People in Brighton & Hove who care for someone with a disability or long-term illness take centre stage at an event at the Brighthelm Centre on North Road, Brighton, BN1 1YD on Friday 29 November from 10am to 2pm.
Brighton & Hove City Council wants carers in the city to know what support is available to them and who to turn to for advice. You can turn up on the day – there’s no need to book. Light lunch and refreshments will be provided.
Free benefit entitlement checks will be available at the event. Carers can also sign up sign up for a free trial to see how personal alarm systems and other technology can help keep your loved ones safe and support you in your caring role.
Across the country around 10% of the population identifies themselves as carers. In Brighton & Hove that means a massive 24,000 people.
People like Phyllis and Denise have benefited directly from the work of the council’s carer support service. Phyllis is more than £50 a week better off following a benefits entitlement check. And thanks to a Carelink personal alarm system Denise can now safely leave her husband alone at home while getting on with all her other duties.
The ‘Carers Summit’ event on Friday is being held jointly with the Brighton & Hove Carers Centre, which is funded by the council and the local NHS, to mark national Carers Rights Day.
The chair of the council’s adult care and health committee, Councillor Rob Jarrett, said: “Carers are among the unsung heroes in our society. They perform an incredibly important role, and we want them to know how much we value them.
“We know how important it is for carers to look after themselves as well as their loved ones. Support for them locally includes benefit entitlement checks, free trials for equipment which may help you to provide care; and access to a range of services including respite care.
“It can be about helping tackling the sense of isolation that many carers feel. We can help people get the support they need to get out and about, meet family and friends and meet new people at carer coffee mornings.
“The council works with a wide range of local groups on carer support – for example the Alzheimer’s Society is funded by us and the NHS to provide specialist advice and support, training and special ‘dementia cafes’.”
The Carers Summit will offer information about the council’s Carers Card, which gives a range of discounts on local services, as well as free legal advice from local solicitors. The event will also see the launch of a draft Carers Charter for the city that local carers are being asked for their views on.
To find out more about the support that’s available to carers please phone the council’s adult social care access point team on (01273) 295555 or email accesspoint@brighton-hove.gov.uk.