Carers Champions Plymouth Service

This service offers valuable support to thousands of people across Plymouth who juggle caring responsibilities for friends, family and neighbours. Many people take on this responsibility as part of their commitment to the person they care for and do not even consider themselves carers, or access help. Our service aims to identify these carers.

What we can offer:

• Drop In sessions in Citywide locations where carers can visit for practical and emotional support and information
• Support for carers in the community or their own home - daytime and evening appointments available.
• Signposting to Carers Help lines and specialist services eg advocacy, carers assessments, Simply Counselling, Plymouth City Council’s out of hours service
• Help and support to get a carers assessment or an assessment of the person you look after
• Opportunities for peer support and self help and access to support groups or help in setting up new groups
• Administrative support to carers groups
• Up to date information on issues relating to carers, from finance to employment issues etc via our carers newsletter and information sheets
• Help and support to carers to look after their own physical and emotional health
• Training opportunities for carers on topics they find most helpful
• Awareness raising on carers needs – for professionals
• A positive partnership approach to supporting carers across the city.

What we want to develop

• New befriending and respite opportunities
• Supported and sponsored opportunities for social activities
• New funding opportunities to respond to unmet needs
• New opportunities for carer events and raising the profile of carers issues/needs across Plymouth.

Benefits Help

There are avenues of financial support available to help you look at your benefits and what you may be entitled to. Carers Champions have access to a Welfare Benefits and Money Advice Worker who can help you and can signpost you to other specialist services.

If you register with Carers Champions Plymouth, you can get help with your Benefits

• Benefit Checks
• Help with Claims
• Support if you think the DWP have made a mistake

To make an appointment please contact the team on Tel: 01752 211348

Partnership Working

Colebrook Housing Society and Plymouth Age Concern are working together to provide Carers Champions Plymouth. We are committed to partnership working and we aim to work alongside anyone who can help us to provide the services carers need. We aim to work closely with carers, statutory services, voluntary and community agencies, and cultural communities to ensure our service is accessible and helpful to you and continues to meet your future needs.

A bit about the organisations behind Carers Champions ...

Colebrook Housing Society -

Colebrook Housing Society has been established since 1983. We are a not for profit organisation providing a range of support services to vulnerable people in Devon and Cornwall. Primarily we work with people who have mental health needs and / or people with learning disabilities. However in recent years we have expanded our work in the wider community and we can now extend the support and services we offer to any vulnerable group, particularly those who experience high levels of social exclusion.

Colebrook works hard to provide high quality services that meet the individual needs of our clients. We provide –

• Supported Accommodation and Floating Support Services
• Drop in facilities
• Community services e.g. Out of Hours
• Welfare benefits and money advice
• Volunteering and work opportunities
• Community development opportunities

We believe that each person:

• Has the right to be respected
• Has the right to receive the support they need in order to become an integrated member of the community.
• Has the right to make choices about their life and lifestyle.
• Has the right to expect the organisation to challenge negative views and to promote positive images.
• Is a unique individual who should be a valued member of society.

If you would like to know more information please contact us on (01752) 205210.

Plymouth Age Concern -

Plymouth Age Concern became a registered charity in 1974 and provides a range of services to older people throughout Plymouth, employing 170 paid staff (full and part time) together with 101 volunteers.

Our mission statement:

'Plymouth Age Concern exists to care for and work with older people and their carers in and around the City of Plymouth to improve their quality of life through the promotion of choice, opportunity and independence'

To achieve our mission, we aim:

• To be a leading organisation providing services for the over fifties throughout the City of Plymouth
• To plan, implement, coordinate and develop services in response to identified needs in the community
• To work in partnership, with statutory, voluntary and independent sector agencies to ensure the best use of resources in meeting identified need
• To be accountable and transparent in our work and use funds that we raise, to further our mission
• To respect and acknowledge diversity in our community, staff and volunteers and provide a safe and supporting environment for all that work with us

Our values are soundly based on:
caring, enabling, empowering, being adaptive and innovative, being effective

Our principles are soundly based on the following :

• All people have the right to make decisions about their lives
• People less able to help themselves should be offered support
• Ageism is unacceptable
• Diversity is valued in all that we do

Services are provided from four centres across the City and include:

• An Information and Advice service: carers and relatives can learn more about services available to them, more about welfare benefits etc…
• Housing Advocacy: supporting carers and their loved ones to choose and apply for the accommodation of their choice e.g. sheltered housing, moving from a house to a bungalow…
• Phone friends: regular telephone contact to older people / carers who may be feeling lonely or isolated and in need of a friendly chat…
• Day Centres - venues in Plymouth and Plymstock where older people can make friends and enjoy social outings of their choice. Some assistance with personal care is available i.e. bathing, hairdressing, chiropody. All centres also have kitchen facilities on site where attendees and their guests / carers can buy a very reasonably priced, freshly prepared meal or snack.
• Riverview: a residential care home for people with cognitive impairment e.g. Dementia, Alzheimers. The home also provides some respites services and a regular carers group meets on site.
• Venton Centre: this friendly residential home provides high quality care services to elderly people.

If you would like to know more about any of the above, please contact Plymouth Age Concern on 665424 and staff there will be happy to put you in touch with the service you are interested in.