Staffordshire Together for Carers Service is available to Carers of all ages, including young Carers (5-18), and adult Carers (18+) who either live in Staffordshire, or are registered with a Staffordshire GP or are providing unpaid care to someone that lives in Staffordshire.

The service is delivered by a partnership of organisations who are committed to supporting Carers. The service exists to ensure that Carers have access to information, advice, and a wide range of support services that are designed to help Carers continue in their caring role for as long as they choose and to reduce the impact the caring role can have on their own health and wellbeing.

Staffordshire Together for Carers Service has been commissioned by Staffordshire County Council and Staffordshire CCG’s.

Who is a Carer?

A Carer is someone who provides unpaid care, for a few hours a day or round the clock, to a family member, friend or neighbour who could not manage without their support. The care they give may be due to age, illness, disability, mental health problems, or substance misuse.

Caring for someone covers lots of different things, like helping with their washing, dressing, or eating, taking them to regular appointments, or offering emotional support.

Caring for someone who relies on you can impact on your health, finances and quality of life and may become more stressful overtime.

What support is available?

Once you get in touch with us, we can arrange for a dedicated Carers Information and Support Officer to get in touch with you. Our Carers Information and Support Officers will get to know you and provide you with support to meet your individual needs.

This could include:

• Support to access an assessment of your needs called a ‘Statutory Carers Assessment’. Staffordshire County Council can undertake the assessment and develop a support plan based on your needs
• 1-2-1 and group-based support
• Information advice and guidance on range of matters relevant to the caring role
• Support to access community resources, networks, and services
• Support to take breaks from caring, including befriending and peer support
• Support to develop emergency and contingency plans and support with future planning
• Training and skills development
• Newsletters four times per year detailing local groups, activities and training
• Online Carers Community Network
• A 24/7 Volunteer manned Carers Help and Talk (CHAT) Line
• Volunteering opportunities as ‘Friends of Staffordshire Carers’, including volunteering for the CHAT Line