Carers Focus Newsletter: May 2022

Dear everyone,

Welcome to the Spring 2022 edition of our Carers Focus Newsletter. We hope you are all safe and well, and looking forward to the warmer weather! We have a few updates for you, along with some dates for your diary. Please reach out to us if we can help you with anything. For general enquiries or if you would like to make a referral, please email info@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk

You can also call our main office number, 0131 322 8480. If no one is in when you call, please leave a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Consultations Open—Scottish Mental Health Law Review

The Scottish Mental Health Law Review is now in Phase 3, which means they are seeking views on their ideas and proposals for changes to mental health and incapacity law. Your views as unpaid carers are important and will help the review team to refine, change, or add to their ideas. This will then allow them to pull together a final set of recommendations for the Scottish Government later this year. You can visit the Mental Health Law Review website: https://www.mentalhealthlawreview.scot/ Here, you can access the consultation paper in full, along with an easy read version and a link to complete the consultation online. The consultation will be open until 27th May 2022.

Carers Forum: Thursday, 19th May 2022. 11.00am-2.00pm (in-person)

Our next Carers Forum will be on Thursday 19th May 2022, from 11.00-2.00pm. We are pleased to announce that this meeting will be held in-person, in the large meeting room of our offices in Great Michael House (14 Links Place, Edinburgh EH6 7EZ).

One of the topics we will be focussing on is the Scottish Mental Health Law Review Consultations and how carers can input their views to make a difference. There will also be time for carers to raise any issues that are important to them. Lunch will be provided with teas & coffees available.

If you haven’t been to a Carers Forum before, it is a great opportunity to meet other carers who may be in similar situations. It is a safe space to raise issues that are important to you as a carer so we can collectively work together to raise carers’ voices and create change. The Carers Forum is also an ideal place to receive the latest news relating to carers and mental health. We can also arrange for speakers to join us to talk about issues that are meaningful for you.

Please email rachael@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk or call 0131 322 8480 for more information or to book your place. Please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to attend, as there are limited spaces available, and so we have an idea of numbers for catering. After over two years of online-only Carers Forums, we are very much looking forward to welcoming you back!

ECC Peer Support Services

Carers Peer Support Group (in-person)

The Carers Group is for any unpaid carers (family or friends) supporting someone with mental health difficulties. Carers supporting someone with learning disability, autism, dementia, or an acquired brain injury are also welcome to attend. We are a friendly and informal group where you are free to share as much or as little as you individually wish. Our next meeting date will be Thursday, 26th May 2.30-4.00pm at Great Michael House, 14 Links Place. The group will be meeting in Redhall Walled Garden for June & July (Friday 24th June & Friday 29th July 2.30-4pm)

If interested in attending any of these groups, please let us know, as spaces are limited. Please email rachael@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk or call our office on 0131 322 8480.

Individual Carer Peer Support (in-person, online, or over the telephone)

If you would prefer one-to-one peer support, you can choose to be matched with a volunteer peer worker who has had peer skills training and who is a carer or former carer themselves. You would then be able to meet with the volunteer on a regular basis for up to 6 months maximum. You can choose to meet the volunteer in-person, online, or over the telephone, depending on your needs. This would be a great opportunity for you to share your experiences and receive information, advice, & 1-1 support from someone who understands what it’s like to be a carer.

For more details, please email rachael@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk or call 0131 322 8480. 

Job Vacancies

We are recruiting for two new posts: Peer Worker (Eating Disorders) and Advocacy Worker.

The Peer Worker will be working to assist carers of people with an eating disorder to feel supported in their caring role and to experience improved wellbeing. The peer worker will build on established links with carer organisations across Lothian as well as working closely with the Peer Community Network. The post will also offer specific supports to carers of those being treated at the Eating Disorders Unit at St John’s Hospital in West Lothian. The candidate will also have responsibility for recruiting and supporting a small number of volunteers who have their own experience as carers. Salary: £22,335, Closing date: 18 May 2022. For further details and how to apply: https:// goodmoves.com/vacancy/a4s3z00000SfHbeAAF/peer-worker-eating-disorders

The Advocacy Worker will be supporting carers to have their voices heard and to participate in supported decision making by those they care for. The work will involve encouraging carers to articulate their issues and to provide them with information about their rights. The candidate should have knowledge of carers rights & mental health capacity legislation along with experience working flexibly within a small team. Salary: £25,027-£27,702 pro rata. Closing date: 22 May 2022. For further details and how to apply: https://goodmoves.com/vacancy/ a4s3z00000SfHkRAAV/advocacy-worker 

Help us to support carers by donating to Edinburgh Carers Council ☺

To help support us in the work we do, you can donate through our Givey Fundraising Page. These funds will go towards continuing to run our peer services and social events. You can also donate to us while you shop on AmazonSmile. It’s all the same prices and products as on the regular Amazon, except they can donate a small portion of the price to our charity. Thank you!

Thank you for your support Stay safe & take care. Our next newsletter will be in the summer. Best wishes from all of us here at Edinburgh Carers Council.