Local Carers Centre

My local Carers Centre informed us they were changing who were funding them last year, and that they’d send out an Information Pack which I have never received. I don’t know it that’s coz of the Pandemic or coz I’m deleted off their system…Had problems with them being unsupportive for years, the Manager failing to be supportive - yet they have posters up in GP Surgeries to contact them for support, claiming to support all unpaid family Carers in our area.

I did request a call-back some months ago, the manager actually phoned me whilst I was in the midst of sorting my Mum’s Lunch out; even when I requested a specific time - like it’s always about them…what sort of ‘service’ is that, when they are ‘supposed’ to be caring, compassionate, understanding?

I don’t get any support from ours either.
One woman runs the place, and her daughter now works for her.
I feel very much that if they don’t like you, you don’t get anything.

I suffered a complex partial seizure when I phoned our Carer’s Centre and couldn’t speak to the manager for a while. (I can be incapable of speech during one of these attacks.) She didn’t hang up and eventually a brief conversation was resumed. She said she’d get back to me which she didn’t and, as I wanted to know about the phone ‘episode’, I called her. I got the overriding impression she had no interest. When I asked her how I’d behaved she replied with “It was pretty weird.” They didn’t call back.

Originally these people contacted me to ask them for help, not the other way round. I imagine a phone call with someone who’d just become silent is ‘pretty weird’ but a more diplomatic way of describing events would have been appreciated.

She then asked me who our current social worker was. I told her, and yet again, that lack of interest came shining through. I got the feeling with her praise of our social worker that this Carer’s Centre had no interest in me - carry on with social services. No invitation was offered, if that’s what happens that is.

I’m quite relieved in a way that I discovered this post because I thought I was being oversensitive. But when I looked at their very slick website just now, with all the people working for them I realise I wasn’t.

Thanks, David

Seems to be a problem with a lot of these places to help carers and vulnerable disabled people.

They have a very flashy website, they will do this, they will do that, support support support.

But the reality is they just signpost you elsewhere, seems to be not an actual we will help you place, we will send you else where, pass the parcel.

Our local carers centre have the contract to provide carers assessments, but these are just passed on to Social Services, although the carers centre could see i was facing complex issues, no help was offered, it’s just pass it on to Social Services.

Didn’t receive any help from the carers centre or social services, despite i had multiple carees.

The Carers centre is there to stop unpaid carers getting to crisis point, supplying vital information, advice and support.

The amount of times i got to crisis point, i just gave up phoning the crisis line in the end.

But you should get a Named Carer Support worker to help with any issues from the carer centre.

Give them a ring see what they say.

I think the word “signposting” is one of my least favourite. The might as well call it the “Merry Go Round”, wastes huge amounts of my time, achieving NOTHING! Except of course, a rise in my blood pressure and frustration!!