Midland Mencap - Carer Support Service
Carers Support Service
Working in partnership with Birmingham City Council Adults & Communities Directorate, Midland Mencap have set up a Carer Support Service. This Service was developed in response to the Government’s National Strategy for Carers: Caring for Carers, which was published in 1999 (NSC).
Aim of the Service
Midland Mencap has a small team of staff. The role of the service will be to offer the following support to Carers across Birmingham:
- To provide practical and emotional help, support and guidance to Carers and other family members.
- To act as a link between Carers and service providers.
- To identify existing Carer provision and signpost to appropriate services.
- Provide information to Carers about Learning Disability.
- To provide Carers with information about local Learning Disability services and how to access them.
- To provide Carers with information about carers breaks, funding and respite services.
- To facilitate the involvement of Carers in local Learning Disability development and planning systems.
- To link Carers to existing Carer Support Groups and/or facilitate the setting up of carer support groups.
What We Want to Achieve
- To raise awareness of the needs of Carers.
- To promote improvement in Services.
- To promote the rights of Carers and improve accessibility to services and information.
- To promote independence through information and choice.
- To open communication with all agencies and Carer Groups and empower carers to play an active role in service delivery and provision.
Short Term - Support Service
Working over a period of 3 months a case worker will assess and identify the support needs you have, where our service can support you with. This work will be individual to each Carer, but our Service Aims will give an indication of the type of support that can be provided.
Short Respite Service
Delivering 24 hours of short respite per week, available in up to 4 hour blocks per person, the Carers Support Service can provide you with a qualified and experienced support worker to take over the care at home for a short period of time, allowing you to have some time to yourself.
This could be for a variety of reasons, from wanting to attend a special occasion, needing to spend some time alone or to access adult education courses to help you re-skill.
What ever the reason, we can support the person you care for either at home or in the community to do activities of their choice, while you receive your respite.
Carer Support Groups
Two Carers Support Groups, running monthly in the North (Erdington) and South (Weoley Castle) of the City, offer time to relax, have a coffee and meet other people in similar situations as you, socialise and be involved in shaping the groups to deliver the support you want.
The groups are delivered in association with the local primary care trusts (PCT-health services) and age concern groups for the locations they cover (north & south).
Bringing information, support and direct access to people who can support you in matters on Learning Disability, Health Services / Promotion and Services for Older People, the Support Groups are a relaxed and fun way to socialise and learn new things all at once.
Each month we aim to arrange different activities and trips throughout the year.
Contact & Further Information
Carers Support Service
Manager: Paul Jones
Phone: 0121 442 2944 (direct line)
Email: paul@bham-mencap.co.uk
Midland Mencap - General enquiries
Call: 0121 442 2944
Email: info@bham-mencap.co.uk
Write to: 171 Alcester Road
Moseley
Birmingham
B13 8JR
