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This newsletter contains the latest news and messages from Coventry City Council and information about local community groups and partners who are offering local support.
In this issue:
Welcome to our summer Carers' Bulletin!
There is plenty going on this month for carers of all ages. There are some exciting young carers day trips coming up, including trips to Alton Towers and Compton Verney! For the adults, the very popular flower arranging session by Carers Trust returns on the 10 August, so book fast to grab a space!
July was another month of progress for working carers nationally, with the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 receiving Royal Assent. Workers now having the right to request flexible working from day one of a new job, with employers legally required to consider these requests and provide a reason before rejection. This flexibility, alongside the Carers Leave Act 2023 (which gives working carers the right to take unpaid leave from work to care for older disabled or seriously ill relatives or friends) are welcome and much needed changes to help working carers to balance work, caring and often their own family life. Further information on these are noted below.
Through August, the Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board kindly request your feedback on their proposed End of Life and Palliative Care Strategy. A link to the strategy and information on providing feedback is noted below. All feedback on this is extremely valued, so please do share this with anyone who would like to contribute their thoughts or suggestions.
We've also popped a few reminders of support available to carers, such as Carer's Assessments and the CRESS service. Do have a read to find out more, or have a look at our Carers' webpages for information on other services available.
Finally, as we enter our final month of summer and (hopefully!) enjoy the last of the nice weather, have a look at the Coventry Community Information Directory for information and ideas of what's on in the city.
Happy reading and have a lovely August!
What's a carer's assessment?
If you've been caring for sometime you may well of been offered a carer's assessment. A carers assessment is the opportunity for you to talk to a professional about your caring role, the impact that is has on you and your overall wellbeing and any needs you might have as result. It will help you talk about the future and help you start to think about other aspects like contingency planning.
Who can have a carer's assessment?
Anyone who has a caring role can have a carer's assessment, you don't need to be caring for a certain amount of hours of week and you may even want to think about a carer's assessment if you're considering taking on a caring role.
What can a carer's assessment lead to?
A carer's assessment should help you think about the support you might need and any support you might need will be explored as part of the assessment. This might be some support to emergency plan or it might be the provision of a Carers' Direct Payment to help you purchase goods or services, to help you in your caring role. Often Carers tell us it was the first time they've been able to discuss their own needs in any level of detail.
Who completes the assessment?
If you have active involvement with Adult Social Care, then your social work practitioner will offer you an assessment. If you don't have input at present from Adult Social Care you can request an assessment from the Carers Trust Heart of England on 024 7663 2972.
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Based in Coventry City Centre, EGO Arts runs weekly sessions for people of any age and ability who want to make theatre - whether as an actor, musician or production artist.
We have places available at the exciting EGO Creative Academy, a mixed ability ensemble where you work together with industry professionals to produce and perform new shows. This is an Adult Social Care service for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism, meaning your place can be funded through your social worker. This group meets on weekdays from 10am - 4pm, You can choose to do performance (acting) or production arts (making props and sets for theatre). You don't need any acting or artistic experience, just a willingness to apply yourself and learn new skills.
To find out more, email hello@egoarts.co.uk. Call us or send us a WhatsApp message on 07476208935. Find out more at egoarts.co.uk
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Carers Leave Act 2023
Informal carers and those with a caring responsibility now have a statutory
right to 5 days of unpaid leave as a result of a new law that was passed in
Parliament in May 2023. All employers should be supporting working carers
to balance work and caring. For more information on this new law visit the Parliament website.
Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023
This Bill gives the right of employees and other workers to request variations to particular terms and conditions of employment, including working hours, times and locations. For more information please see the Parliament website.
July started with some creative poetry writing, where Young Carers were invited along to St Mary’s Guildhall to meet Coventry’s Poet Laureate, Emilie-Lauren. The Young Carers worked on a piece of poetry and then performed in front of their peers in the beautiful, historic setting of St Mary’s Guildhall. We certainly have some extremely talented young carers with a natural flair for poetry. We can’t wait to see how they develop their talents.
