‘Care’philly News - Edition 19, July 2023
Headlines
We have so many things to share with you this time! Lots of positive stories and perhaps the biggest number of activities and events that we’ve ever put on! Read on to find out more…
Previous activities
We thought you’d like to see some of the lovely things we’ve been able to arrange over the last few months. To name but a few, we’ve organised comedy nights, cake box deliveries, spa days, rock climbing, a brewery tour, family swim and even a night at Flight Club in Cardiff!
There is a list of upcoming activities contained in this edition of the newsletter, however we do book more things as they come up, so this is another plea to those of you to get signed up by e-mail or join our Facebook groups. (E-mail us on carers@caerphilly.gov.uk or sign up by searching for “Caerphilly County Carers Group” or “Caerphilly County Young Carers Group). Of course, we understand that not all of you are online, and so you are welcome to call us at any time to see if we have more booked.
Young Carers Action Day
This year, the team focussed on a social media campaign to all the wonderful things young carers do. We also held a poster competition with the theme “make time for young carers”. We had lots of amazing entries, but we had to pick a winner, so our Families First Team along with the Head of Children’s Services judged the posters, and the winner was Mali Hughes.
Carers’ Groups
This is your chance to speak to us and others who have experience of a caring role. Even though each group meets for an hour and a half, please just feel free to drop in for as long as you want, and stay on for as long as you like afterwards! More details can be found on our Facebook group, or contact us.
Bargoed group
Murray’s (Upper High Street, Bargoed) on the first Monday of the month from 11:00am to 12:30pm
Blackwood group
McKenzie’s Cafe on the last Tuesday of the month from 10:30am to 12 noon
Caerphilly group
The Old Library, Caerphilly on the third Friday of the month from 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Risca group
The Coffee Mill, Risca on the second Thursday of the month from 12 noon to 1:30pm
Young Carer ID Cards
We are still able to provide young carers with an ID card, which is designed to help young people with a caring role in education and health settings. To apply for one, please e-mail us on carers@caerphilly.gov.uk for an application form.
Carers’ Activities, October – December 2023
Please contact us to request places on any of the activities below and we will enter you into a random draw. We will then let you know only if you have been successful.
- Tuesday 10 October from 6:00pm – Pizza delivery from Domino’s
- Week commencing 18 October – Craft pack delivery for adult carers – stamp your own tote bag
- Monday 30 October to 5 November – Cinema week at Maxime, Blackwood
- Monday 30 October at 1:30 - 3:30pm – Scrappy crafts session for young carers at Cefn Hengoed Community Centre. Come along and make bookmarks, flowers and bunting.
- Tuesday 31 October from 10:30am– Hallowe’en afternoon tea box collection for young carers
- Saturday 4 November at 7:30pm – Rock for Heroes at the Blackwood Miners’ Institute
- Thursday 16 November 10:30am – 3pm – Carers’ Rights Day pamper day with buffet at Shappelle’s Dance Centre, Ystrad Mynach. Students from Coleg y Cymoedd will be attending to offer haircuts, hair curling, blow dries, plaiting and make up.
- Saturday 18 November at 7:00pm - 8:30pm – Ghost tour for ten carers at Llancaiach Fawr
- Thursday 23 November from 6:00pm – Christmas Ball at Bryn Meadows Golf & Spa
- Thursday 30 November from 8:30am - 6:30pm (leaving Worcester at 5pm) – Christmas shopping trip to Worcester
- Tuesday 5 December 11:00am - 2:00pm – Wreath making workshop at Studio 54, Blackwood
- Thursday 7 December 3:00pm - 5:00pm – Afternoon tea at The Coffee Mill, Risca
- Saturday 9 December 12 noon - 2pm – Christmas trampoline party for young carers at Jump, Newport
- Saturday 16 December from 2:30pm – Panto at Blackwood Little Theatre – Marmaduke the Useless Pirate!
- Sunday 17 December from 10:30am – Christmas afternoon tea box collection from Hancox’s Pies, Bargoed
All these activities are paid for to say thank you for being the wonderful unpaid carers you are. Please sign up to receive e-mail updates and join our Facebook group as more activities and events are added all the time. Our activities are added to Facebook around a month before they take place.
Leisure Memberships
Any young carers aged up to 16 are able to get a free Active Kids membership. To do this, all they will need to do is let us know their name, address and Smart Card number and we will arrange for a year’s membership to be applied.
The Active Kids membership entitles them to unlimited swimming, gym and certain children’s classes. Unfortunately, you have to be 11 years old and up to use the gym.
Young carers aged 17 and over can access the same options as adult carers, using the carers’ small grants scheme to fund the cost if they wish.
Carers’ Small Grant Scheme
The small grants scheme is still running, and we have money left in the scheme, which has now benefitted over 300 carers (and their families) in Caerphilly since it began in 2017. You can complete the form online at www.thecarecollective.wales (click on the link for grants) or if you need an application and guidance notes, please e-mail us on carers@caerphilly.gov.uk or call us on the numbers below. (Please note, the application form and guidance notes are often updated, so you may have an out of date version.)
