Caring Matters April 2016 FINAL FINAL (5)

8/18/2019 Caring Matters April 2016 FINAL FINAL (5)

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Contact us:Head Ofce: 1 Hutton Close,South Church Enterprise Park, Bishop Auckland,County Durham, DL14 6XG.

Telephone: 0300 005 1213 Text: 07624 818 403Email: [email protected] Web: www.dccarers.org www.facebook.co.uk/durhamcountycarerssupport @dccarers

Charity No: 1069278

Company No: 3534933Caring

Matters Your local charitysupporting carers

April 2016

The Great Carers

Bake Off!Sponsored by Vennels CaféSee page 4


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Telephone

0191 338 5155

to see how you can join ourcaring workforce and be part

of a team that makes a real

difference to real lives in

your area

Rates of pay up to £7.30 an hour.

Full training provided.

‘‘Buy with confidence, buy direct from the manufacturer’’

High quality Stairlifts manufactured in the north east now

supplying direct to the public throughout the region.

35 Northfield Way, Aycliffe Business Park,

Newton Aycliffe, Co. Durham, DL5 6UF

Tel: 01325 311442 | Fax: 01325 312342

Web: www.meditek.co.uk | Email: [email protected]

Come along to our factory showroom and find out

how a MediTek stairlift can improve your lifestyle.

Strength | Freedom | Reliability


3/16

Meet the Staff...My name is Ann Young and I

started working as a Carers Support

Coordinator around about 6 years ago.

I started in the Chester-le-Street ofceand then took up employment at the

Sedgeeld ofce before the mergerof all the carer’s centres took place. Inow work from the Bishop Aucklandofce and cover the Spennymoor,Ferryhill, Croxdale and Bowburn areas.My Role is a generic role which meansI support carers from different caring

roles. The types of caring roles I cover are parent carers, peoplewho care for the elderly and frail, carers of people with mentalhealth problems, learning disabilities, physical problems or chronicillnesses.

I visit carers in their own homes or if for some reason this isn’tpossible they may come to the ofce or we may meet up in a place

of their choice such as a café. I also encourage carers to ring if theyare struggling and need to off load because I know that many carersbottle their problems up because they don’t want to share with otherfamily or friends. I enjoy being able to empower carers and helpthem to make the right choices for them. I also think it is importantto help them to get a break and think about their own health.

June’s Story My name is June and I care for my cousin,George who will be 90 years old in October thisyear. He has various health problems as well asDementia (short term memory loss). When I

began to care for George in 2013, my GP askedme to register with Durham County Carers. It was

just a case of completing a form and handing it

in to the Receptionist at my local GP Surgery. Hesaid my health was just as important as George’sand this would enable me to have annual healthchecks and support from Durham County Carers.I had my health check a few months after startingto care for George, only to nd out that I wassuffering from depression. I was able to manage

this without taking medication, although I didneed some time to talk to someone which helped

tremendously. At that time I didn’t think I neededhelp from the Durham County Carers but sincethen I have been in touch with them and they toohave helped me.

My rst occasion was last year when I askedabout using the short breaks which were on offer.I had heard that rather than go away for a short

break, I could request some money to carry outa hobby of mine which helped me to relax andde-stress. I do enjoy cross-stitch but this is quiteexpensive. I approached Durham County Carersand received funding for this. I am overjoyedto be able to spend time on my hobby and am

presently making a picture for my granddaughter.The second occasion was when I needed todiscuss another relations nances with someoneas I was worried about a nancial issue. Deborahagreed to meet me at their home and after going

through the paper work, she kindly phoned theDepartment of Works and Pensions for me. Thiswas very positive and I was very relieved to ndthat he was entitled to the Pension Credit. Thishad been worrying me for some time and would

have continued to do so if Deborah had notagreed to help me. I am very grateful to her andDurham County Carers.

These are just two ways in which they havehelped myself and George. I thought I didn’t needthem but I was so wrong!

A day in the life of Sam Stimpson -

Welfare Benet Development Worker

I am the Welfare Benet DevelopmentWorker and my day usually starts

with a 28 mile journey into work as I

live out of County. Once in the ofceI check my e-mails which can rangefrom enquiries from carers to updatesfrom some of our network partners.

Today included information aboutfuel poverty and how badly it affectspeople, following last night’s Panoramaprogramme “Too poor to stay warm”.

