Unpaid carers (including young carers) in the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire areas who are looking for support can contact the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre:
- by phone: Falkirk – 01324 611510; Clackmannanshire: 01259 226839
- by email: centre@centralcarers.co.uk
- online
- via Twitter or Facebook
They also have teams dedicated to young carers and young adult carers, who both have social media accounts:
People aged 16 – 64 years old in the Forth Valley area, who provide face to face care and support for others (and have not already had their first vaccine dose or appointment letter), are being invited to register for their COVID-19 vaccination.
A new self-registration service has been launched to help people check if they are eligible as an unpaid carer. Carers who receive relevant benefits should have already received a letter with details of their appointment, but all eligible unpaid carers are being encouraged to self-register – when they do, they will be advised if they are already scheduled for an appointment, so there is no duplication.
Getting the vaccine reduces your risk of COVID-19 and helps ensure that you can continue to support the individuals that you care for.
To register or to check if you are eligible, or for further information, visit the NHS Scotland website.
Alternatively, call the COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline: 0800 030 8013, or visit the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre website.
Further information is also available via the full article here on the CVS Falkirk website, the NHS Inform website, or on the Scottish Government info sheet.
Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre run different “Care with Confidence” information sessions for carers of all ages (typically on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the occasional Wednesday), featuring a range of topics. All sessions are via Zoom, 10:30am – 12:30pm. All carers are welcome, and sessions are free.
The new programme offers a variety of activities which aims to facilitate a move towards face to face contact, building confidence to do so safely as possible. Some activities will take place on Zoom, outside or a blend of outside and indoors, and eventually, indoors – however, if people don’t feel safe joining sessions indoors, they can always continue to join via Zoom.
The Carers Centre will ensure all sessions follow the latest COVID-19 guidance, whatever the setting.
To book your place at any session, or for further information, (including support on how to go online, or how to join a Zoom meeting), please contact Catherine Brunton by phone: 07857671347, or email: catherinebrunton@centralcarers.co.uk
Alternatively, for information on all Carers Centre sessions and events (including Care with Confidence), please visit the Carers Centre online calendar.
Catherine is also available to discuss any future sessions, via the contact details above.
- Tips for Worrying
It’s a worrying time for everyone right now, with lots of uncertainties, especially for carers. Carers Trust Scotland has created a useful graphic with tips on challenging those worries, available via their Twitter account, or to download as a jpeg.
- Scottish Young Carers Festival: Young Carers in Lockdown
In 2020, the Media Ambassadors opportunity (usually offered as part of the Scottish Young Carers Festival) moved online. Online recruitment resulted in 10 young and young adult carers aged 16–22, taking part in training workshops via Zoom, including learning how to create an awareness-raising film.
They interviewed 6 young adult carers for this final film, who shared their own experiences of lockdown and what support they need. The film was also shown at the Carers Parliament meeting in November 2020.
The film is available to watch through YouTube, and aims to inform people about the experiences of young carers during what has been a trying time for everyone, and help other young carers know they are not alone in what they’re feeling and experiencing.
To view the film, please visit the Carers Trust Scotland Twitter or YouTube accounts (both of which are full of other helpful tips and videos for carers of all ages).
