0113 246 8338.
Carers Leeds Annual Report 2007 - 2008
Our Annual Report is available to download from our website, or we can send you a copy by post if you call 0113 246 8338.
Thank you to all those businesses and individuals who donated prizes for our Christmas Party; also to the Metropole Hotel staff for making us feel so welcome and to those people attending who donated towards the cost.
Our thanks also go to Nicola at The Nail Room in Wetherby for her manicures for carers at the Wetherby Carers’ January meeting.
Local & national news
Carers hit hard by economic crisis
The findings of a recent poll of over 1,700 carers, by Carers UK, reveal just how hard carers have been hit by rising living costs and the economic downturn in the last year. Nine in ten (86%) say their financial position is worse than 12 months ago. Yet they provide vital unpaid support for their elderly, sick or disabled relatives, saving the UK economy £87 billion a year. Half of all carers are cutting back on food just to make ends meet, more than double the rate only a year ago. 32% of those paying a rent or mortgage say they cannot afford to pay it.
Three quarters (74%) are struggling to pay utility bills, with 65% in fuel poverty (paying more than 10% of their income on fuel bills). 78% cannot afford essential repairs to the home. Because of high petrol costs, one quarter were cutting down on essential journeys to go food shopping, visit the doctor etc.
Perhaps most worrying is that over half of carers questioned are now in debt as a result of caring, compared to a third last year. In struggling to make ends meet, many carers were resorting to borrowing, using bank overdrafts (33%), credit cards (35%) and loans (15%). Nearly one third of those owing money already had over £10,000 worth of debt.
Carers can face higher bills than the rest of the population (including extra heating and transport costs) and many do not get support from social services, meaning that they have to pay for care themselves. Nearly two thirds are spending their own income or savings to pay for care for the person they look after (up from 35% in 2007). The majority of respondents were also in receipt of benefits, severely affecting their ability to make repayments. Most of the respondents care for more than 50 hours per week, some of the 1.3 million carers across the UK who provide full time care. Few of these carers are able to work, meaning they are reliant on benefits which have not kept pace with the spiralling costs of food and fuel.
Imelda Redmond, Chief Executive, commented: "Many carers struggle day in, day out to provide care for someone whom they love who is disabled or ill, and have found they have no choice but to give up work in order to care. Whilst the physical and mental demands of caring often make carers’ own health worse, the appallingly low level of Carer’s Allowance, worth only £50.55 per week, is only making life even harder. Carers are being stretched to the limit by the current economic situation. Carers have higher costs than everyone else and yet they have fewer opportunities to increase their income through employment, making it even harder to manage financially when rising prices bite. The irony of this appalling situation is that our economy and our communities depend heavily on the care provided by carers - worth a staggering £87 billion a year. We must support them more and not force them into financial hardship as a result of their caring role. Government recently promised a review of carers’ benefits and have pledged that by 2018 that carers will not suffer financial hardship as a result of caring. Our survey shows that they are suffering right now and we need immediate action right now to stop carers from sliding into even further into poverty.”
Carers UK has produced ‘Looking After Someone – a guide to carers’ rights and benefits for all carers’, available from or by calling 0808 808 7777.
Events for Carers in February & March 2009
Bookings taken from Tuesday 3rd February:
tel. 0113 246 8338 - All events are free of charge unless stated otherwise.
Talk about Hypnotherapy
Monday 23rd February from 11.00 am to 12.30 pm at Carers Leeds, 6-8 The Headrow, Leeds LS1
Join us for an informative talk by Dr Vernon Sykes, a practising hypnotherapist in Leeds. Learn how hypnotherapy can release the accumulation of daily anxiety, stress, anguish and frustration experienced by many carers, so that it never mounts up to a noticeable level. A light lunch will be served after the talk.
Need to book: tel. 0113 246 8338 from 3rd February
Carers’ Cafés
All carers are welcome to drop in to Carers Leeds, 6-8 The Headrow, Leeds LS1 on Thursday 12th February from 11.00 am to 12.00 pm for a cuppa and a chat with other carers. People who haven’t attended an event at Carers Leeds before are particularly invited.
