Stirling Centre Supporting Unpaid Carers in the Heart of Scotland

wonderful people we find life a lot better now eased worrie imply excellent eased home circumstances mentally uplifted can’t thank you enough eased financial problems kindnes do a wonderful job brilliant taken stress off able to socialise again taff were of extreme help always there for us very reassuring great service rely on the support constant point of reference helped me to meet people took the time more encouraged very supportive excellent service exceptional feelings of relie could not help enough improved greatly huge weight of much appreciated assistance positive do not have to be alone quality time to myself supported learn new skills very relaxed

Annual Report 2014/15

Our Objective

Contents Chair’s Report

2

Looking Back

3

Carer’s Story

6

Young Carers Service

7

Young Carer’s Story

9

Looking Forward

10

Our Funders

12

Financial Report

13

“I feel more encouraged and less alone in my situation.” - Adult Carer

To promote the welfare of and advance the education of carers, in particular the carers of Stirling Council area.

We aim to fulfil our objective by: • Providing a meeting place and focal point for carers • Providing support, including accurate and relevant information and advice on caring issues • Encouraging, advancing, facilitating and supporting the development of local services which are sensitive to carers’ needs • Recognising and responding to the needs of principal stakeholders • Creating opportunities for carers to express their views on service provision and, where practical, to respond • Monitoring and evaluating performance regularly in accordance with best practice

Chair’s Report I am delighted to report that the past year has been an exceptionally busy, but successful one for Stirling Carers Centre. The wide range of activities highlighted in this annual report demonstrate the level of support offered by the organisation to unpaid carers of all ages living across the Stirling Council area. Although we continue to operate in a challenging economic climate, I am pleased to report that our financial position has remained strong. This has been achieved by the Board’s ongoing commitment to regularly reviewing our Business Plan in line with the Strategic Risk Register which ensures that we monitor, manage and mitigate any risks associated with our decision making.

have been achieved without the hard work of our volunteers, staff and my fellow board members. I thank them all sincerely for their support and commitment to Stirling Carers Centre. I look forward to continuing to support the organisation in 2015/16, by ensuring that we remain focussed on providing support, and developing our services to meet the needs of local unpaid carers.

In 2014/15 Stirling Carers Centre actively supported

1,105

Christine Pepper Chair

unpaid carers living in the Stirling Council area

The success this year could not 2

This year:

478

new carers registered with the Centre

£1,635,723 of benefits released

605

1:1 support appointments undertaken

109

Carers’ Assessments completed 3

Looking back at 2014/15 The past year has seen a total of 1,105 carers receive tailored support from Stirling Carers Centre. In addition, we have continued to work in partnership with a range of professionals and community groups to raise awareness of carers and the issues they face. This is what we’ve been up to in the past year: Identify ‘hidden’ carers One of our key priorities is to ensure that carers are identified at the earliest possible opportunity, so that appropriate support can be offered to mitigate any negative impact that caring may have on the carer’s overall health and well-being. As a result of our extensive partnership working and

awareness raising activities with statutory, voluntary and independent sector partners, we have registered 478 new carers this year. Carers’ Assessments All registered carers are made aware of and offered the opportunity to receive a Carer’s Assessment in order to identify areas of support needed for the unpaid carer, and also any additional services required for the person being cared for. In the past year the Centre has undertaken a total of 109 Carers’ Assessments. 1:1 Support Providing 1:1 support is fundamental to the holistic support that we offer carers.

The importance of this service can be evidenced by the high level of 1:1 appointments undertaken with unpaid adult carers (605). Providing a responsive, personalised service to carers ensures that they have a one stop shop where they can receive appropriate, tailored support. Income Maximisation Providing welfare benefits advice and an income

“The stresses of health, money matters etc. are lifted with the help of Stirling Carers Centre” - Adult Carer

maximisation service is essential to ensuring the financial well-being of carers. In the past year, Stirling Carers Centre has assisted unpaid carers to release £1,635,722.57 in benefits for themselves and the people they care for – this is a 12% increase on the same reporting period last year and justifies the need for specialist benefits advice and information for carers. Short Break Support This year we were fortunate to secure funding from Big

Lottery Fund Scotland’s Investing in Communities programme to enable us to both sustain and develop our short-break support for adult carers. Regular groups facilitated by the Centre included coffee mornings, Book Group, TASC rural carers group, My Time, ‘Singing for Fun’ carers choir, Male Carers Group, and Complementary Therapies. The Carers Week bus trip to North Berwick and the Carers’ Christmas Lunch also gave carers something extra to look forward to.

