What role do unpaid carer centres actually play in helping the unpaid carer, signposting or actual help.
My experiences aren’t good , I attended a carers assessment at my local carers centre, the woman helped me fill in the forms but that was it.
The forms were sent to Social Services and that was it, I was ineligible for help.
I contacted the carers centre again, I was told to go through complaints, I did with no help and support, very lengthy process, It all went to the Ombudsman, took 2 and a half years, I lost my case.
And what support was supplied while going through complaints NONE.
I have again contacted the carers centre who again signposted me elsewhere, but the elsewhere place signposted me straight back to the carers centre. The carers centre have the contract and it is up to them to help.
I don’t think the carers centre really have the staff, thousands of unpaid carers, about 20 staff?
What are others experiences, my caring role was really complex, I really needed someone to sit down with me step by step, a specific assigned worker or advocate. But I was just signposted away from the centre to people on the telephone who just didn’t really understand.
The support for complex cases just isn’t there.