On Thursday 5th March (please note this is not our usual ‘2nd Thursday’ slot) from 11.00 am - 12.00 pm we will celebrate World Book Day with a Book Swap at the Café. Carers are invited to bring a book they have read and enjoyed and to exchange it for a different one.
Morley Carers
Tuesday 17th February
Join us in the Community Room at Morley
Fire Station from 10.00 am - 12 noon for a chance to share experiences and information on caring for someone over a cuppa in a small, friendly group.
All carers welcome, but especially those living in the Morley area.
More details from Jill at Carers Leeds on 0113 380 4306.
Visit to the Leeds Museum
Tuesday 24th February
Meet outside the museum, on Millennium Square, at 1.00 pm for a tour around the museum, then enjoy a complimentary cuppa and cake in the café at 2.30 pm.
Need to book: tel. 0113 246 8338
Leodis Carers Support Group
This group will meet on Wednesday 4th February and Wednesday 4th March from 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm at Crossgates Good Neighbours, Station Road, Leeds LS15.
All carers are welcome, but especially those living in East Leeds. More details from Carers Leeds on 0113 246 8338.
Carers’ Drop-in Surgery in Colton
If you live in East Leeds, you can drop into Colton Mill Medical Centre on Stile Hill Way, Leeds LS15 to see a Carers Support Worker individually. She will be there from 1.30 pm - 3.30 pm on Thursday 19th February and Thursday 19th March and on the 3rd Thursday of every month thereafter. More details from Carrie at Carers Leeds on 0113 380 4304.
Wellbeing Days
Mondays 9th & 23rd February and 2nd & 23rd March at Carers Leeds, 6-8 The Headrow, Leeds LS1.
Choose from Aromatherapy Massage, Indian Head Massage, Reflexology, Relaxation or face and neck massage with pressure points.
Individual appointments, lasting 40 minutes, are available between 10.00 am and 2.10 pm at a cost of £3 per person.
Need to book: tel. 0113 246 8338 from 3rd February
Please note: Each carer may have a maximum of 2 therapy sessions between April 2008 and March 2009.
International Women’s Day
Wednesday 11th March, 10.00 am - 2.30 pm
Join us at Carers Leeds, 6-8 The Headrow, Leeds LS1 for a special day, with a light lunch.
Morning Workshop on Positive Affirmations: learn how to use affirmations to harness the power of positive thinking. Create and decorate your own book of inspiring quotes and affirmations to take home with you.
Afternoon Hand Massage Workshop: hand massage is a great way to ease tension and keep hands supple and dextrous. Learn how to give and receive a simple hand massage using essential oils.
Need to book: tel. 0113 246 8338 from 3rd February
Theatre trip to the West Yorkshire Playhouse
We are hoping to organise a trip for 15 carers to go to a matinee performance at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in February or March. We may even manage to get tickets to see Lenny Henry as Othello!
Please register your interest from Tuesday 3rd February: tel. 0113 246 8338
Male Carers Group
Lunchtime Concert at Leeds College of Music on Wednesday 18th February. Meet at Carers Leeds, 6-8 The Headrow, Leeds LS1 by 12.30 pm.
Need to book: tel. 0113 246 8338 from 3rd February
Visit to the Royal
Armouries on Thursday 19th March.
Meet at Carers Leeds, 6-8 The Headrow, Leeds LS1 by 11.30 am. Need to book: tel. 0113 246 8338 from 3rd February
PACES Parent Carers Express Support Group for parent carers of children and young people with special needs, disabilities and long-term health conditions in South Leeds.
On Tuesday 10th February from 12 noon to 1.30 pm we’ll be meeting at the Belle Isle Family Centre on Belle Isle Road, with a speaker from South Leeds Health for All talking about Healthy Lifestyles.
On Tuesday 10th March from 12 noon to 1.30 pm we have a Massage Therapist coming to give us a bit of pampering!
