Signposting for carers
Useful information for Carers within our Community
Here at Oakhaven, we are committed to helping carers within our community and have detailed some information to support you in your time of need. Scroll down this page to find useful links about looking after yourself, understanding illness, respite and home care, financial and legal support, access to equipment, supporting your needs and young carers.
Looking After Yourself (wellbeing, spiritual and emotional support)
Anyone who may need support in their caring role has a right to a carer's assessment, regardless of the type/amount of care you provide, financial situation or need for support. This is independent to the assessment of the person you care for if they have already had an assessment. You can have a join assessment at the same time if you both agree. This will be carried out by Hampshire County Council, or if more than one Local Authority is involved they will work out the best option for you to gain support.
Hampshire County Council has an online needs checker to help you assess your own needs and to be signposted to information and support. You can choose to submit your results once completed. This will usually be quicker than telephoning to request an assessment.
New Forest Carers Friends (NFCF) is a small group supporting carers of relatives, friends or neighbours in the New Forest. The group is run by a small and enthusiastic committee that is under the umbrella of Carers Together.
Oakhaven Wellbeing support
If your life has been impacted by life-limiting illness, you are a carer or you have experienced bereavement, you can access our Wellbeing support.
To find out how we can support you complete the 'expression of interest' form below and we’ll be in touch.
Understanding Illness
For people who are caring for someone with a disability or illness, it can be a very worrying time and there are support networks that can help you understand what the person you are caring for is experiencing and give practical advice for yourself.
Dementia Carers Support and Dementia Advice
This is now provided by Princess Royal Trust for Carers. Referrals for support can be made at www.carercentre.com
Carer Support and Dementia Advice Service and Carers Emergency Planning
This service is not only for people suffering with dementia but all types of illness. The service provides one-to-one support with a trained carer support worker or dementia adviser. The focus is on wellbeing rather than illness. The service:
- supports people on how they can come to terms with and live well with dementia
- assists with the health and social care support available to those diagnosed and carers
- offers advice on state benefits and planning for the future
- facilitates local carer support groups across Hampshire.
Macmillan Cancer Support
Advice on benefits and non-health matters for people affected by cancer. Telephone 0344 847 7727 or click the button below.
Oakhaven Wellbeing support
Our support groups are a welcoming space at the Coates Centre for those with a life-limiting illness and their carers, to get together with others and share your experiences.
- Dementia Support Group: Thursdays 10.30 am to 12 noon
- Easy Breathe Respiratory Group: 2nd Wednesday each month from 10 am to 11 am
- Memory Works programme
- Living Well Now sessions
Respite and Care at Home
Take a Break service
This service gives carers the chance to have some time to themselves by providing a replacement carer for the person for whom they care, for up to three hours a week. This can be accessed through a carer's assessment through the Hampshire Care at Home Framework.
Following the assessment, you will be contacted by the local provider. You can choose to have a few regular hours off each week or save up hours for a maximum period of six weeks.
This service also gives the cared-for person the opportunity to identify activities and outcomes they would also like to achieve from the service.
- Flexibility - to use the hours allocated to them at set times on set days every week or on a more flexible basis.
- Hours that have not been used may be 'banked' for use within the next six weeks.
- Personalised care - the care provider will visit to discuss what support is needed whilst the carer is out, including personal care or meal preparation.
- Access to the community - during the break this can include going out to attend clubs, walks, visiting friends, etc. This can be done for local trips if the person can access a car without difficulty.
- Overnight service - some providers may be able to offer overnight stays as an alternative to daytime breaks to give the carer the opportunity of an undisturbed night’s sleep.
- Reassurance - staff providing breaks are specially trained by the care provider and are police checked.
- Shared Lives scheme – a permanent home, a short stay or daycare in a family home with Shared Lives carers
Shared Lives Scheme
Shared Lives is a scheme which matches people who need help and support to live in the community, with people who can provide that help and support in their own home. This could be for a permanent home, a short stay or daycare in a family home with Shared Lives carers.