There are a large number of e-mails

about Benet Reform and the latest updates following Wednesday’sbudget. I share some of this information on my DCCS Facebook

page, nd it by searching for DCCS Sam Stimpson.I have a few voicemail messages to attend to, some articles toprepare for this newsletter and 2 days out of the ofce to get readyfor. A colleague and I are hosting an information stand for a largeemployer in the area to give access to advice and support for theirstaff who may also have a caring role. Recognising working carers isvery important and happily more in the spotlight than ever before.The next day I will be attending the next level of Universal Credittraining delivered by Welfare Rights and hosted by the advice andsupport partnership, Advice in County Durham. As the day goes on I share important information about the localFoodbanks and the NHS Help with Travel Costs Scheme with staff as

well as answering a few queries from our Carer Support Coordinatorsin both of our ofces. I am always busy at work and I enjoy thevariety of what I do, though not the difcult situations that Carersand their cared for face often face around their income.The ofce closes at 5pm and it’s time to begin the journey home,ready to do it all over again tomorrow!

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The trip includes a River Cruise with Traditional Roast Lunch.

Transport to Teesside is included.

Thursday 9th June, 2016Boarding Boat at 11.30am and return at 3.30pmTransport is available from the following locations:

(Please select your pick up point)

Bus 1 (Pick up time to be conrmed)

Stanley Consett Chester-Le-Street Durham


Stanhope Crook Bishop Auckland Newton Aycliffe


Seaham Peterlee Sedgeeld


Middleton-in-Teesdale Barnard Castle Staindrop

4

Name .................................................................

Address ..............................................................

..........................................................................

Postcode.............................................................

Telephone Number ..............................................

Teesside River Cruise (free tickets available to Carers only)

Do you enjoy baking cakes? Then enter our Carers Bake Off Competition. The rst round will be held during May at the

venues below, which are mostly our local support groups. Bring your stunning creations to your nearest venue and they

will be judged on the day. Entry costs £1 with winners and runners up invited to attend a Grand Final on June 8th 2016 at

Finchale College, Durham. Vennels Café in Durham City are delighted to be sponsoring the nal and are donating prizes

including Vennels Aprons, gift vouchers and a speciality cake. Any questions please call Andrea Emerson on 0191 500 6010.

Join the Great Carers Bake Off!

Great Carers Bake Off VenuesTues 3 May 10.30-11.30 Stanley Indoor Bowls Centre

Tues 3 May 2.30-3.30 Bullion Hall Resource CentreFrid 6 May 11.00-12.00 St Claire’s Church, Newton Aycliffe

Tues 10 May 11.00-12.00 Consett Masonic Hall

Tues 10 May 1.30-2.30 Bishop Auckland Ofce

Thurs 12 May 11.00-12.00 Durham ofce

Thurs 12 May 1.30-2.30 Stanhope Community Centre

Frid 13 May 11.00-12.00 Horden Youth & Community Centre

Tues 17 May 11.0012.00 SOS Café Barnard Castle

Great Carers Bake Off Competition

NAME (BLOCK CAPITALS) ..........................................................

ADDRESS ................................................................................

..................................................................................................

POSTCODE .............................................................................

TELEPHONE NUMBER ....................................................

I enclose my cheque payable to ‘Durham County CarersSupport’ for £1 for entry into the competition.

Signed ...........................................................................

Dated .............................................................................

Venue ............................................................................ #

The theme for Carers Week 2016 is “Building Carer Friendly Communities”

Carers Week is an annual campaignto raise awareness of caring, highlightthe challenges that carers face andrecognise the contribution they

make to families and communities throughout the UK.The campaign is brought to life by the individuals andorganisations who come together to organise activities

and events throughout the UK, drawing attention to just how important caring is. This year Durham CountyCarers support are raising awareness locally by holdinginformation events for professionals and the public as wellas working in partnership with other Carers organisations.

We have also been working throughout the year with somelarge employers to ensure they are more aware of the

pressures on Carers who work for them and able to offer

them support when they need it.

Vennels offer freshly

baked, deep lled

quiches, pies, delicious

sandwiches and cakes,

all homemade on the

premises!