Soup and sandwiches are provided on both dates - please make a small donation if possible. More details from Carers Leeds: tel. 0113 246 8338.
Otley Parent Carers Group Launch Tuesday 17th February
We look forward to meeting parent carers of children and young people from Otley and surrounding areas at the launch.
For more details please contact Val Hewison at Carers Leeds on 0113 380 4308.
Wetherby Carers
at Wetherby Town Hall, in the Micklethwaite Room, from 10.00 am - 12 noon.
Join other local carers for a chance to share experiences and information and to have a break from caring on Thursday 19th February and Thursday 19th March. Coffee, tea and cakes will be served.
Please feel free to just turn up on the day, or contact Carers Leeds on 0113 246 8338 for more information.
Extend Gentle Exercise
Thursday 26th February & Thursday 26th March 11.00 am at Carers Leeds, 6-8 The Headrow, Leeds LS1
Extend is an enjoyable and light-hearted gentle exercise class to music. Expect to move around a bit but not to get tired out!
Come and spend some time with other carers and be healthy whilst doing it.
Class followed by drinks and snacks if you wish to stay on for a short time.
Need to book: tel. 0113 246 8338 from 3rd February
Carers’ Education & Training Programme
Dealing With Stress - Workshop in Morley
Tuesday 17th March 10.00 am -12.00 pm at Central Methodist Church, Wesley Street, Morley.
This workshop with Diane Shillito aims to help carers to recognise stress and how it may affect you and looks at ways to reduce stress and some relaxation techniques.
Need to book: tel. 0113 246 8338 from 3rd February
Step Out With Confidence
A free 4 week course for carers, organised by Carers Leeds, starting Wednesday 4th March and continuing weekly at the Barbados Association, 15 Reginald Row, Chapeltown, Leeds LS7, from 12.30 pm - 3.30 pm. This course will help boost your confidence and help you make the most of your potential. For further information, or to book a place, please ring Camille on 0113 380 4303.
Carers Connections
Issues about confidentiality Wednesday 11th February & Wednesday 18th February from 1.00 pm - 2.30 pm at Carers Leeds, 6-8 The Headrow, Leeds LS1
This is a two session course where Dr David Newby (Medical Director) will explore with carers:
What information mental health workers can share with family and friends about someone who uses mental health services.
How carers may negotiate with mental health workers to share information that they need to know in order to offer support to the service user
What the law says about confidentiality in relation to mental health
This course is suitable for any carers who would like to know more about confidentiality and mental health.
Mental Capacity Act & Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Thursday 29th January & Thursday 5th February from 10.30 am-12.00 pm at Carers Leeds, 6-8 The Headrow, Leeds LS1.
This may sound boring for a lot of carers, but the information could be important to you in your caring role. These sessions will be run by Peter Scanlon (Mental Capacity Act Manager) who is skilled at making this information interesting and entertaining.
The first session will cover an overview of the Mental Capacity Act and how this may impact on your caring role.
The second session will focus on Deprivation of Liberty. This applies to deprivation of liberty which may apply to certain people who lack mental capacity and are cared for in residential homes or hospitals. It does not apply to people who are in sheltered housing or cared for in their own home. It will cover:
When and why a person lacking capacity may be deprived of his/her liberty
The purpose behind the safeguards
What you as a carer can do if you’re worried about someone in a hospital or care home whom you think may be being deprived of their liberty
Anyone who wants to attend this second session must have attended the first session.
For further information and to book places please contact Glenn Burrows on 0113 295 4422.
Calling all Carers!
Do you look after someone who is ill or relies on you? Come and join our Carers Course! ‘Looking After Me’ A free, six-week session course for Carers to help Carers cope and look after their health. We have course books in braille and on audio and will be happy to explain in more detail. We help with transport and care costs. Contact the Expert Patients Programme on 0113 305 7591 or 305 7582 or email: .
More local & national news
Proposed Carer Support Allowance