signal for windsor, ascot & maidenhead carers · 2019. 11. 14. · lets talk about….. pages...

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SIGNAL for Windsor, Ascot & Maidenhead Carers AUTUMN 2019

Welcome

Page 2

Office move

Tea Dance

Page 3

World Alzheimer’s

Month - September

Page 4

Carers Forum

GDPR

Pages 5-7

Support Groups

Page 8

Stay Up Late!

Community Outreach

Carers Rights Day

Pages 9-11

Let’s talk about…..

Pages 12-13

Training

Page 13

Local consultations

Snowdrop group

Page 14

Daily living made easy

Page 15

What does “Good

Care” look like?

Page 16

Healthwatch WAM

CTPLD have moved

Page 16

Falls prevention

Page 18

Community Activities &

Events

Page 19

Useful Contacts

Contact Details for

SIGNAL

WELCOME!

SIGNAL provides free signposting, information, guidance,

networking, advice and learning to unpaid (non-professional)

carers who care for someone in the Royal Borough of Windsor

and Maidenhead.

A carer is someone who provides unpaid help and support to

family or friends. You could be caring for a partner, child,

relative, friend or a neighbour who is ill, frail, disabled or who

has mental health or substance misuse problems, anyone can

become a carer at any age.

Recognising yourself as a carer can be a way of acknowledging

that you have an important role. Your role may be rewarding

but one which can also be stressful and demanding. As a carer it

is important that you are aware of the range of services

available to support you in your caring role and to help you

manage the impact caring has on your own health and well-

being.

Supporting young carers Support for carers under 18 is provided by Family Action. We

work closely with the service to ensure a smooth transition for

carers approaching adulthood.

[email protected] 01628 626991

Supporting carers of children and young people with additional

needs Provided by the Information, Advice and Support Service

Ias-rbwm.co.uk 01628 683182

Supporting carers of people who live outside of RBWM

Please register with us for general information, advice and

support. We will also put you in touch with the relevant local

carers service.

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SIGNAL4Carers office has moved!

Our office is now based at TRAX, Mill Ride (off Fernbank Road), North Ascot, Berks, SL5 8JW.

Many of you are familiar with the location already as we hold our tea dances and some of our

training at the building.

If you need to speak with us in person and you cannot travel to our office, we can arrange to

meet you at any location in the Borough; local libraries, cafes or even in your own home.

Tea Dance – social event

Although social events are not part of the core contract for SIGNAL’s carer support service, the

feedback from people shows they are valuable and help carers feel less isolated. People also

like the fact that the social events allow them to bring the person they care for or another

guest. Throughout the year we raise funds to help provide these events.

The next planned event is one of our popular

tea dances with the Ark sisters providing the

entertainment on Sunday the 6th October.

Booking is essential so please send back your

RSVP as soon as possible.

These free events usually fill up very quickly but

we often have unexplained “no shows”. We have

been speaking to carers about how we can overcome

this issue and, so far, charging a cancellation fee

seems to be the best solution. Therefore, if you are

booked onto the Tea Dance and do not attend

(without a valid reason such as ill health) we will be

raising a charge of £5 per person.

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World Alzheimer’s Month - September

There is an international campaign every September to raise awareness and challenge the stigma that surrounds dementia.

The 16th of September sees the launch of regular Tovertafel “Magic Table” sessions at Forget-

me-Knot in Wildridings Square, Bracknell. The Tovertafel is a projector that produces images on

the floor or on a table that people can interact with. For example, it can produce pictures of

leaves. If you move your hand over the leaves and “wipe” them away it reveals hidden

ladybirds. It has over 35 different games and activities; most have been specifically designed for

people living with dementia.

Please come along; you can have a cup of tea and a chat while the person you care for plays –

you can even join in as it is great fun! The cost is £3 per session and donations for carer

refreshments are welcomed. This session is for anyone, not just those that live in Bracknell.

Mondays: 1.30pm – 3pm, Wednesdays: 10am – 11.30am

Help beat dementia

People with dementia or memory problems, their carers and anyone who is interested can sign

up to register an interest in participating in dementia research. You can also sign up for

someone else; providing that you have their consent.

Registering is the first step in becoming involved in supporting vital research studies across the

nation.

www.joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk/

Dementia Advisory Service

The Dementia Adviser provides advice and support for people with dementia, as well as their

carers, family and friends.

[email protected] 01628 683715

http://www.joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk/

mailto:[email protected]

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Carers Forum

The Carers Forum is an opportunity for carers across the borough to come together to discuss

the issues they are currently facing, receive information and updates from the SIGNAL team,

and receive talks about topics that have been identified as important by carers and other

stakeholders.