Why not call into

Saddlers Yard,

Saddlers Street, Durham DH1 3NP. Visit our website:

www.vennels.com or facebook Vennels Café or follow

on Twitter @VennelsDurham

PLEASE COMPLETE ALL RELEVANT SECTIONS,

PULL OUT AND RETURN USING FREEPOST:

RTSU-LJRT-HZBE

DURHAM COUNTY CARERS SUPPORT, UNIT 1, HUTTON CLOSE,SOUTH CHURCH ENTERPRISE PARK,

BISHOP AUCKLAND DL14 6XG.


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Fun “Lucky 13” Casino Night

Durham County Carers Support are holding a

‘Lucky 13 Casino Night’ taking place on

Friday 13th May 2016 at 7pm

at the Radisson Blu Hotel in DurhamThe cost of tickets is £35 - this includes a drinks

reception and also a 3 course meal. There will

be entertainment from a live band, a disco, a

magician, a fun casino and there will also be

a silent auction with some fabulous prizes to

be won. Discounts are available on tickets and

also room bookings at the Radisson Blu - which

includes the full use of their facilities.

The whole purpose of this is of course to have a

bit of fun but importantly to raise funds so thatwe can continue to support carers across County

Durham - all welcome - Carers, friends families

and colleagues We hope that you can come

along and join us!

Tickets can be purchased on our website

www.dccarers.org

NAME (BLOCK CAPITALS)

.......................................................................

ADDRESS.........................................................

.......................................................................

.......................................................................

POSTCODE ......................................................

SIGNED ...........................................................

TEL: NUMBER ..................................................

DATE ...............................................................

NUMBER OF TICKETS AT £35 EACH ...................

NUMBER OF TABLES AT £320 EACH ...................

I enclose my cheque payable to ‘Durham County Carers Support’ £35for the ‘‘Lucky 13’’ Casino Night


PULL OUT AND RETURN USING FREEPOST:RTSU-LJRT-HZBE

DURHAM COUNTY CARERS SUPPORT, UNIT 1, HUTTON CLOSE,

SOUTH CHURCH ENTERPRISE PARK,

BISHOP AUCKLAND DL14 6XG.


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Direct PaymentsCardsDo you have Direct Payments?

You may have heard from the Direct Payments team about

a new way of managing Direct Payments using a Direct

Payments Card, which is a fast and exible way to manage

Direct Payments.Direct Payments Cards can

be used in the same way

as any debit card, regular

payments can be set up

and payments can be

made in person, over the

phone or via the internet.

There are some restrictions on the use of the card including

drawing out cash but there is much less paperwork and

record keeping, and the audit process is simpler.

Like other councils, Durham have decided to make the Direct

Payments Card their preferred option for Direct Payments,although they will be exible in their approach, and provide

full support and advice during the transfer.

If you want to proceed with this option, the Direct Payments

team makes all of the arrangements and will open an

account on your behalf. You will receive a payment card

and access to your new account, and agreed funds will be

available in your designated account every four weeks.

If you are interested in managing your Direct Payments with

a card and would like a home visit to discuss transferring in

more detail, call the Direct Payments team on 03000 268

200 to arrange an appointment.

Home visit tocheck yourbenet payment

You may get a visit from a Department for Work and

Pensions (DWP) ofcer to check that your benet

payment is correct. The reason for the visit is tocollect national statistics on the benets system.

A Performance Measurement review ofcer may visit

you if you’re claiming:

• Employment and Support Allowance

• Housing Benet

• Pension Credit

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

• Universal Credit

Your name is selected at random to be checked.

You’ll get a letter in advance telling you about thevisit.

Check their identity

You can check the identity of the Performance

Measurement review ofcer by:

• asking to see their photo identity card

• calling the Business Support Team and giving the

review ofcer’s name

Business Support TeamTelephone: 0191 216 8050

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Are you a woman who is ready to build her confidence

and self-esteem and take control of her own future?

We are offering a FREE course which will start you on the

right track!

Interested? Then call Alison on 0191 3891504.

Every Tuesday, 12.30 – 2.30pm

26th

April to 21st

June 2016

You can join anytime!

Held at:

North Road Methodist Church

North Road, Durham City DH1 4SG

All women welcome!

Durham CountyCarers Supportand East Durham

TrustMoney Saving Session for Carers – Bring yourbills and we will help you to save money!Free online digital support to help you to save money

on gas and electricity bills, shopping, Home and Car

Insurance.

If you have a laptop, tablet or other device that you

don’t know how to use bring it along and we can help.