4

Review to name just a few.

Carer Engagement Stirling Carers Centre’s carer engagement group, Stirling Carers’ Voice, has directly contributed to relevant policy and service developments, and has had input into a range of consultations including the Integration of Health & Social Care, The Carers (Scotland) Bill, and NHS Forth Valley’s Clinical Services 5

workforce training sessions to professionals, which Information & Advice highlights the need to identify The Centre has continued and support carers into their to produce a range of high working practice. All training quality information resources delivered by the Centre for carers and professionals in promotes and highlights the both hard copy and electronic core principles of the national format. Equal Partners in Care (EPiC) initiative. 2,306 professional Approximately 1,400 adult enquiries with 162 individual carers, 110 young carers and professionals have been 335 professionals currently receive our newsletter, which is undertaken this year. distributed three times a year. Our social media platforms have greatly increased in popularity and, alongside our website, are regularly updating carers and professionals with details of events and important policy and service information. Workforce Training The Centre has continued to deliver a range of

“Stirling Carers’ Voice is showing me we do have a voice and we are going to be listened to” - Stirling Carers’ Voice Member

* Names changed to protect client confidentiality

Carer’s Story Heather* contacted the Centre for support on the advice of her GP, after she confided in him about the difficulties she was experiencing in her caring role. Heather cares for her husband Graham* who has physical and cognitive difficulties. Heather shared that in recent months Graham’s cognitive condition had impacted on his motivation to mix socially and that he had also lost interest in his previous hobbies. The impact of this meant Heather felt very isolated and frustrated in her caring role. The Adult Rural Carer Support Officer made a home visit to meet with Heather and Graham to discuss the services offered by Stirling Carers Centre to support their situation.

“I absolutely rely on the support and friendship to enable me to cope.” - Adult Carer

Following the home visit Heather contacted the Centre to advise that she would like to come to the Centre’s monthly coffee mornings with Graham. Another home visit was carried out by the Adult Rural Carer Support Officer to complete Attendance Allowance and Council Tax exemption applications on behalf of Graham. Heather & Graham now regularly attend the Centre’s monthly coffee mornings and attended the Carer’s Christmas lunch in December 2014. Graham’s benefits were successfully awarded. Heather has reported feeling more confident, less lonely, more supported, and happier in her caring role following the support she received, and the couple continue to access the services offered by Stirling Carers Centre.

6

This year:

137

young carers received support from the Service

4,693

contacts with young carers

108

Young Carers Support Plans and reviews carried out

30

young carers applied for a Forth Valley Young Carers Authorisation Card 7

Stirling

Centre

young Carervsice Ser

Young Carers Service

The Young Carers Service has continued to provide young carers with personalised support and respite opportunities, as well as raising awareness of young carers and the issues they face. This is what we’ve been up to in the past year: 1:1 Support The Young Carers Service continues to provide extensive and tailored individual support to young

carers to help alleviate any worries and anxieties they have and to ensure they feel more supported. 532 1:1 appointments have taken place in the last year. Short Break Support Short breaks enable young carers to have a regular, consistent and sustained break from their caring role, in a supportive environment, where they can seek support from staff and interact with other young people in similar situations to themselves. A total of 51 groups with 532 attendances have taken place in both the urban and rural Stirling Council areas. The service also provided additional, extended respite during the school holidays. 18

short break trips took place this year including residentials to Blackpool, Ardvullen (arranged by the charity Hopscotch), Alton Towers in 24 hours and the Scottish Young Carers Festival, as well as day trips and activities during the Summer Holidays. Young Carer Training The Service has offered 11 needs-led carer training workshops to enhance young carers’ mental and physical wellbeing and to improve their confidence. Examples of training include: Relaxation Skills, First Aid Training, Managing Challenging Behaviour, and Supporting Someone with a Disability. Awareness Raising Training was delivered to health, social care, education and third sector professionals

as well as any other identified local groups (e.g. community and youth groups). The Young Carers staff also delivered presentations to 1,234 pupils in Stirling Council schools. 43 new referrals to the service were recived as a result of awareness raising activities, which provided professionals with the knowledge to help identify and support ‘hidden’ young carers in Stirling. Forth Valley Young Carers Authorisation Card The card identifies the young carer to health, social care, education and other relevant professionals to ensure that they are supported in their caring role. The card also helps the young carer to understand the illness of the person they care for; be better involved with the medical procedures taking place;