There has been plenty of fun throughout July, including movie & munchies nights, which is always a favourite, quiz night and even a spot of crocheting in preparation for our Yarn Bombing Project next month. We also hosted an online session for young carers to come together, catch up and have some fun along the way with a game of Taskmaster. It was lovely to see so many of them join in.
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Some of our Young Adult Carers went along to Warwick University this month to take part in a research project hosted by Dr Michael Wyness, looking at transition into higher education and employment and the barriers that young carers face. We are looking forward to the findings and how that is used |
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Please take a look at our August activity calendar below to see what we have going on throughout the summer!
 Activities for 5-10 year olds:
- 10 August: Come and Make
- 16 August: Compton Verney Day Trip (7-10 yrs)
- 17 August: Summer crafts and fancy dress
- 24 August: Picnic in the park
- 29 and 31 August: Come and decorate our garden (all ages)
Activities for 11-17 year olds:
- 7 August: Fashion design
- 8 August: Fire Ceremony with Liz Sparks
- 14 August: Youth Club
- 22 August: Alton Towers Trip
- 29 and 31 August: Come and decorate our garden (all ages)
Please discuss with your child/children which activities they would like to attend and send over your interest to Kelly on 07428 670040, who will confirm a place has been allocated. Please be aware that some sessions have limited places, so book early to avoid disappointment.
Please see below events, groups and activities taking place with the Carers Trust, Heart of England over August 2023.
Book a place by calling Carers Trust on 024 7663 2972 option 1, emailing carergroups@carerstrusthofe.org.uk or via Eventbrite:
- Flower arranging on Thursday 10 August 2pm-4pm at the Penny Collard Centre
- Mental Health Care and Share group, first Tuesday of the month, 10.30am-12.30pm at Bond’s Lodge
- Virtual Care and share group, normally first Monday of the month but in August it will be Monday 14 August. 1.30pm-3pm via Zoom. The link can be sent if they contact carergroups@carerstrusthofe.org.uk
- Emotional Resilience Thursday 10 August 12noon-1.30pm at Bond’s Lodge.
- Caludon drop in on 7 August.
People at the Heart of Health and Care Healthwatch Coventry Annual Meeting and Celebration
Healthwatch Coventry had a great celebration on Wednesday 5 July at Coventry Transport Museum at our Annual Meeting. They celebrated Healthwatch’s 10th Anniversary and also marked the 75th Anniversary of the NHS. Talks and presentations reflected on on Healthwatch Coventry’s achievements over the last 10 years and the last year in particular, as well as looking forward to future work. As well as this the winners of their Photography Competition were announced and the morning was rounded off with delicious food and a creative origami session.
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Read the summary of how Healthwatch Coventry heard the experiences of local people and worked for better NHS and social care services in Coventry. This year has been a time of growth in the reach and influence of Healthwatch Coventry and of significant pressure in NHS and social care services.
In mid-July Healthwatch Coventry moved from their office on Trinity Street to Harp Place in Radford, just outside the city centre. Harp Place is the base of several charities and community groups.
Dear Life, helps people in Coventry and Warwickshire to find mental health and suicide prevention information and advice for themselves or someone they are worried about. The website is supported by local NHS providers and the Councils' Public Health teams.
A new Suicide Prevention Strategy for Coventry and Warwickshire has recently been produced, which sets out the ambitions and approach for reducing the number of suicides in the area. The Coventry and Warwickshire Suicide Prevention Partnership is currently developing a work programme to support the vision that no-one in Coventry and Warwickshire should ever feel like suicide is their only option. The Partnerships' Multi Agency Network provides a forum for local groups, services and organisations to network and share information relating to suicide prevention activity in the local area.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care System would like your feedback on the new Palliative and end of life strategy.
Palliative care is about improving the quality of life of anyone facing a life-limiting condition. It includes physical, emotional, social, spiritual care as well as practical support.
