A carer is someone of any age who provides unpaid care, for a few hours a day or round the clock, to a friend or relative who could not manage without their support. The care they give may be due to age, illness, disability, mental health problems, or substance misuse.
Carers’ lives are often complex - many have other commitments as well as their caring role, such as work or school, and sometimes they live with the person they care for or sometimes they call in to help. These situations can create challenges which may impact on carers’ financial or educational opportunities, as well as their own health and wellbeing.
Carers sometimes do not realise they are a ‘carer’ and feel they are simply being kind, by looking after a family member or friend. Carers provide huge benefits to the person they care for, as well as wider benefits to the health and social care system by providing a free, essential support service.
If you are, our GP (General Practitioner) and primary care team can provide you with invaluable support, advice and information.
A helpful starting point to getting the support you need as a carer is to let your GP know about your responsibilities.
There are many services that can offer guidance including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, continence advisers and dieticians.This section provides some more details about the type of support your primary care team can offer.
Tell your GP that you have caring responsibilities as soon as possible. They can then record this on your medical records.
If they know you are a carer and likely to be under pressure at times, they will be able to offer more tailored advice and, if necessary, provide more support when they diagnose and treat you in the future.
GPs in England are being urged to adopt new measures dedicated to ensuring young carers are offered flu vaccinations, regular health check-ups and mental health screening routinely.
We hope this initiative will also be extended more widely in the UK and to adult carers. You could ask your GP or local practice for more information.
- provide information and advice on:
- medical conditions of and treatments for the person you care for to help you feel more confident in your caring role.
- services provided by the NHS such as continence services and patient transport to hospital appointments.
- other sources of support and advice. This could include the social services department and local voluntary agencies.
- arrange home visits to you or the person you care for if your caring responsibilities make it difficult to attend appointments at the surgery.
- arrange 'double' appointments for both you and the person you care for at the same time to avoid having to visit the surgery twice.
- arrange for repeat prescriptions to be delivered to your local pharmacy to save you picking them up.
- provide supporting letters and information to enable you and the person you care for to access benefits such as Attendance Allowance or a blue badge scheme.
For more information visit Home - Carers UK
There is also the Warrington Carers Hub which provides a single point of access for all carers including young and adult carers in the borough of Warrington.
The Hub exists to ensure that carers of all ages have access to information, advice and a wide range of support services which are designed to help carers continue in their caring role for as long as they choose, reducing the impact the caring role can have on their own health and wellbeing.
If you are a young care take a look at some information you may find useful.
To complete a referral form for WIRED YOUNG CARERS PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW
2022 Referral Form and Parental consent form with verbal consent.pdf (wired.me.uk)
For all other WIRED YOUNG CARERS SUPPORT visit their website Wired - Warrington Young Carers Service
Useful Contacts, Telephone Numbers and Websites
SAFEGUARDING Children's Safeguarding/Social Work Team on 01925 443322. Access to Social Care (First Response Team) 01925 443322 Monday to Friday (8.30am-5pm). The out of hours service 01925 443322 is open 5.00pm-8.30am, on weekends and public holidays
NHS : 111 The NHS 111 service is staffed by a team of fully trained advisers, supported by experienced nurses and paramedics. They will direct you to the local service that can help you best. That could be A&E, an out-ofhours doctor, an urgent care centre or a community nurse, an emergency dentist or a late-opening chemist. Where possible, the NHS 111 team will book you an appointment or transfer you directly to the people you need to speak to.
CRIME If you believe a crime has been committed contact the police on 101 If you believe the child/adult is at immediate risk of harm dial 999.
IF YOU NEED TO TALK The Samaritans 01925 23500, Childline 08001111, NSPCC 0808 800 5000. There is also online support from Kooth (Kooth.com) Papyrus Helpline UK 0800 068 4141, text 07786209697, email : pat@papyrus-uk.org, Monday to Friday 10am—10pm. Weekends and Bank Holidays 2pm—10pm. Warrington’s mental health awareness site www.happyoksad.org.uk has a page for children and young people. Go to www.happyoksad.org.uk. Click the blue button “children and young people”. Then click the drop down heading “information about local and national services and support”. Alternatively if support is needed urgently click “I need urgent help”.
CAMHS RESPONSE TEAM CAMHS Response Team Contact: CAMHS 9am-5pm - 01925 575904. Urgent contact only - 01744 627618. 5-9pm weekdays and 9am-9pm weekends.
FOODBANK Warrington Foodbank contact information - 07583 080 521 or email : Info@warrington.foodbank.org.uk. Visit the website https:/warrington.foodbank.org.uk
COPING WITH EXAM STRESS—WEBSITES OFFERING ADVICE
Exam Stress | How To Deal with Exam Stress | YoungMinds
Coping with exam pressure - a guide for students - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