“It’s second to none, they support the whole family. It’s made a huge difference to our lives.” - Young Carer’s Parent be recognised as a carer for the person they care for; be informed and kept up to date by professionals; and have permission from healthcare professionals to know about the cared for person’s treatment. All young carers of high school age have had the opportunity to receive the card; as a result of this 30 young carers within the Stirling Council area have applied for the card this year.

8

* Names changed to protect client confidentiality

Young Carer’s Story

9

Julie* is 12 years of age and cares for her younger brother Callum* who has Autism. Callum has issues with anger management and there are often numerous outbursts at home with Julie being on the receiving end. Julie was referred to the Stirling Young Carers Service by her Pupil Support Teacher. She received a Young Carers Support Plan, which identified that she felt anxious about Callum’s well-being, which had a negative impact on her school work and resulted in her also having trouble sleeping. Due to her caring role, Julie found it difficult to spend time with friends and struggled to complete homework within the given timescales.

The Young Carers Service worked with her school to plan support accordingly. It was arranged for Julie to stay late after school to do her homework, without interruptions, as she struggled to concentrate at home.

“It is good getting to meet new people and getting a break from home”

Julie also attended -Julie, Young Carer regular one to one sessions with the Young Carers Rural Support Officer to support her to address her worries and anxieties. In addition, she attended the Young Carers Group, to give her the opportunity to meet other young people who understand the issues and concerns that she faces daily, and provide her with the opportunity to relax and have time for herself. Over time Julie’s confidence as a young carer grew and she spoke of being more able to cope with her caring role, feeling less isolated, more supported and happier.

Looking forward - our plans for 2015/16 The past year has seen a high level of consultation undertaken and, as a result of the feedback received and successful pilots, our plans for 2015/16 include the development of a Male Carers Group, increased support for young adult carers, and improved peer support opportunities for rural carers. Stirling Carers Centre will

“This was a very relaxed, positive experience, sharing worries, concerns and laughter” -Adult Carer

continue to support carers to have direct input into a range of local and national policy and service developments, in particular we will support with the identification of a carer representative on the Stirling & Clackmannanshire Joint Board for the Integration of Health & Social Care. We will also keep carers updated on the progress of The Carers (Scotland) Bill which is currently working its way through parliament.

carers to offer advice and support during the change and to ensure financial stability is maintained during this transition period.

The introduction of Universal Credit and the ongoing phasing of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) will continue to place an increasing demand on the Centre’s welfare advice service. Staff are working with

The Young Carers Futures Project, funded through Big Lottery Fund Scotland’s Investing in Communities programme, will allow the Centre to both sustain and develop the support that we offer to young carers. The aim of the project is to 10 10

services. In the next year we will be installing an improved telephone system, restructuring our website to streamline the content and make it easier to navigate, and working with local and national equality and diversity organisations to ensure that our services are accessible to all. support local young carers to access the same level of social opportunities and educational attainment as their peers, by addressing and overcoming any challenges and barriers they may face as a result of their caring role. It will provide a vital lifeline for some of society’s most vulnerable children and young people, and ensure that their futures are safeguarded. In response to the feedback from our Annual Service Evaluation, we are working to improve the accessibility of our 11

It is estimated that 15,000* carers live in the Stirling Council area, which means we still have much work to do to identify hidden carers and to make sure they have access to the support that they need. We will continue to increase public and professional awareness of the work that carers do and the issues that they face, as well as working with all our professional partners to ensure that unpaid carers are ultimately treated as equal partners in care.

