Healthwatch England and all local Healthwatch are running a campaign to show people across the country how their voices can make a difference. By speaking up, they can help make health and care better for their communities.
We need your help to get even more people involved. Sign up for our Thunderclap and make people’s voices heard.
Join our Thunderclap: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/58230-itstartswithyou
Open Forum Events would like to invite you to our National Mental Health: Making Forward Plans a Reality conference. This will be our sixth in the series of successful mental health events that we have organised. Our brand new conference has been designed to give all delegates an invaluable update on the road map to improved mental health care, with real examples of service transformation and new approaches to care.
On the day you will hear from our guest speak Frank Bruno MBE. In 2003 Frank Bruno was sectioned for the first time and diagnosed as having Bipolar disorder. His well documented illness put Frank in the public eye and he has used this media attention to help with the stigma attached to mental health and to help raise the standards of care given to those living with mental health issues.
To book your place and for more information please click here
Carers Network is delighted to announce the launch of the Former Carers Project.
What is the Former Carers Project?
Our project will support people whose caring role has come to an end. It is set up specifically to provide advice, guidance and support to former unpaid carers as they explore the viable options available to them after their caring role has ended.
Who is the project for?
Those who have previously cared for someone in an unpaid capacity, aged 18+ and a resident of Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster or the City of London. A former unpaid carer whose caring role has ended for whatever reason.
What the project offers:
Our project will actively help carers navigate this period after the caring role has ended through the ‘Next Steps’ Assessment and by providing a range of support such as:
How to refer to the project.
You can refer people to this project by completing a referral form that can be downloaded here. Alternatively please contact Ashley Young on 020 8960 3033 or email info@carers-network.org.uk with the former carer’s name, contact details, geographical area and an idea of when their caring role ended.
More info.
This project hopes to help former carers find out what they want to do now and what their choices may be. This may be looking to return to work, becoming involved in volunteering, rediscovering a lost hobby or other activities they once enjoyed. The end of the caring role may have resulted in unexpected financial issues, changes to benefits, concerns over housing situation. Perhaps the former carer may just want some company, find other like-minded people and/or social activities to participate in.
It is also hoped that by the end of their time participating in the project the former carer will feel more informed about their options, more confident, better connected, less isolated and in better control of their lives.
Nextdoor is a social network for neighbourhoods that is now being used by every community across Hammersmith & Fulham. It’s a great way to connect with your neighbours – and that goes for community organisations and voluntary groups too! Barons Court Project joined their local Nextdoor neighbourhood and invited their neighbours to come in and see what they do at the Project. They now have a number of new regular donors from amongst their neighbours and have raised their profile in the community. Fulham Good Neighbours have found being on Nextdoor has helped them to recruit new volunteers – Nextdoor is a great way to tap into the goodwill and community spirit of local people.
For more info click here
Hammersmith and Fulham Carers Forum is a formal group, supported by Carers Network. This group aims to help local carers:
The Forum is currently recruiting a Chair and Vice Chair.
To see roles and person specifications click here. H&F Forum members who would like to apply need to send a brief description of themselves and why they wish to apply, and send this to Forum facilitator Alix Richards by Friday 7 April 2017: alix.richards@carers-network.org.uk
Please mark email ‘H&F Carers Forum Chair application’ or ‘H&F Carers Forum Vice Chair application’ depending on role you would like to apply for. Alternatively, please post a letter by way of application to Carers Network, Bishop Creighton House, 374-380 Lillie Road, SW6 7PH.
The next H&F Carers Forum will be on, Fri 28 April 2017, 1.30pm-3.30pm at Bishop Creighton House, 374-380 Lillie Rd, SW6 7PH.
NHS England would like to invite voluntary, community and social enterprise sector partners to join us for an NHS England webinar for a national update on Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs).
The webinar will include:
When: 30 Jan 2017, 12noon-1pm
To join the webinar please contact Jonathan Leahy via email: Jonathan.leahy@nhs.net and Jonathan will provide you with the joining instructions for the webinar.
H&F Carers Forum
A formal group to enable carers to have a stronger voice and influence local systems, supported by Carers Network.
The forum enables you to have your say on local issues for carers, informs the Tri-Borough Carers Partnership Board, and helps Carers Network plan future events and activities.
The next H&F Carers Forum will be on Friday 27 January 2017
1.30pm-3.30pm at Bishop Creighton House,
374-380 Lillie Rd,
SW6 7PH
Please call 020 7386 9417 to register.
Upfront: Online tool for carers
Upfront is a simple tool from Carers UK for carers who are new to the maze of benefits and entitlements.
Fill in your details, spend a couple of minutes answering questions and it will guide you to the information you need.
Visit Upfront here
Dementia: care, support and awareness
The Department of Health has launched its new Dementia 2020 Citizens’ Engagement Programme.
They would like to hear from people living with dementia, their families and carers as to whether policies on improving dementia care and support are making a positive difference and where further improvements may be needed to improve the delivery of local services and support.
Find out more and complete an online survey here
The OPDC Forum event will be taking place on Tuesday 31st January 2017. The venue is Cumberland House and there will be 2 sessions:
The first session is from 3.30pm to 5.30pm targeting the Voluntary/Third Sector organisations
The second session is from 6.30pm to 8.30pm targeting local communities
The agenda will include behind the scenes at DBS, a presentation by Black on Board on recruitment of black trustees and a present by CALM mediation on their service and their experience of recruiting and managing volunteers.