Carer Support at Oakhaven
Carer's Days are available for any family member or friend who cares for a patient known to the Hospice. Carer Days are held on the second Tuesday of every month within our Day Hospice and provide time for you to enjoy a relaxed and calming atmosphere.
Oakhaven Care Ltd
Oakhaven Care offers paid-for personalised support and care at home. If you need some support to stay in your home our team of highly skilled carers provide quality care to help you. Our services start from 30-minute visits and can increase to multiple daily visits, companionship, sleeping nights, waking nights and live-in care as and when required.
Oakhaven Care is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oakhaven Hospice and as a social enterprise all profits go to support the work of the Hospice.
Financial and Legal
Citizens Advice New Forest
Trained advisers are available to help people with benefits, employment, housing, debt and relationship issues. Referrals to all foodbanks and fuel poverty scheme.
Telephone: 0808 278 7860
Website: www.newforestcab.org.uk
Christians Against Poverty (CAP)
Debt Help: Free specialist debt help services to provide a solution to your debts and support you to become debt-free
Telephone: 0800 328 0006
Website: www.capuk.org
Life Skills: Meet with others and learn practical money-saving techniques to make the most of your income.
Telephone: 07486 375299
Website: www.capuk.org
Food Banks, Food Larders and Local Support
Click the link below for the latest information about food banks, food larders and local support on the New Forest District Council website.
Citizens Advice at Oakhaven
Citizens Advice in the Hub is a drop-in clinic that takes place at the Coates Centre, on the second and fourth Friday of each month from 10 am to 12.30 pm. Drop in for a cuppa with a question.
IT Support at Oakhaven
Our IT Café takes place on the first and third Friday of each month, from 10.30 am to 12noon. Coping with technical IT issues can be stressful, especially if you are coping with an illness, caring or loss. Let our volunteer-led group guide you to a better IT understanding.
Access to Equipment
There are many options available for equipment to help you care for your loved ones in their time of need.
Care Technology
Click the link below for more information about assistive care technology designed to enhance independent living, such as personal alarms and sensors. This can be used in the home or outside to keep you safe and independent.
Young Carers
Young Carers are people under 18 years of age whose lives are affected by caring for an unwell member of the family. They care for a relative who may have a physical or learning disability, a long-term illness, a terminal condition, mental illness, or difficulties with drug or alcohol use. Young Carers may feel good about the help that they give and be proud of the skills they have. However, caring may also impact on:
- their attendance at school or college - completing homework and gaining qualifications
- taking part in after-school clubs, school trips or residential opportunities
- enjoying time with friends or doing hobbies
- their own mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Children should not undertake inappropriate or excessive caring roles that have an impact on their development and wellbeing. Updated legislation in The Care Act 2014 (Department of Health) and The Children and Families Act 2014 (Department for Education) requires local authorities to assess the child’s needs in the context of a whole family assessment from April 2015.
Young Carers Service: New Forest
Contact Marie Shotbolt at New Forest Young Carers Community First, Mead Court, Winsor Road, Cadnam SO40 2HR. Telephone: 07922 594335 or 0300 500 8085 then option 6 for Young Carers. Email: marie.shotbolt@cfirst.org.uk
Or visit the website.
Support for our wider community
Some families in our catchment may sit under Southampton. The Local Authority contract for service is fulfilled by No Limits. Email: teamyoungcarers@nolimitshelp.org.uk. Telephone: 02380 224 224 or visit the website.
Dorset Young Carers: Telephone: 01202 710701 or visit the website.
My Time Young Carers: Support for young carers in Dorset. Visit website.
Directory: Supporting your Needs
Hampshire County Council Community directory contains details for many local and national organisations providing support to carers. These include general carer organisations and those related to specific conditions or disabilities.
