Carers re-unite and celebrate success

There are nearly 32,000 carers in Sunderland, Hetton, Houghton and Washington, people providing unpaid care to a family member, friend or neighbour who is frail, has a long term illness or a disability.

Well over a quarter of these carers provide a high level of care for over 50 hours a week and for some the caring is a constant 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  As a result many carers feel isolated, are stressed and don’t know where to turn for help.

From left to right: Sharon Hodgson, Simon Metcalf, Colin Wilson and Alan Lindsley.

Since August 2008 carers in these areas have been given the opportunity to take part in free Department of Health backed ‘Caring with Confidence’ sessions.  The sessions look at the problems carers face and how these can be tackled by gaining useful information and skills.  The sessions have proved very successful and many carers have said the sessions have helped to improve their own lives and that of the person they care for.

Carer Simon Metcalf attended Caring with Confidence sessions in Autumn 2009.  His experience is typical of other carers who have taken part in the sessions so far.  He said “The Caring with Confidence programme of small but informal sessions was both uplifting and well prepared by the staff who delivered it.   It gave me the knowledge to be able to confront most of the situations that I will come across as a carer”.

Simon was one of many carers who attended a reunion event on Friday 11th December who have taken part in the programme so far.  The event was a great opportunity for carers to catch up with friends and to raise awareness of the programme to other carers.  The latest round of sessions finished in Sunderland in Autumn 2009 but more sessions are planned in Hetton and Washington in early 2010.

Kevin Devine, Caring with Confidence Co-ordinator said: “The feedback from the carers who have attended the sessions so far has been very positive and we wanted to give them all an opportunity to come back together and talk about how they are putting into practice what they took away from the sessions.

Just listening to the carers talk at the reunion event reminded me about the importance of the sessions, not only offering carers a safe and supportive environment to explore information and services available to them, but how much they make strong friendships and learn so much from other each other in an informal, fun and friendly way. I am delighted more carers in Hetton and Washington will get the opportunity to take part in these sessions in 2010, starting in January”
 
Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington West opened the event saying......“It was great to meet so many carers at the reunion event and hearing how the Caring with Confidence sessions had such positive outcomes for many of them.  Their caring experiences are so varied but most carers I spoke to picked up small hints and tips which collectively had a huge impact on their caring role.  It really is terrific news that the Caring with Confidence sessions are coming to Washington again.  I just hope more carers in my constituency decide to sign up for the sessions planned in 2010”
 
The next introductory for Caring with Confidence sessions will take place at The Hetton Centre on Monday 25th January and Monday 1st February 2010.  The Washington sessions will start in April 2010.  To sign up for sessions or for more information about Caring with Confidence contact Sunderland Carers’ Centre on 0191 567 3232 or e-mail kevin@sunderlandcarers.co.uk

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Sharon Hodgson MP
House of Commons,
London SW1A 0AA

E-mail: hodgsons@parliament.uk

Constituency Office Tel. 0191 417 2000.