Tuesday July 5th 2016, 10.30am-1.30pmCommunity House, Yoden Road,Peterlee SR8 5DP

Limited to 20 places - please book earlyPlease contact Karen Wilson on 0191 5006011

If no answer please leave a voicemail or email

[email protected]

Booking closes Monday June 27th


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Stress Less & RelaxDo you feel stressed? Need to relax? Can’t nd the time? These exclusive events from Feel Good Factory will help you to ‘Stress

Less & Relax’

Thursday 19th May @ East Durham Trust, PeterleeThursday 26th May @ Four Clocks, Bishop AucklandThe events will involve a lively talk from Gillian Fortune who will teach

some simple techniques to help you handle everyday stress. In smaller groups, she’ll also teachyou how to chill out in under a minute and take back a bit of control in your life. It will be a fun

event with more than a few laughs included!

Come along for 9.15am to get signed in and grab a cuppa ready for a 9.45am startThe event will run until 12.45 followed by lunch• You’ll learn the science behind stress and how you can train your brain to chill.

• Ever heard of ‘1 minute mindfulness’? Well, you’ll be a pro at it after this event!

• Did you know that how you stand affects how you feel? We’ll teach you how to stand like the happiest, most condent

person on the planet!

These short events are a condensed version of a popular and very successful course that Feel Good Factory has recently

delivered to groups of carers – so we’re sure you’ll like it. Everyone who comes along to the event will be given a

relaxation pack full of useful bits and pieces to help you stress less and relax at home.

“These simple techniques changed my life and made me see things in a different way—it was fun too”

Chances to attend a down to earth and relaxed event like this don’t come along very often. Especially events that are fun,

interesting and potentially life changing! What have you got to lose?

Limited places can be booked by contacting Karen Wilson on 0191 500 6011 for Peterlee events or Carole Gibson on

01325 524603 for Bishop Auckland event.

RegionalFamily Carers

Network Carers from across the region met in Februaryto talk about what is important to them as

Carers supporting someone with a Learning

Disability or Autism. The discussion focused on

the following:

The importance of good consistent support.

Continuity of staff and recruitment processes

which are values based.

The value of working in partnership with other

groups and professionals to push for change.

Learning from good practice.

Some of the issues concerning Carers are:

Specialisms within health and social care appear

to be going. Budget cuts are having an impact

on day services and friendships.

Things stop developing when there is so much

change going on.

The next meeting is held Wednesday 27th April from 10:30am to 3:30pm at ourDurham ofce. Lunch is provided.If you would like more information on how to

get involved please contact Sue Garrett 01915006030.

Why not join our Facebook group for Carers of Adults with Learning disabilities?

Follow this link and join https://www.facebook.com/groups/420979081411958/?fref=ts

First Company Patron Announced

We have been working for some time to encourage localCompanies to support our charity. We are very pleased to

announce that Working IT Solutions have decided to be our rst

Patron. They recognise the work we do and want to join us in

making a difference to Carers lives across County Durham. Their

donation will support the Carers Transport Bursary which will make

a huge difference to Carers experiencing hardship due to transport

issues caused by their caring role.

Working IT Solutions was formed in 2004 by like-minded individuals

with the prerequisite of creating an IT services organisation that

can deliver a quality and cost effective service to our customers.

Their engineers have over 75 year of experience within the IT

industry and have completed all of the qualications required to beat the forefront of the IT sector.

Tony Hardy the Technical Director said “We have been supplying

IT support to DCCS since the merger and have seen the charity

blossom so when the opportunity came up to make a difference we

jumped at the chance”.

Jenni Wood, CEO said “We are thrilled that Working IT have

decided to support our Charity and help Carers in County Durham”

Working I.T. Solutions Ltd

It’s what we provide


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Staff rise to the £20ChallengeIn January the staff at Durham County Carers Support were

given an apprentice style challenge to support the charity.

They were split into teams and asked to take a £20 stake and

try to raise as much as they could in one month.

Immediately you could feel a buzz going around theorganisation as staff tried to come up with ways that would

out-do the competition.

There began a series

of secret dinner time

meetings and whispers

in corners and behind

closed doors, each

team desperately trying

to keep their ideas to

themselves, and yet,

in equally good spirit

everyone was trying

to help each other

regardless of which

team they were on.

This is the rst time

we have attempted

a challenge like this,

no other fundraising

activity has achieved

such competitiveness or

so much fun.