A lunch is provided and there is also the opportunity to chat with other carers informally.

The forum meets every 3-4 months and the venue moves around the borough to try to reach as

many people as possible.

The next forum is on Wednesday the 16th October in Windsor, and the focus will continue to be

on identifying gaps in carer support (not just in the SIGNAL service but across all areas of health

and social care).

To enable us to cater for the event, invitations are sent and we ask that you let us know if you

will be attending and provide us with details of any dietary or access requirements

If you are unable to attend this but have ideas about future topics and/or suggested speakers,

please contact us in the office.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The General Data Protection Regulations came into force on the 25 May 2018.

SIGNAL’s privacy notice was expanded to ensure we gave a full explanation to people about the

use of their data and we also need to have evidence that consent has been given.

If you have been sent this newsletter via somebody else or another group and would like to

receive this and other information direct from SIGNAL - as well as invitations to carers events,

please visit our website https://www.signal4carers.org.uk/ to sign up. If you used to be

registered with us before but did not sign up again when the GDPR came into effect, please be

aware that we will have no records linked to you - including case work and referrals made on

your behalf, such as carers assessment or a fire safety check.

https://www.signal4carers.org.uk/

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Support Groups

We are trying to map all of the local carers support groups in the area so that we can provide

you with a regular up-to-date list. If you are involved in a group, please let us have the details.

We would rather receive this information multiple times than run the risk of overlooking a group.

Age Concern Windsor

Time: 10am – 12 noon

Dates/When: 3rd Thursday of the month

Where: The Spencer Denny Centre, Park Corner, Windsor, SL4 4EB

Contact: 01753 860685 [email protected]

For those helping out / caring for someone over the age of 55

Ascot Area Alzheimer’s (Triple A) Carers Lunch

Time: 12 noon – 2pm

Dates/When: 4th Friday of the month

Where: Carnation Hall, 29 Chavey Down Road, Winkfield Row, Bracknell, RG42 7PU

Contact: 01344 486349

Cost: £6

Autism Berkshire

Time: 10.00am – 12 noon

Dates/When: Friday October 18th

Where: Windsor Youth & Community Centre, Alma Road, Windsor, SL4 3HD

Contact: 01189 594 594 [email protected]

Although you can just drop-in, the event organisers would prefer you to register in advance

Alzheimers Dementia Support - Mates with Plates

A monthly men-only lunch club. Carers are hosted in another part of the venue.

Time: 12.30pm start

Dates/When: 3rd Wednesday of every month

Where: Toby Carvery, Stafferton Lodge, Braywick Road, Maidenhead, SL6 1BN

Contact: 07516 165647 (Terri) or 07516 165665 (Nancy)



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Support Groups (continued)

Alzheimers Dementia Support – Former Carers Lunch

Time: 12.30pm start

Dates/When: 1st Wednesday of every month

Where: Toby Carvery, Stafferton Lodge, Braywick Road, Maidenhead, SL6 1BN

Contact: 07516 165647 (Terri) or 07516 165665 (Nancy)

For both of these lunches the organisers ask for a voluntary contribution of £12 per person -

which covers the carvery meal, ice-cream and a non-alcoholic drink.

Ascot / Sunningdale Carers Support Group

Time: 2pm – 3.30pm

Dates/When: 2nd Tuesday of the month

Where: Recreation Hall, The Pavillion, Broomhall Lane, Sunningdale, SL5 0QS

Asian Ladies Support Group

Time: 10am-12 noon

Dates/When: 1st Friday of the month (subject to room availability)

Where: Desborough Rooms, Town Hall, Maidenhead SL6 1RF

Contact: Nighat Ellahi to confirm: 07736 885 174 [email protected]

Datchet Carers Support Group

Time: 10.30am-12 noon

Dates/When: 3rd Wednesday of the month

Where: Day Centre, Horton Road (beside Datchet Hall), Allen Way, Datchet, SL3 9HR

Maidenhead Carers Support Group

Time: 1pm – 3pm

Dates/When: 3rd Wednesday of the month

Where: Highview, 6 North Road, Maidenhead, SL6 1PL

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Support Groups (continued)

RENDEZVOUS at Elizabeth House

A meeting place for people with dementia and their carers. A warm friendly welcome awaits all

visitors. A cup of tea, chat, some activities, useful information, advice literature and

signposting available. Separate from the normal Elizabeth House activities. Sponsored and

financed by Holy Trinity Church but open to all.

