Carers
Carer services coronavirus update
In-person support is suspended until further notice. This includes groups, activities and face to face meetings.
Carers First are offering telephone and email-based support, whilst developing other services in response to the ongoing situation and to carer’s needs.
- Carers First central hub is still available for calls and online support whether or not you are on Hackney’s carers register
- if you urgently need specific support or advice for you or the person that you care for, please contact our adult social care information and assessment team by calling 020 8356 6262 or emailing access@hackney.gov.uk
- if you need a verification letter to confirm with any relevant authorities that you are an informal carer, you can download one to fill in a print
Support for carers – FAQs and guides
Carers are people of any age who look after a friend or relative who needs support because of:
- a physical or learning disability
- mental illness
- impaired health due to sickness or old age
Someone who is paid to undertake their caring role is not a carer, although some carers may be in receipt of carers allowance or in full time employment. Many carers give up work or reduce their hours of work to care and others in work report an impact of their own physical and emotional health. These services are designed to help you and support you in your everyday life.
Adult carers
Advice and support for adult carers who care for the elderly, children with special needs and adults with physical or learning disabilities.
Parent carers
There’s a range of advice, support and information for parent carers on family rights, grants, education issues, breaks and much more.
Young carers
Recreational respite, advocacy, a befriending service and therapeutic support to young carers who have caring responsibilities for a relative with a long-term illness or disability.
Respite breaks for carers of adults
If you care for a friend or relative who is an older person, or has a learning or physical disability or suffers a mental health problem, you may be able to access respite care services.
Advocacy and advice for carers
Provision of advice, counselling and support for those who care for adults or children with special needs. Advocacy on behalf of carers may include raising awareness of carers issues and helping to keep them on the agenda of all relevant agencies, setting out key values and principles for services to carers in the form of a local Carers Charter and improving the quality and increasing the availability of information to carers.
Where you can get help
A range of voluntary sector organisations provide advocacy and advice for carers including
Financial support for carers
- information on benefits for carers at gov.uk
- use the benefits checker at eTurn2us to see what benefits you could claim
Carer’s assessment
If you provide regular and substantial care for someone, you can have a carer’s assessment to discuss the help you need.
Hackney carer’s card
Carers, aged 18 or over, who provide care for a Hackney resident, of any age, can apply for a Hackney carer’s card. Carers will be able to receive discounts on goods in some Hackney retailers and also leisure centres and alternative therapists. Further details on the card and how to apply will be available soon.
Help and support for carers
Personalisation
‘Personalisation’ means making sure that everyone has access to the right information and advice to help them make decisions about care and support. Our guide to Personalisation explains the five main stages to getting the support you need giving you more choice and control regardless whether support is being funded by local authorities or is self-funded.
Supporting carers into work
If you’d like to combine caring with paid employment, Jobcentre Plus offer financial help and a range of training.
Their advisers can talk to you about training, part time work, voluntary work, job search, work trials, self employment, in-work financial help and more.
They can also give you a personalised ‘better off’ calculation so you can decide what your best option is.
They can also offer funding for replacement care and childcare costs for interviews and approved training courses. This support will not affect your benefits if you receive any and there’s no obligation to do anything else.
If you’d like to know more, contact your local Jobcentre to see an adviser:
- Dalston Jobcentre – 020 7200 6636
- Hoxton Jobcentre – 020 7749 7067
- Hackney Jobcentre – 020 8218 8242
Swim free in Hackney
Swimming is now available free for disabled people and carers at Britannia Leisure Centre, Clissold Leisure Centre, Kings Hall Leisure Centre and London Fields Lido.
Please note: carers can swim free independent of the person they are caring for. Proof of eligibility and Terms & Conditions apply. See free swimming for disabled people and carers .
Carers’ events
Mindfulness-based stress reduction sessions
Free weekly drop-in sessions teaching mindfulness-based stress reduction for carers looking after Hackney residents.
Every Tuesday, 11.30am-1pm, Breathing Space, the London Buddhist Centre, 51 Roman Road, Bethnal Green, E2 0HU. For more information contact Mattias Herbertson (Breathing Space Manager), on 020 8709 9985, Email mattias@lbc.org.uk or visit Breathing Space.
Health and social care complaints charter
In 2019 we joined our partners in Healthwatch Hackney and the NHS to launch a health and social care complaints charter for our residents. Find out more:
Carers partnership board
The carers partnership board was set up in response to national strategies, to make sure carers can access the support and services they need to help them stay in their caring role for as long as they wish.
The purpose of the board is to:
- discuss and address issues of importance to carers in Hackney
- raise awareness and improve understanding of the role carers play in supporting other people
- exchange ideas, strengthen skills and share examples of good practice in developing support and services, to
- help carers stay in their caring role for longer
- develop the Council’s carers strategy
Get involved
The board meets every 2 months for two hours. You’ll receive agendas and minutes in electronic or hard copy before the meeting.
Join – partners and carer support organisations
Carers
You can contact the board on: 0208 356 7148 or carerspartnership@hackney.gov.uk
Carers’ forums
Carers’ forums are open to all informal and unpaid carers for information and guidance, and offer the chance to:
- share and raise concerns
- raise awareness of issues and concerns experienced by carers
- highlight the importance of their caring role
The forums take place every 2 months. Our administration support staff help us organise and run them and make sure reports and minutes are written and acted upon accordingly.
We will also offer gift vouchers as a reward for your commitment and time.
Each forum aims to find local solutions for issues and concerns raised by carers at each meeting. The carers partnership board considers issues and concerns, to find and escalate solutions as needed.