A range of simple ideaswere experimented

with, proving that it

doesn’t have to take

up too much time or

effort and without

any expensive initial

outlay. Some staff were

baking, each time you entered the ofce a poster appeared

for scones, shortbread biscuits, cakes, bacon sandwiches and

even dog biscuits! One team of staff served delicious mugs of

hot chocolate, fully loaded with marshmallows, sprinkles and

cream, just what everyone needed in the cold windy winter.

Hampers were created bursting with food or pampering

products and one team used their stake to offer a cash prize,

whilst another offered car washes during their dinner hour.

Two teams sold nearly new items at a car boot sale and table

top sale.

The purpose of the challenge was to act as an introduction

to the Mission Possible-£50 Challenge that the charity is

launching with businesses in County Durham. Organisations

have been invited to take part in a similar challenge that will

happen later in the year.

After 4 weeks we were delighted that a grand total of£965 was raised. The winning team was the Carer Support

Coordinators from the South of the County who raised a

fantastic £333. A huge thankyou to everyone who took part

and planning has already started to beat the total next year.

NHS Travel costsSchemeIf you are referred to hospital or other NHS premises

for NHS specialist treatment or diagnostic tests by your

doctor, dentist or other health professional, you may be

able to claim a refund of reasonable travel costs under

the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS). Assistanceis also available for children, other dependants, carers

and escorts. The HTCS also allows advance payments

to help you attend your healthcare appointments – for

example, if you do not have the money to get to your

hospital appointment and you are on a low income or

benets.

TIP *If you have questions about help with health costs,

join the Help with health costs team on Facebook, where the

NHS Business Services Authority will respond to your queries

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

Who can claim help with travel costs?To qualify for help with travel costs under the HTCS,you must meet three conditions:

Condition one: At the time of your appointment, you

or your partner (including civil partners) must receive

one of the qualifying benets or allowances listed

below, or meet the eligibility criteria of the NHS Low

Income Scheme.

Condition two: You must have a referral from ahealthcare professional for a specialist or to a hospital

for further NHS treatment or tests (often referred to as

“secondary care”).Condition three: Your appointment must be on a

separate visit to when the referral was made. This

applies whether your treatment is provided at a

different location (hospital or clinic) or on the same

premises as where your GP or other health professional

issued the referral.

Qualifying Benets

• Income Support.

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.

• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit.• You are named on, or entitled to, an NHS tax

credit exemption certicate. If you do not have a

certicate, you can show your award notice. You

qualify if you get child tax credits, working tax credits

with a disability element (or both) and have income

for tax credit purposes of £15,276 or less.

• You have a low income and are named on certicate

HC2 (full help) or HC3 (limited help). To apply for

this certicate, you should complete form HC1, which

is available from your local hospital or Jobcentre Plus

ofces.For more information call 0300 330 1343 to seewhich best meets your needs or visit http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Pages/Travelcosts.aspx for full details of the scheme.


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Thursday 13th OctoberSunderland Empire at 7.30pmTickets are offered on a rst come rst served

basis and are free to registered Carers.

1 additional ticket can be purchased per Carer at acost of £27.50 without transport or

£32.50 including transport.

Booking slip for Footloose

Name .............................................................

Address ..........................................................

......................................................................

Postcode.........................................................

Telephone number ..........................................

If you require transport pick up locations are as

follows and must be conrmed on booking

Bus 1 - Peterlee Seaham

Bus 2 - Barnard Castle Bishop Auckland

Newton Aycliffe

Bus 3 - Consett Stanley Durham

Chester Le Street

I would like to purchase 1 additional ticket

and enclose payment for the correct amount.

Theatre Trips Theatre Trips

Wednesday 21st SeptemberSunderland Empire at 2.30pmTickets are offered on a rst come rst served

basis and are free to registered Carers.

1 additional ticket can be purchased per Carer ata cost of £25 without transport or £30 including

transport.

Booking slip for CATS

Name .............................................................

Address ..........................................................

......................................................................

Postcode.........................................................

Telephone number ..........................................

If you require transport pick up locations are as

follows and must be conrmed on booking

Bus 1 - Peterlee Seaham

Bus 2 - Barnard Castle Bishop Auckland

Newton Aycliffe

Bus 3 - Consett Stanley Durham

Chester Le Street

I would like to purchase 1 additional ticket

and enclose payment for the correct amount.