Time: 3pm – 5pm

Dates/When: Thursday afternoons

Where: Elizabeth House, Station Road, Cookham, Maidenhead, SL6 9BS

Contact: Nikki Johns 07749610418

Windsor Carers Support Group

Time: 10.30am-12.30pm

Dates/When: 2nd Monday of the month

Where: Dedworth Green Baptist Church Hall, Smiths Lane, Windsor, SL4 5PE

Online forums or ‘virtual’ support groups can also help you meet other carers and share and

learn from each other’s experiences. Just remember to stay safe online.

Carers UK Forum: http://www.carersuk.org/forum

http://www.carersuk.org/forum

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Stay Up Late!

Do you provide care or support to an adult

with a learning disability and/or autism?

Stay Up Late! is a national campaign and

charity helping people with learning and

disabilities stay up late and have fun.

They found that many people cannot stay

out beyond 9pm - particularly those who

rely on community transport and care

workers to access social opportunities.

Some volunteers, who work for Berkshire

Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and staff

and volunteers from The Ark Trust have

formed a Stay Up Late! Group for Berkshire.

So far the group have held planning events,

been to the pub and have visited Gravity

Force in Camberley.

To find out more please contact The Ark on

01344 266899.

Community Outreach

Our mobile information bus that we take out

into the community has a private office and

is fully accessible (lift).

Drop in to see a member of SIGNAL staff for

help, information and support or just for a

chat!

Where can you find us?

Sunningdale Parish Council

2nd Tuesday of the month 12 noon-4pm

Moss End Garden Village, Warfield

4th Friday of the month 9.30am-4pm

We are always looking for new places to

park the bus and reach new people so let us

know if you have any ideas of potential

good community locations.

Carers Rights Day 21st November 2019

The aim of Carers Rights day is to:

Make carers aware of their rights Let carers know where to get help

and support Raise awareness of the needs of

carers

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjZn7H92vThAhVFxhoKHbgfBlsQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https://ldcop.org.uk/author/tomevans/page/8&psig=AOvVaw1-0HpT9oGRnbfmzC-4qkMd&ust=1556606958005515

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Let’s talk about………

Every year about 30 people die accidently in the UK through Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning.

It is responsible for sending about 4,000 people to A & E and 200 hospital admissions. However,

it is suspected that many more thousands of people are affected by low level poisoning. It can

cause brain damage affecting the nervous system and memory.

Carbon Monoxide is most commonly produced when carbon fuels such as gas, oil coal and

wood do not burn fully.

Common sources of Carbon Monoxide include:

Gas boilers

Gas cookers

Coal fires

Wood burners

LPG/Calor gas

Gas fires/heaters

Water heaters

But sources can also include:

Bar-B-Qs

Ashes

Gas hair straighteners

Gas fridges

Paraffin heaters

Peat

Smoking

Some cooking practices

Oil fired heating

Petrol/diesel engines/generators/heaters

It is not just a risk at home; it can occur in caravans, tents, holiday property, in restaurants that

use charcoal grills or it may even be coming from a neighbour’s property.

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Let’s talk about………(continued)

Because it is usually generated with hot air from a combustion appliance it tends to rise

towards the ceiling.

Signs your gas appliances might be dangerous:

Yellow/orange flames (instead of blue)

Pilot light keeps going out

Excessive condensation – windows and walls

Sooty, brown marks around the fire/cooker/boiler

You cannot see, smell or touch Carbon Monoxide which means our senses are unable to detect

it in the air; this is one of the reasons it is so dangerous.

Risks are often higher during the winter months when heating appliances/systems are on and

doors and windows are closed.

Symptoms – what to look out for

A common first symptom is being unusually tired and you may feel like you have the flu or food

poisoning - but this will go on for longer than you would expect and there will be no high

temperature. Your symptoms may get better when you leave your home (or source of

poisoning) and other family members, visitors and even your pets may also suffer from similar

symptoms.

The symptoms get progressively more serious:

Headaches

Nausea

Dizziness

Breathlessness

Collapse

Loss of consciousness

BE AWARE, in high levels of poisoning this can happen very quickly

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Let’s talk about………(continued)

What to do if you think Carbon Monoxide (CO) might be present:

1. Turn off gas supply if possible

2. Turn off appliances

3. Open doors and windows

4. Get everyone to exit the house/location

5. Call the emergency services on 999

6. If feeling unwell, seek medical attention

Protection

Fit an audible CO alarm and make sure it meets the BS EN 50291 standard and kite mark.

