May 2016 Update

[I am updating our site – I’m sorry if some links might not work or might be out of date.]

Our next meetings for 2016 are

June 8th; July 13th; August 10th; September 14th

All carers are made welcome at our meetings.

We meet on the second Wednesday of each month, starting at 6.30pm through to about 8.30pm. We know that carers’ time is precious and understand if you can’t stay for the whole meeting.

The group meets at:

United Reformed Church, King St, St Helens, WA10 2JZ

To contact us

email: sthelensmhcarers@gmail.com

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january – 12th – Julie Clarke

Julie Clarke is the Operational Business Manager for 5 Boroughs services across St Helens. Julie attended our meeting last October.

At that discussion, carers highlighted that our concerns were about:

• Crisis response: A prompt response in every crisis (as defined by the family)
• Respite: Now people are being treated more in the community, there needs to be respite for carers.
• Medication: Carers want information, and a flexible community service that involves carers. Carers also want alternatives to medication.
• Discharge and readmission to services: information on discharge from services including where to go for further support including readmission.

Julie emphasised that she was relatively new in post, having just moved over from Halton. She offered to return in January to provide us with an update.

The meeting will be on Wednesday 12th January starting at 6.30pm, but with tea and coffee available from 6.15pm.

All our meetings are open to all carers. If you would like some support to attend or want more information please do either contact ourselves or phone together .

 

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xmas hotpot – 8th december

Annual hotpot from together – 8th December at the United Reformed Church – 6-8pm.

If you want to join us for a delicious Christmas hotpot support, meet other carers and have a chat – please email Joanne at together

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Opportunities to influence pharmacy services

There is a consultation document out at the moment which needs a response by 13^th December. This is your opportunity to let the PCT know what services you need around medication.

We will discuss carers concerns about medication and pharmacy provision at our carers’ meeting on Wednesday 1oth November. (6.30pm at the United Reformed Church)

There will also be a speaker at the LINk/Listen event on 10th November. The day is free to attend and lunch is provided. Millennium Centre, St Helens. To book your place, phone 01744 457119

For more information about the consultation, contact Alison Brook at the Patient Public Involvement Team.

 

 

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Meeting – April 14th – pharmacy

Graham Newton, Principal Clinical Pharmacist, will be at our meeting this wednesday to describe medications and listen to our concerns.

The meeting details are as always – wednesday – 6pm for a 6.30pm start, continuing through to 8.30pm. At the United Reformed Church, King St, St Helens.

All carers are welcome – you do not have to contribute, so please don’t worry if it’s your first meeting. We make everyone very welcome.

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March meeting – Lucy Gartside

Lucy is the carers lead for NHS Halton & St Helens. I met with her the other week and we talked about all the recent developments in services for local carers. She asked if she could come to the group to let everyone know more details and immediately arranged to attend on Wednesday March 10th.

She’ll be talking about money for individual carers breaks. This is a new fund available from the Carers Centre. It is very flexible so that all carers get some kind of break which is suitable for their circumstances.

She’ll also be talking about the national pilot project that is being run from the hospital trust. We’ve had concerns all along as to how this can include mental health carers, especially now that mental health services aren’t provided at the same site. (They’re all at the Peasley Cross site for St Helens. Knowsley services are still provided at the Whiston Hospital site.)

Do come along to the meeting to find out more details, and also to tell Lucy what services we need for mental health carers. She is very willing to listen and wants to know what they could be providing.

Our meeting starts at  6.30pm at the United Reformed Church, King St, St Helens.  All carers welcome. Please do come along.

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Speakers in the months ahead

We’ve organised a series of speakers for the months ahead.

So far we’re planning:

• March 10th:    Lucy Gartside – PCT Lead on carers – who will tell us about recent developments for carers including carers breaks
• April 14th:       tbc
• May 12th:        Mike Smith is a champion of recovery and will speak on recovery for carers. We invited him because carers had asked for someone who could provide a different view to those we usually hear.
• June 9th:         Carole Swift and Lucy Gartside: Carole is the local authority’s lead for carers and Lucy is the PCT’s lead. Together they will tell us about the new local carers’ strategy.
• July 14th:        John Edwards – he is the manager for secondary Mental Health Services in the Borough. He came to our meeting in April 09 and developed an action plan.

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January meeting – cancelled

We’ve never done it before but this weather is record-breaking. We’ve decided to cancel wednesday’s meeting because its so dangerous to travel at the moment. We hope you understand that we felt it best not to ask people to travel after dark.

Do remember that for free confidential information – you can call the national information line for carers – Carers Direct on 0808 802 02 02 – lines open 8am – 9pm Monday to Friday and 11-4pm at weekends.

There’s also St Helens Carers Centre, together, footsteps and PSS for local support – see the contacts in the sidebar.

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Next meeting on November 11th

The next meeting of our group is 6.30 to 8.30 on Wednesday 11th November at the United Reformed Church. All carers are welcome – we usually have tea and coffee available from 6.15pm. All carers are welcome to attend.

If you’re there for a family member or friend through their mental ill health – good times and bad times – you are a carer and will be welcomed at our meetings. You will be under no pressure to say anything – come along, listen to the discussion and hear from other people who support someone experiencing distress. You are not alone.

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August 12th – carers meeting

Our meeting this week will be at Heath Park Lodge and NOT the United Reformed Church.
The family support workers from together have arranged for strawberries and scones at a summer get-together for all the carers groups.
Hope to see you there.
For more information contact together.

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