Your form must bereturned by 30thJune 2016 and youwill be notied

if you have beensuccessful.

#PLEASE COMPLETE ALL RELEVANT SECTIONS, PULL OUT AND RETURN USING FREEPOST: RTSU-LJRT-HZBE

DURHAM COUNTY CARERS SUPPORT, UNIT 1, HUTTON CLOSE, SOUTH CHURCH ENTERPRISE PARK, BISHOP AUCKLAND DL14 6XG.


10/1610

It’s not too late to sponsor Liz & Sara or Barbara &

Ann, every penny raised will go towards helping Carers

living in County Durham.

Liz & Sara are bravely carrying out a Sky Dive during

Carers Week on the 12th June 2016 and Barbara &

Ann are taking on the Kielder 25.3 mile challenge on

Saturday 3rd September 2016.

Please show your support and donate now by either

visiting www.virginmoneygiving.com or simply ll in

the slip below enclosing a cheque made payable to

Durham County Carers Support and return to:

1 Hutton Close, South Church Enterprise Park,

Bishop Auckland, DL14 6XG

Your details

First Name: ...............................................................

Last Name: ...............................................................

Email: ......................................................................

Address: ...................................................................

................................................................................

Postcode: .......................

Fundraising

My Bank Details

Name of the account holder: .............................................

Account Number: .............................................................

Sort Code: .......................................................................

Signed: ........................................................

Date: .............................................

Please return this form to:Durham County Carers Support, 1 Hutton Close,

South Church Enterprise Park, Bishop Auckland DL14 6XG

Gift AidPlease treat as Gift Aid donations all qualifying gifts of

money made today and in the future.

I conrm I have paid or will pay an amount of UK Income

Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for each year that is at least

equal to the amount of tax that I donate for that tax year.

I understand that other taxes as VAT and Council Tax do not

qualify. I understand the Charity will reclaim 25p of tax on

every £1 that I have given directly from the Government.

Please tick this box to join the Gift Aid Scheme

Making a Regular Donation

I would like tosponsor Sara & Liz -Charity Sky Dive

I would like tosponsor

Barbara & Ann -Kielder Challenge

#

Set up a regular monthly donation with Durham County

Carers Support today and you can help transform lives

around County Durham.

A regular donation means you can give small amounts

every month that make a huge difference to the work

we do.

Monthly gifts by direct debit give us a predictable

income so we can commit to helping more people.Please help us reach and support more

Carers living in County Durham.

Bankers OrderPlease pay to: Unity Trust Bank,

Nine Brindleyplace,

Birmingham B1 2HB

Durham County Carers Support

Account Number: 20132424

Sort Code: 60-83-01

I would like to set up a monthly donation of:

Your donation per month:

£2 £5 £10


11/1611

Fullling Lives 5 andLearning DisabilityEngagement ForumNew College Durham Tuesday 31st May 10am to 4pm

The fth market stall event and Engagement Forum will take

place for people with Learning Disabilities and their Carers.

In the morning, there will be over forty information displays at

the event which will include specialist zones covering, health,

leisure, guidance and advice, activities in the community,

friendship and support.

Information stands will include the BBC, Specsavers, Welfare

Rights, Culture Durham, Beamish Museum and Direct Payments.

One stall will provide support for people with learning disabilities

to move onto higher education.

In the afternoon, the fourth County Durham Adults Learning

Disabilities Engagement Forum will take place, chaired by

Head of Adult Services Lesley Jeavons. The forum will providean opportunity for people with learning disabilities, friends,

carers and organisations to keep up to date with the latest

developments around services for people who have learning

disabilities. The forum is also an opportunity for people to

feedback their views. This forum will focus on transport and the

barriers that exist.

Some of the previous topics at the forum have looked at the

Care Bill, friendship and support and how to stay connected

within the right networks.

The event is free and open to anyone who may wish to attend.

Carers Groupfor CarersSupporting Adultswith AutismIn our last newsletter we told you about a newgroup for Carers supporting adults with autism.

The group met with Marion Franklin, Policy and

Planning Ofcer Durham County Council and

shared their views and concerns. Carers expressed

their concerns to Marion which included the lack

of support available to help someone with autism

nd employment. Marion informed the group that

the Autism Alliance are in the process of working

with the DWP to implement a pilot project to

develop a communication passport. NEAS have

already provided training to 28 DWP staff. Thenext planned meeting, where carers can meet with

Marion is Thursday 16th June 1pm at Alington

House, Durham.

