Issue - meetings

To hear from Colleen Fiffee, Centre Director, Haringey Carers Centre.

The panel heard from Colleen Fiffee of the Haringey Carers Centre on the Centres history and services provided.

Haringey Carers is affiliated to the Princess Trust.

Would like there to be an updated Carers Directory as it is important for carers to have information to hand.

Haringey Carers Centre provides a number of services including:

• Support Groups
• Coffee mornings across the borough to increase accessibility
• Fortnightly IT classes – certificate provided on completion of a 5 week course
• Exercise – bowling, yoga
• Respite/Holidays – where care for the cared for person can sometimes also be provided depending on their needs.
• Advocacy – carers often need support on how to manoeuvre the system e.g. relating to hospital discharge – ensuring a care package is in place.
• Carers Assessments – designated, on behalf of Haringey Council
• Signposting to other organisations.  Find that they don’t often get referrals from other organisations.
• Case work
  • This includes a lot of case work around Occupational Therapy referrals where there are a lot of issues.
  • Housing issues including overcrowding and use of temporary accommodation
• Quarterly newsletter – goes out to libraries, pharmacies, GPs, carers, Local Authority etc.
• Education and Training including ‘Caring with Confidence’ and manual handling training.

Suggested improvements:

• A ‘One Stop’ shop which could signpost carers.
• Carers directory to be given to the Switchboard, Out of Hours Service, Community Alarms etc so that carers are able to speak to the correct person fast.
• Clearer respite guidelines.
• Clarity on who is entitled to a carers assessment.
• Full and coherent training around the Personalisation agenda and what this means for carers.  Noted that a Carers Partnership Board sub-group is looking at this as well as the Transforming Social Care Board.

Discussion around people identifying themselves as carers and examples given where people have not viewed themselves as a carer even when they are.