- Andover Mind provides a Carers Support service for all carers living in Hampshire. Telephone: 01264 332297. Email: enquiries@andovermind.org.uk
- Carers Together
Telephone: 01794 519495. Carers Active Listening Line: 08000 323 456 (open 365 days a year: Mon-Fri 10.00am - 8.00pm and Bank Holidays/Weekends 10.00am - 4.00pm) Email: admin@carerstogether.org.uk - Princess Royal Trust for Carers in Hampshire offers information, support, advice and emergency respite services for all carers in Hampshire. Telephone: 01264 835246. Email: info@carercentre.com
- Carers in Southampton provides advice and support to unpaid carers living in Southampton. Telephone: 023 8058 2387
- Portsmouth Carers Centre provides advice and support to unpaid carers living in Portsmouth. Telephone: 023 9285 1864.
- There are a number of Mental Health Carers Support Workers who can be contacted through your local Community Mental Health Team.
- Good Neighbours Support Service :voluntary groups offering neighbourly help to people in their local communities.
- Hampshire County Council information for young carers(under 18).
- New Forest Disability: free, confidential, disability-related advice, including welfare benefits, equipment, Blue Badges. Telephone: 01425 628750. Email: info@newforestdis.org.uk
- Age Concern New Forest provides services for local people aged 55 and over. Information and Advice Office, footcare clinics, lunch clubs, computers at home. Telephone: 02380 841199.
- Waterside Good Neighbours and Befriending Service: Telephone: 02380 843676.
Oakhaven Wellbeing services
If your life has been impacted by life-limiting illness, you are a carer or you have experienced bereavement, you can access our Wellbeing support.
We have activities and drop-ins for a cuppa and cake, complementary therapies, structured support groups, courses and activities, and counselling. Our wellbeing services support those with a long-term illness as well as those in bereavement.
Supporting Bereavement
If your life as a carer has been impacted by bereavement and grief, there are a variety of support networks available:
For adults:
- Samaritans: emotional support to anyone in emotional distress and struggling to cope. Telephone: 116 123
- WAY Widowed and Young: support, understanding and friendship peer-to-peer support for those widowed under 51 years old. Telephone: 0300 201 0051 or contact via website.
- WAY UP Widowed and Young: self-help group providing emotional and practical advice and support to those who have been widowed primarily, but not exclusively, in their 50’s and 60’s. Telephone: 116 123 or contact via website.
- The Silver Line: The Silver Line Helpline is a free, confidential telephone service just for people aged 50 years plus, providing friendship, conversation and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Telephone: 0800 4 70 80 90
- CRUSE Bereavement Care. Bereavement support and information. Helpline: 0808 808 1677 or visit website.
- The Jolly Dollies: social support network for widows, started by widows to find a sense of belonging, understanding and friendship. Visit website.
- Sue Ryder Online Bereavement Community: online community to share experiences. Visit website.
- The Good Grief Trust: support and signposting for the bereaved by the bereaved. Visit website.
For children and young people:
- Winston's Wish: specialist child bereavement support services. Visit website.
- Grief Encounter: bereavement support for children and families. Visit website.
- Simon Says: support for Hampshire young people up to the age of 18 years who have a significant person in their life who has died or is dying. Support line: 023 8064 7550 or visit website.
- Mosaic: bereavement support for young people and families in Dorset. Visit website.
- The Good Grief Trust: support and signposting for the bereaved by the bereaved. Visit website.
- Childline: free, confidential help for anyone up to their 19th birthday in the UK with any issue they’re going through. Telephone: 0800 1111, email, 1-2-1 counsellor chat or visit website.
Bereavement Support at Oakhaven
If you are living with a loss you are very welcome to drop in to the Coates Centre at any time. We are open Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm and our volunteers are here for you, to chat with you over a cuppa and to listen. You are welcome to bring a friend or family member.
Bereavement Coffee Mornings: Drop-in coffee morning on the first Wednesday morning each month, 10.30am-12 noon.
Widowed Friendship Club: Regular social events for men and women.
Bereavement Afternoons: Third Wednesday each month from 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm. Invitations sent by our Patient and Family Support Team.
Oakhaven Counselling Service: a space for you to talk about how you are feeling without judgement.
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