* Based on 17% of population - Scottish Health Survey 2012/13

“Thank you all so much for the lovely year I have had with my mother. [It] wouldn’t have been possible without you all” - Adult Carer

Our Funders

Trusts and Foundations

We are fortunate to receive substantial funding from our statutory partners, Stirling Council and NHS Forth Valley, to provide many of our services to unpaid carers. However, in order to provide many of the additional services we offer, including short breaks provision for both young and adult carers, which offer benefits both to the carer and the cared for, we are reliant on funding from local and national trusts and foundations. We would also like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the invaluable support offered by generous individual donors, both in-kind and financial donations, all of which go to help support unpaid carers in the Stirling Council area.

Albert Hunt Trust Cash for Kids Castansa Trust Cruden Foundation Limited Co-operative Funeralcare Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust Greenfield Quilters Hopscotch Hugh Stenhouse Foundation The Killearn Trust Macroberts Arts Centre Mickel Fund

Ogilvie Homes Ogilvie Employees RS Macdonald Charitable Trust Russell Trust Souter Charitable Trust Stafford Trust Stirling Observer (Give a Gift) St James Place Foundation SYHA (Give us a Break programme) The Triangle Trust 12

Financial Report

Carers Forum Stirling Area Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2015 2014 (£)

Debtors & Prepayments

6,031

5,065

Cash at Bank & In Hand

327,272

331,160

333,303

336,225

6,383

7,016

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES

326,920

329,209

RESTRICTED FUNDS

176,209

188,447

DESIGNATED FUNDS

120,305

110,719

30,406

30,043

CURRENT ASSETS

INCOME

2015 (£) 2014 (£)

Membership Fees

220

250

145,161

145,164

3,600

9,600

-

15,000

Big Lottery - STACS Grant

76,103

-

Schools Worker Grant

20,004

39,467

-

14,000

72,850

74,140

Change Fund

109,473

98,756

Miscellaneous

70,678

48,227

114

126

498,203

444,730

366,750

324,589

Premises Costs

32,317

39,795

Office Expenses

50,403

49,999

Carer Events

40,648

21,085

Fees

10,375

7,408

500,493

442,876

(2,290)

1,854

Grants

General Rent Development Grant

Sessional Worker Grant FVCIS

Bank & Building Society Interest EXPENDITURE Salaries, Pension & NI

DEFICIT OF INCOME OVER EXPENDITURE 13

2015 (£)

Carers Forum Stirling Area Income and Expenditure Year ended 31 March 2015

CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year

UNRESTRICTED FUNDS

Reserves Policy: The reserves policy adopted by the Board is based on the major risks facing the organisation. An estimate has been made of the possible monetary impact and risk weighting based on the likelihood of an unforeseen event occurring. This allows a monetary value to be assigned to the reserves required. The level of reserves is monitored by the Directors on a quarterly basis, and at 31 March 2015 the unrestricted general reserves stood at £30,406 (2014 £30,043), with designated funds standing at £120,305 this amount being equivalent to three months of the total resources expended 2014/15. The Board considers this amount sufficient to cover staff and operating costs on a short time basis to allow for re-organisation in the event of a significant decrease in income. Risk Policy: The Board of Directors has, with the support of senior staff, adopted a structured approach to risk management through the development of a Strategic Risk Register. This register is reviewed regularly thereby allowing the board to implement measures to mitigate any identified risks.

Carers Forum Stirling Area Board of Directors Chair Ms Christine Pepper Vice Chair Mr Alan Cessford Treasurer Mr Graeme Rodger Company Secretary Mr Gordon Gallacher Ms Rosemary Dodds Mrs Dianne Wilson Ms Fiona Agnew Mr Neil McLeod Ms Hilary Rawlinson

“Helped in relation to joint working. Also expanding my knowledge of what [carers] do. Excellent service. Totally invaluable.” - NHS Professional

“Supporting our most vulnerable learners when they need it most”

- School Young Carers Co-ordinator

“Made me feel more confident to tell my story to others” - Young Carer

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65-69 Barnton Street, Stirling, FK8 1HH 01786 447003 [email protected] | www.stirlingcarers.co.uk

Carers Forum Stirling Area t/a Stirling Carers Centre is a Company Limited by Guarantee No. SC165487 and Registered Charity No. SC020213