Contacting new people or organisations for the first time can be daunting. Several questions will probably go through your mind:
- What will be expected of me?
- What type of questions will they ask?
- Who will I be speaking to?
We want to remove the mystery by letting you know what will happen the moment you dial our number.
Our carer advice line team
This is your first port of call. The first thing they will do is establish what you feel you need. They are there to listen and respond to your needs.
It might be that all you require is support for information, advice and guidance. Part of their role is to signpost you to other services.
What we mean by ‘signposting’?
Much like a road sign which directs you to your destination, they will give you information regarding carers groups, day centres or social events for carers. Anything you are signposted to may not necessarily be run by Caring Together but by other organisations we work with throughout the counties.
What other support can the team provide?
It might be you are looking after someone and you need a break or support yourself, in which case you may receive a carer’s assessment – the carer helpline team will explain what this is, what it will achieve and the process required.
It might be you need a Family Carers’ Prescription (FCP) – in which case the carer helpline team will explain more about the service and help you access this service via your GP surgery. The Family Carers’ Prescription is a quick, but short term service.
How we can help the person you care for?
It might be you are the person you care for who needs support – in which case you can either refer yourself to social care for a needs led assessment, or we can do that on your behalf if you prefer.
When you call us
We like to take your details at the earliest possible opportunity. This may not be at the first point of contact.
Sometimes, we find that carers are so overwhelmed by their caring role, that all they need is someone to speak to. If this is the case, we can arrange to call you at some point in the near future. We are also happy to call you back straight away if you are worried about the cost of a long phone call (all our phone numbers are charged at a local rate).
When we ask for your details, we will also ask about the person you care for. It will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and will include your name, address, date of birth and you GP Surgery. It is important we have details of your surgery so that if you decide you need a family carers prescription then we can check that they are part of the service.
Keeping your personal information safe
When we ask for your details, we always ask for your consent to store those details on our computer system. It is our policy not to share information about you to a third party without your prior consent. We also have a strict confidentiality policy in line with the Data Protection Act to ensure your details are kept safe and confidential at all times.