In the meantime, Carers expressed a wish to

meet again before June. Therefore the group are

meeting at our Durham Ofce on Thursday 21st

April between 1pm and 3pm. If you would like

further details please contact Sue Garrett 0191

5006030

Please be aware that there is a 50% discount for Vehicle

Tax available when an award of PIP standard rate mobility

is made. No such discount applies to DLA low rate. For

more information see https://www.gov.uk/nancial-help-

disabled/vehicles-and-transport.

How to claimSend all of the following to DVLA Swansea:

Your statement of entitlement

(it’s at the end of your PIP award letter)

The vehicle registration certicate (V5C)

A V10 form

An original MOT or GVT certicate

(if your vehicle needs one)

A cheque or payable order

(made out to ‘DVLA, Swansea’) for 50% of

the full rate of car tax for the vehicle

DVLA, Swansea SA99 1DZ

Full Vehicle Tax Exemption Eligibility You can apply for total exemption from paying vehicle tax if

you get the:

• Higher rate mobility component of Disability Living

Allowance (DLA)

• Enhanced rate mobility component of PersonalIndependence Payment (PIP)

• War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement

The vehicle must be registered in the disabled person’s

name or their nominated driver’s name. It must only be

used for the disabled person’s personal needs. It can’t be

used by the nominated driver for their own personal use.

You can only have one vehicle tax exemption at any one

time.

Contact the DVLA by phone on 0300 790 6802 ortextphone on 0300 123 1279 to see which documents

you need to apply. You may also be able to get furtherinformation from your local Post Ofce

PIP Standard Mobility and Vehicle Tax Reduction (Car Tax.)

Why not join our Facebook group for Carers of Adults with Learning disabilities?

Follow this link and join https://www.facebook.com/groups/420979081411958/?fref=ts


12/1612

#

Are you registered with the County Durham and Darlington

Carers’ Emergency Support Service?

In 2014 the Human Support Group took over as the

provider of the Carers Emergency Support Scheme and in

the change over some Carers information did not transfer.We would like to urge Carers to check that they are still

registered with the scheme by lling in the form below and

letting us check for you.

For those Carers already registered with the scheme we

would also like to suggest that you to let your GP know you

are registered with the service in case you become unwell

and they need to arrange cover for the person you care for.

With your permission, Durham County Carers Support can

do this on your behalf by lling in the form below.

The Carers’ Emergency Service is a free of charge service

that makes sure that the adult you care for is safe, and

their needs are met should you experience an emergency

situation. The service can provide peace of mind if you

were for example to have an accident, be admitted to

hospital, need to deal with a family crisis or need to sit an

exam or attend an interview at short notice.

If you are not registered with the service and you would

like to know more about it, please complete the form

below and return to the address provided.

Please would you check on my behalf that Iam still registered with theEmergency Support Service

I would like you to advice my GP that I am

registered with the Emergency Support ServiceI have not registered with the service butI would like to know more about it

Name: ..........................................................................

Address: .......................................................................

....................................................................................

..................................Postcode ....................................

Name of your GP ...........Surgery ....................................

Signature ......................................................................

Date ........................................

County Durham & Darlington Carers’Emergency Support Service


PULL OUT AND RETURN USING FREEPOST:RTSU-LJRT-HZBE


SOUTH CHURCH ENTERPRISE PARK, BISHOP AUCKLAND DL14 6XG.

Blue Bridge Centre, St Cuthberts WayNewton Aycliffe, Co. Durham DL5 6DS

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13/1613

Durham CountyCarers Support500 CLUBJ

oining the 500 Club gives you the opportunity tosupport the charity and a very good chance of

winning a monthly prize with 50% of the income

paid out as prize money.

Club members pay £12 per year to be entered into

12 monthly draws for prize money of 1st £100, 2nd

£70 and 3rd £35. The value of the prize money will

depend on the number of Club members and could

be higher or lower than the stated amounts. The

draw will take place on the rst Thursday of each

month and the winners will be contacted by letteralong with their winnings. Names of the winners will

appear in our quarterly newsletter.

We do appreciate that you must receive many

requests for charitable donations, but our 500 Club

gives you the chance to win your money back and

more every month!

