Carers Information Pack Introduction

This pack is for carers – people looking after friends, relatives or neighbours who are frail, have a disability or illness, and for professionals who work with carers - please use and pass on this information to carers you meet in the course of your work. 

If you are caring for someone, you may need help, information and advice so that you can carry out your caring role and look after your own health and wellbeing as well.  Many people don’t see themselves as ‘carers’ but caring is a demanding job and this pack contains details of many different services that can support you in this role.  

This information pack was compiled by Carers Service Worthing and District, (CSS, Worthing & District).  It aims to help you to find your way around the many forms of support, advice and information available in this area.  Every person’s caring situation is unique, so not all of it will be relevant to your needs.  We have tried to make the pack as comprehensive as possible and it is updated regularly, so contact numbers and addresses should be correct.  If you find otherwise please do let us know.  If you have difficulty in finding what you are looking for, please ring us on 01903 536378 as we have access to more information than we could put in this pack.  

This Carers Information Pack is supplemented by separate factsheets which are available on request, covering Learning Difficulties, Parent Carers, Sensory Impairment and Mental Health.  Please feel free to ask us for copies of these. 

The areas we refer to in the pack and handouts are as follows: 

*  Western Arun is covered by Carers Support Service, Regis Chichester and Rural, First Floor, 1-2 St Pancras, Chichester  PO19 7SJ www.carerssupportservice.org.uk

** Horsham is covered by Carers Support Service North & Mid Sussex, The Orchard, 1-2 Gleneagles Court, Brighton Road, Crawley, RH10 6AD www.carerssupport.org.uk

Where an entry does not apply to the whole area covered in this pack, we have tried to show the area that the entry does cover.  If you want to talk through your own situation in confidence, or get some more details about the services listed in this pack, then please contact us at: 
Carers Support Service, Worthing & District
Methold House, North Street, Worthing BN11 1DU
Phone: 01903 536378 (information and support)      01903 528600 (admin)
Fax: 01903 528611                 Email:  information@carerswsx.org.uk

Other “starting points” for information and services are:
Your local West Sussex County Council (Social Care) office from 9am – 5pm
www.westsussex.gov.uk

ICIS (Information 4 Life) www.icis-info4life.org.uk

  Your own doctor 

 Please note that the inclusion or not of any organisation in this pack cannot be taken to be a comment or recommendation about it.  Acknowledgements and thanks to West Sussex County Council for funding the printing of the Carers Information Packs for the county and for the help of ICIS, local carers and workers in Health, Social Care and voluntary organisations in updating the entries.

Every caring situation is different and each of us deals with things in our own way.  We each need to make sense of our experiences in a way that is right for us.  Some people do have profound feelings such as anger, guilt and depression, and there may be days when you feel like this.  Below are some of the tips and ideas that carers said have helped them feel much more in control when things have been difficult.

‘A carers group or meeting can be a good place to share your feelings with other carers who know what it’s like’
‘Apply for benefits as soon as you can.  Many can’t be backdated so timing is important’
‘Ask for help and take time off when you can’
‘Ask Adult or Childrens Services for a Carers Assessment.  Talking through my situation with a social worker identified that we needed more help and this was arranged for us’
‘Don’t feel guilty if you feel angry and frustrated, but try and find a way of letting your anger out that doesn’t involve the person you care for’
‘Don’t shut people out or pretend you can cope on your own.  People won’t know you need help unless you say so’
‘Don’t take no for an answer – ask and keep on asking if necessary’
‘Family often don’t realise just how much you are doing – try and get them to share the load’
‘Find a way of dealing with stress that works for you – perhaps having a massage, going for a walk, finding the time for a hobby’
 ‘If you feel stressed, don’t bottle it up – talk to someone’
‘If you go on the Carers Register at your GP practice, they should know you are likely to be under pressure at times and can tell you about the advice and support that is available’
‘If you hesitate to leave the person you care for, think about whether they might need time to themselves too’
‘If you need to talk to someone, or have a good cry, then do it.  There are so many organisations willing to listen’
‘‘Try and do at least one thing you enjoy, for an hour each week’
‘Try and get enough sleep, it’s much easier to manage when you’re not feeling tired all the time’

This page was last updated 20/04/2012