We want our people of Coventry and Warwickshire to live as well as possible for as long as possible.
End-of-life care is the treatment, care and support for people who are nearing the end of their lives. It is an important part of palliative care and aims to help people live as comfortably as possible in their last months, weeks or days of life and to die with dignity.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Palliative and End of Life Care Strategy is an overview of how health and social care will work together with our communities across Coventry and Warwickshire to improve the lives of people with palliative and end of life care needs and those who look after them.
This Strategy has been developed with input from a wide range of partners, considering the experiences and insight shared by individuals, relatives, carers and local people.
We are keen to gain further feedback on the strategy and the delivery plan and would welcome your thoughts and comments.
You can find the Palliative and End of Life Care Strategy and provide your feedback.
Alternatively, email your feedback to cwicb.clinicaltransformation@nhs.net and please title the email: Palliative and End of Life Care Feedback.
Thinking about keeping warm is not always front of mind during a summer heatwave – but now is a great time to plan any changes to your home to help keep you warmer and well during the winter.
Coventry City Council has partnered with local energy experts Act on Energy to support Coventry residents with a wide range of services such as energy billing advice and grant availability for energy efficiency measures.
There is specific funding available through the Keeping Coventry Warm Scheme which is designed for those who have a long term health condition or disability which is affected by living in a cold or damp home. Applicants should be owner occupiers or living in a private rented property. Funding can include:
- External wall insulation
- Cavity wall insulation
- First time gas central heating
- Broken boiler replacement
- Inefficient gas boiler
- Loft insulation
- Upgrade or repair of electric storage heaters
Measures are income related but there is scope for wide ranging help so please do call to see if Act on Energy can help. Call for free on 0800 988 2881 or visit the Keeping Coventry Warm webpages.
And if you don’t have mains gas for your home heating, and an income of less than £31,000, you may be eligible for a Home Upgrade Grant. The grant can provide fully funded energy efficiency improvements to poorly insulated homes within Coventry.
For more details call Act on Energy for free on 0800 988 2881.
Every year Carers UK one of the biggest charities supporting carers ask carers to complete their annual survey to help understand the reality of caring in the UK. They have used their survey findings in the past to drive change, influence legislation and ensure that carers are on the national agenda. Last year a record 13,000 carers took part in the survey – the highest number of responses they’ve ever had. This year, they want to reach even more carers.
If you have the time please fill in the survey.
The survey will close on 3 August and we will be sharing the results later in the year. If you have any questions about the research, you can get in touch with their policy team.
Many carers worry about what would happen to the person they care for if they were involved in an emergency situation, suddenly taken ill or prevented from looking after the person they care for.
If you don’t have anyone who can help or you are worried that it may not always be possible for the person you have identified to cover all the care tasks for the person you support, you can register with our Carers' Response Emergency Support Service known as CRESS provided by Carers Trust Heart of England. We can provide up to 72 hours of support whilst other arrangements are put in place.
- Carers Trust Heart of England host the CRESS service and it is funded by Coventry City Council.
- A worker will visit you and the person you care for and develop a contingency support plan to be put in place if you are suddenly unable to care due to an emergency, such as being admitted to hospital.
- We can then provide up to 72 hours of support whilst other arrangements are put in place. You do not have to have a Carers' Assessment to access this service and there is no charge to register or if the service is used.
Contact the Carers Trust Heart of England on 024 7610 1040 (Option 1).
For more information, please visit the CRESS website.
Would you like to know more about adult carers and young carers?
If so we have two courses that are available to help increase your knowledge. Both courses are free and you can access them in your own time. Please take a look and we hope you find them helpful:
It’s simple! Just add your email address in the top right hand corner and click GO!
You can also sign up or view previous bulletins from our Carers' website.
If you have any comments or wish to contribute something to the next bulletin, please let us know by contacting us at carers@coventry.gov.uk.
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