The Carers in Derbyshire website has been jointly created by a partnership of unpaid carers and Adult Care, local health and voluntary sector organisations. A short, animated video explains the challenges carers in Derbyshire face and why the website was created.

The website aims to act as ‘starting point’ for carers who are using the internet to find help, advice and support services at any time of the day or night. Carers can:

• Use the searchable Carers Directory to find support groups and other local services
• Find out about the latest news and events
• Get information on carers rights
• Find out about carer assessments and carer personal budgets
• Get advice on looking after their health and wellbeing.

Future plans for the website include a blog and online forum. Non-web based communications are also planned including a paper version of the Carers Directory. For further information please email: adultcareinfo@derbyshire.gov.uk 

 From April 1 2017 Derbyshire Carers Association will be the lead provider of carers support services in Derbyshire, this includes services for young carers. They have also moved from their Ripley base to:

Genesis Business Park
32-46 King Street
Alfreton
DE55 7DQ

They've also changed their phone number to tel: 01773 833833. However, calls and mail to the old telephone number and address will both be forwarded onto the new office for the next couple of months.

Community Connectors are a team of trained support workers who can assist people with a learning disability and/or autism to access opportunities in their local community.

The team work all over Derbyshire and can work with people for up to 12 weeks.

Community Connectors aim to support people to:

• meet their individual goals
• make stronger community links and relationships
• explore new skills and interests
• develop or maintain relationships/friendships.

The Connectors can support people to use community facilities such as leisure centres, take part in activities happening locally, build relationships and try new things such as paid or voluntary work.

Currently the service can only support people who have a learning disability and/or autism who live in Derbyshire. A person doesn’t have to have an Adult Care social worker or personal budget to use the Community Connector Service. For further information please contact Call Derbyshire on tel 01629 533190 or read the service information leaflet.

There is also an easy read leaflet for clients who use the service.

Western Power Distribution maintain a Priority Services Register to help people who might need extra assistance in a power cut due to being elderly, disabled or medically dependent on power. 

Together, the electricity and gas networks, Western Power Distribution and National Grid Gas Distribution (NGGD), can provide services to those people who are registered and may find themselves in vulnerable situations in the event of a power cut or gas outage. These services could include:

• proactive calls to customers providing advice and information during a power cut
• a direct dial phone number to report a power cut
• partnership with Red Cross to provide hot food/drinks, advice and welfare support
• 24 hour catering facilities
• notice and assistance for planned power cuts
• contacting oxygen concentrator providers who can ensure customers have sufficient breathing apparatus
  

To add a someone to the register, please contact tel: 0800 096 3080 or visit the Western Power website

To report a power cut call tel: 0800 6783 105

Scams are frauds and tricks designed to cheat people out of their money. Scammers approach people in a number of ways, including at home, by phone, by post or online.  3.2 million people in the UK fall victim to scams every year – the average loss is just over £1000 per person.

Anyone can fall for a scam, but the average age of a scam victim is 74. Lonely older people are much more likely to be scammed than younger people. 

Cheating people out of money is financial abuse. Social care, health and voluntary sector professionals working with vulnerable and elderly people have a duty to protect people from abuse under the Care Act.

Derbyshire Adult Care have teamed up with Trading Standards to develop a short pocket sized (A6) leaflet explaining what you can do if you think someone is being scammed or is at risk. The centre of the leaflet acts as a pull-out toolkit with helpful phone number and checklists that can be left with clients/people you are supporting. 

To order paper copies of the guide, please email adultcareinfo@derbyshire.gov.uk

People who prefer to use British Sign Language can now contact our Call Derbyshire Contact centre using the SignLive Video Relay Service (VRS).

The service is available from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm and is free to use. 

To use the system users will need to have a PC that runs Windows and has a webcam, a modern browser and a internet bandwith of at least 256KBps.

You can find out more on the Derbyshire County Council website.

Event Date: 12 April 2017
Event Location: Belper Football Club

Healthwatch Derbyshire are inviting carers and people with mental health problems to find out more about the new Mental Health Service Receiver and Carer Engagement service they will be delivering in Derbyshire from the 1 July 2017.

An Information, question and answer session will be held on Wednesday 12 April from 1pm to 3pm at Belper Football Club, Nailers Conference Centre, Christchurch Meadow, Bridge Street, Belper, DE56 1BA

The aim of the Mental Health Service Receiver and Carer Engagement Service is to involve mental health service receivers and their carers in the design and delivery of health and social care services in Derbyshire and Derby City.

At the meeting Healthwatch intend to:

• outline how they propose to deliver the project
• begin discussions to set up a steering group
• learn more about the existing network that supports
• mental health service receivers and carers and how they can work in partnership
• give people the opportunity to ask questions and input ideas
  

If you'd like to attend please contact Tammi Wright to book a place:

• email: tammi@healthwatchderbyshire.co.uk
• tel: 01773 880786

Healthwatch Newsletter
Healthwatch also produce a quarterly newsletter called Speak Out which gives news on how you can have your say about local care and health services. You can sign up to receive the newsletter through the Healthwatch Derbyshire website.

Derbyshire County Council Adult Care have commissioned an Independent Community Advocacy Service to provide both Care Act and non-statutory advocacy from 1st April 2017.

The service has been jointly funded by DCC Adult Care and four Derbyshire CCG’s. The new service will replace the previous long-standing grant-funded arrangements across the County provided by a variety of organisations. 

The Derbyshire Independent Community Advocacy Service contract has been awarded to Derbyshire MIND who already provide the Independent Specialist Advocacy Service.

This means that all statutory and non-statutory advocacy for all client groups will soon be available through a single point of access.

For further information please Contact Derbyshire Mind. tel: 01332 623732 or visit their website

27 March to 2 April is Autism Awareness week. Adult Care has developed a series of information leaflets to raise awareness amongst professionals and members of the public:

• Understanding Autism
• Ageing and Autism
• Employment and Autism
• Understanding Autism - Training

There will be an information stand in County Hall reception, Matlock during the week and 10 top tips posters will be distributed to all Adult Care area offices and day centres. You can order a poster version of the top tips by emailing amy.webster@derbyshire.gov.uk

To find out more about autism please visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/autism.

If you care for someone with autism the Carers in Derbyshire website has information about support services and groups who can help you.

We have developed an updated version on the Your Care Journey animated video.

The video gives an overview of Adult Care services and how processes work. You can watch the video on our YouTube channel.

If you have any queries, please email adultcareinfo@derbyshire.gov.uk

Derbyshire County Council recently commissioned the making of a myth busting film about people with a learning disability called ‘I Can’.

The film looks at 4 areas of everyday living. Each section can be viewed independently or the film can be watched in its entirety.

For many years the assumption that people with a learning disability can’t do many of the things that others take for granted has been foremost in some people’s thoughts. The film aims to dispel those myths and show how people with a learning disability live life to the full, participate in work, have relationships and live independently.

For further information or to provide feedback please contact Margaret.spencer@derbyshire.gov.uk

Age UK Derby and Derbyshire website run 'Strictly No Falling' classes throughout the county.

The aim of the classes is to improve strength, balance and coordination to reduce the risk of falls. The sessions are predominantly chair based exercises but some exercises can be done while standing.

The Age UK Derby and Derbyshire website has details of the times and dates of the classes including the contact numbers of group leaders.