Carers’ Assessments
A carer's assessment is your opportunity to tell us about your situation. You can tell us what you do, how caring affects you and what help you would like.
Sometimes, carers worry about talking to us because of loyalty, guilt, fear of not coping, or pride. Please don't let these feelings stop you contacting us. By letting us know your situation, we can make sure you receive information and advice that could be helpful to you.
A carer’s assessment can:
- Provide information, advice and assistance that may help with the caring role.
- Offer emotional support to the carer.
- Start a “what matters?” conversation.
- Provide information about what practical support may be available to the carer.
- Talk about the carer’s strengths and help them find their own solutions to problems and situations.
- Open a door to a network of other carers, providing more support and advice.
- Offer support groups and social opportunities.
- Help with applications to the Carers Small Grants Scheme for things like household items, driving lessons, courses to enable the carer to continue with their caring role, a break.
- Discuss any training needs that would assist with the caring role and try and source access to this training.
- Offer one off breaks or very short term breaks from caring.
- Provide information about care organisations if the person wants to pay for support privately.
- Provide a Carer’s Emergency Card so that a carer can be identified as a carer should they have an accident or emergency.
- Signpost on to other organisations or teams that may be able to assist.A carer’s assessment cannot:
- Be used as a replacement for an assessment of the cared for person’s needs.
- Provide ongoing “respite”.
- Put in an ongoing care package (via funding from Social Services)
You can request a carer's assessment by calling the Information, Advice and Assistance Team on 0808 100 2500 or by e-mailing iaaadults@caerphilly.gov.uk
If you’ve previously had an assessment, and would like this to be reviewed (maybe your caring role has changed) please let us know.
Caerphilly Carers’ Team
In case you are new to us, the team are:
Resources
- Carer’s Emergency Card – please get in touch on carers@caerphilly.gov.uk if you would like one.
- Time Out from Caring – we may be able to help you with getting one off or short term breaks from your caring role. Contact us on carers@caerphilly.gov.uk to find out more.
- We have a number of free My Max Cards available for those of you with children under 25 which offer discounts and concessions on days out and activities. More details can be found here: http://www.mymaxcard.co.uk/ Get in touch if you would like one.
Young Carers News
We have THREE lovely stories to share with you this time.
Firstly, Dewi Miles is a young carer who has been supported through our peer support groups and has taken part in our activities and events. We always encourage young carers to suggest events, training or support and are open to new ideas, which we try to take on board.
Dewi suggested giving young carers the opportunity to learn first aid, as he felt in their caring role, this would be a big advantage.
St John’s Ambulance Cymru were happy to train 15 young carers, who all passed and are now qualified first aiders for the next three years. Each young carer received a certificate and a first aid kit. Congratulations and well done to all that took part and keep a look out for further first aid training events which will be taking place.
Secondly, congratulations to young carer Joshua Read, aged 7, who completed the Caerphilly 2k run. Josh’s sister Sienna has autism and Josh decided to raise money for Sparrows ALN group in Caerphilly.
On the morning, with around 800 people taking part, Josh was very excited and slightly nervous, being one of the youngest runners. Mayor Mike Adams wished him luck prior to the start of the race.
Josh absolutely smashed the race and enjoyed every moment. He was presented with his medal which he proudly wore, and also raised £550 to help Sparrows fund trips and activities, for ALN children and their families.
Well done Josh – we are all very proud of you!
Last but not least, one of our young adult carers was successful in passing her driving test after being supported to apply for funding from the carers’ small grants scheme by Hayley from the Carers Team. Dion said: “Really appreciate the help and support, you’ve helped me get on with my life and made it easier and I will always appreciate it”.
Reaching Wider, Learn your Way Project for Young Carers
Heolddu Comprehensive is taking part in the Reaching Wider, Learn your Way project set up by Ben Anderson, who is supporting and encouraging young carers to access university education.
Young carers, along with Helen from the Carers Team, were invited to Cardiff University for the day, to find out about university life. They were taken on a tour of the Talybont campus to look at the different types of accommodation and living facilities, accompanied by two young carer ambassadors. Next, they visited the student union and looked at the learning zones, study areas, along with the leisure and sports facilities. Following the tour, they were shown the educational route into higher education and were encouraged to look at the best ways to study.
The ambassadors talked about their personal experiences of accessing university and how they dealt with their caring roles.
After lunch, they were provided with information surrounding their wellbeing and more importantly student finance where they were given information about tuition loans, maintenance loans, grants, low income and young carer bursaries.
The visit identified higher education and university, being open to all pupils with support and assistance, with all young carers feeling university was an option open to them and the opportunities and experiences becoming endless.
And finally...
Our next newsletter will be coming to you via post or e-mail in late 2023 or early 2024, when we will have more news, activities and useful information for you. If you know of anyone who might be interested in receiving our newsletters, please let us know.
Also, if you are no longer a carer and want to be removed from the newsletter mailing list, just get it touch and we can take you off the list.