Type of service: Family support and information services

Website: http://www.birminghamcarerscentre.org.uk

Birmingham Carers Centre provides support, information and advice to people who care for friends and family with disabilities. Support Workers based at the Centre provide support to Carers on all issues related to their caring role. The Centre is open Monday-Friday from 10am-4pm. Birmingham Carers also manages a befriending project with support from volunteers who act as befrienders. The service has been set up to support isolated Carers who have become inactive within the community due to their caring role. The role of the befriender is to provide company either in the Carer's home or on social outings and to offer support that is reliable, consistent and dependable. Any Carer that looks after someone with a long-term illness, disability, mental health problem or frailty due to old age who is resident in Birmingham and is not in paid employment in that role can be befriended. Birmingham Carers can provide short-term crisis advocacy support to Carers at times when things have become particularly difficult and they are not getting the help that they need. This is done by appointing one of a team of part time Advocates who will work with the Carer and act on their behalf to ensure that they are listened to and that their needs are met. Birmingham Carers also organise Carers Forums at four locations around Birmingham. These are relaxed informal meetings which gives Carers the opportunity to voice their views to the professionals who run the services that matter to Carers. For further information about drop-in sessions, coffee mornings and information days please contact the Carers Centre. For further information about Befriending, Carers Forums or Advocacy please contact Milton Grange. A helpline is also available on 0121 675 8000.

Aimed at: Adult sibling, Child/adolescent sibling, Parent/carer of a child, Parent/carer of an adult, Partner

Gender: All genders

Specialisms: Generic