We currently have 441 members

Durham County Carers Support500 Club membership application:

I would like to purchase ..........................................

number/s for Durham County Carers Support

500 Club.

NAME (BLOCK CAPITALS) .......................................

ADDRESS...............................................................

.............................................................................

.............................................................................

POSTCODE ............................................................

TELEPHONE NUMBER .............................................

EMAIL ...................................................................

I enclose my cheque payable to ‘DurhamCounty Carers Support’ for £12 for one year’smembership.

Signed ...................................................................

Dated ....................................................................

Date Received Number Allocated

#

Working IT Solutions – North West, Unit 27, Leslie Hough Way, Salford, M6 6AJ

Tel: 0161 736 9600 Email: [email protected]

Working IT Solutions – North East, 70-74 Brunswick Street, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, TS18 1DW

Tel: 01642 927 727 Email: [email protected]

We provideexperience andexpertise withcustomer service

you can trust.

We provide Working ITSolutions.

PLEASE COMPLETE ALL RELEVANT SECTIONS,PULL OUT AND RETURN USING FREEPOST:

RTSU-LJRT-HZBE


SOUTH CHURCH ENTERPRISE PARK, BISHOP AUCKLAND DL14 6XG.

Previous Winners:

February 20161st £113 R Briggs

2nd £75 L Keeble

3rd £38 D Smit

March 20161st £105 M Westwater

2nd £70 M Hunter

3rd £35 D Warry

Working I.T. Solutions Ltd

It’s what we provide


14/1614

AutismWorkshopIn partnership with Kerrie Highcock from North East

Autism Society we are running an Autism Workshop for

parent carers who have a child under the age of 18 with

a diagnosis of Autism.

The Course is based on 6 areas which will be covered –

• What is Autism

• Living with Autism

• Communication Differences in Autism

• Sensory Differences in Autism

• Emotional wellbeing in Autism

• Navigating the System.

The course will be held each Tuesday from

7th June-12th July 10.00am-12noon.The Course will take place at Feelgood Factory,

Spennymoor.There is limited availability, only 16 places available.

Places will be allocated on a rst come rst served basis.

If you wold like to attend – please contact Sara Carlton

on 01325 524606 or by email [email protected]

We are also looking to run future courses in other areas

across the county – please like our facebook page and

we will post details about this as and when they are

arranged www.facebook.com/DCCSparentcarers

County DurhamLearningDisabilitiesParliamentCounty Durham Learning Disabilities Parliament is a

group of people who have Learning Disabilities who

meet every fortnight for 2 hours to discuss the issues

that are important to them. Some of the work they do

involves training professionals on learning disabilities

awareness to help improve skills for people. The group

also provides training on looking after your eyes, and

has a number of speakers who visit the meetings to

talk about their services. The group also visits other

organisations to work in partnership to improve things

for people who have learning disabilities.

The group is open to anyone who has a learningdisability who lives in County Durham, and is free.

Participants have to arrange their own transport

to get to the meeting. The meetings take place at

Framwellgate Moor Community Centre in Durham. The

group meets next on:

Wednesday 27th April at 10am-12pm,Wednesday 11th May 10am-12pm.The next full Parliament meeting is:

Wednesday 25th May 10am-3pmIf you support someone who is over 18 years old and

would like further details about how to get involved

please contact Benjamin Newton on

03000 265520

Do you have a child with a disabilityor additional needs?If you want up to date information and the opportunity to meet with other Parent Carers we currently have

monthly support groups in Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland and Pelton near Chester le Street. We also have

information on other organisations delivering a range of specialist support groups across the County. The best

way to nd out what is available is to join our Facebook group for Parent Carers. Follow this link to sign up

www.facebook.com/DCCSparentcarers and for the latest information on the groups we run see our web site at

www.dccarers.org or call Sara Carlton 01325524606 or Alison Donaghue 01915006012 for more information.

Why not join our Facebook group forParent Carers? Follow this link and joinwww.facebook.com/DCCSparentcarers

Check out our new website at:www.dccarers.org

All material published in Caring Matters, including adverts, editorials, articles and all other content is published ingood faith. Durham County Carers Support accepts no liability for any errors or omissions and does not endorseany companies, products or services that appear in this publication. This publication is available in alternative

formats and large print. To let us know your requirements, please contact 0300 005 1213.


15/1615

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16/16

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Documents

Caring Matters April 2016 FINAL FINAL (5)