If possible, put an alarm in every room where there is a potential CO source. If there is

only one detector available place in the room with the source and where you spend most

of your time. In most rooms the alarm should be placed in a high position – 15-30cms

from the ceiling but in a bedroom place at bed/breathing height. Alarms should be

placed 1-3m from any cooking/heating appliances and avoid placing in draughts, damp

and enclosed areas.

Get all gas appliances checked annually and always use a Gas Safe Registered engineer.

If you are renting this is your landlord’s responsibility but for your own safety make sure

they undertake this responsibility.

Other appliances that generate CO should be serviced regularly – HETAS (solid fuels) and

OFTEC (oil)

Thank you to the Gas Safe charity for providing this information and awareness training for

SIGNAL staff.

Please visit their website for more information about how to keep safe.

www.gassafecharity.org.uk/

The NHS website also provides lots of useful information on this subject.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/carbon-monoxide-poisoning/

http://www.gassafecharity.org.uk/

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/carbon-monoxide-poisoning/

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Training

SIGNAL have purchased the following training courses from local company iHasco and whilst

they are primarily targeted at people working in the care sector, as carers you should also find

them useful.

These courses can be carried out online by yourself at home, at our office with support or in a

classroom setting.

If you would like to register for one of these courses online, would like to arrange to complete

them in the office or would like to be added to the waiting list for the next classroom session,

please let us know.

Assessing Mental Capacity

This Assessing Mental Capacity training course guides you through the process of assessing a

person's mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. It looks at the Mental Capacity Act

2005 and the 5 key principles involved in assessing mental capacity. It also looks at capacity

assessment examples and how to deal with disagreements and complaints.

Moving & Handling People

This online Moving and Handling training explains the process of moving someone safely and

gives step-by-step guidance, showing the most common lifts and moves. This training is ideal for

those working in the care sector, where moving and handling people are regular occurrences.

Please note, we are unable to offer training in using equipment, such as hoists, as these are all

different and should be provided by the organisation supplying the equipment.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults is a course for anyone who works with, helps, or supports adults

at risk. It covers the signs of abuse and explains what to do if you suspect something is happening

to a vulnerable adult. It's all about sensitive handling and timely intervention.

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Training (continued)

Adult and community learning:

The Royal Borough, in partnership with Slough Borough Council, provides many different courses

for pleasure, inspiration, well-being and personal development at locations in the two areas. You

can find more information at:

https://www3.rbwm.gov.uk/info/200115/education_and_learning/742/community_learning_

and_skills_service_class

Local Consultations

The local authority has a page on their website where they publish information, meeting dates and links to consultations on services and issues that may have an impact on local residents. These consultations include their own and ones from other organisations. They also publish the results of surveys and you can find details of petitions that have been started by local residents and find out how to start your own! https://www3.rbwm.gov.uk/info/200126/consultation_and_feedback

Snowdrop (Together in Grief) group

Snowdrop (Together in Grief) coffee morning for people who are experiencing grief (past &

present). All are welcome to attend.

Held at The Youth Club, Recreation Ground, Robin Willis Way, Old Windsor, SL4 2PX. For more

details (times, dates) contact Karen on 07592338126 or Debra on 07919175807.

https://www3.rbwm.gov.uk/info/200115/education_and_learning/742/community_learning_and_skills_service_class

https://www3.rbwm.gov.uk/info/200115/education_and_learning/742/community_learning_and_skills_service_class

https://www3.rbwm.gov.uk/info/200126/consultation_and_feedback

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What does “Good Care” look like?

This campaign is aimed at people who are looking to use paid, professional care, at home or in

a residential setting. This is especially important if you will be self-funding.

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Healthwatch Windsor, Ascot & Maidenhead (WAM)

Carers often have a lot of valuable experience

navigating the local health and social care

system. If you, or the person you care for, have

any feedback – good or bad – on services

please let Healthwatch WAM know.

The feedback helps staff represent the views of

the public at meetings about current local

services and services being planned for the

future.

Healthwatch WAM are also looking for local

volunteers for “Enter and View” visits;

opportunities to visit and observe services and

talk to patients and clients.

CTPLD have moved!

The Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities (CTPLD) have moved from Abell Gardens/Maidenhead to St Marks Hospital/Maidenhead. Please note the new address: Windsor & Maidenhead C.T.P.L.D, Main Reception, St Marks Hospital, St Marks Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 6DU Phone: 01753 638677 Email: [email protected]


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Community Activities & Events

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is home to many groups and organisations

providing activities and events for members of the community to attend and enjoy. There are a

number of places you can go to find out up to date information about these such as:

RBWM Community Information

Connecting you to information on local groups and

activities. Headings include Children and Youth,

Music and Singing and Social Clubs.

RBWM Public Health

Information around health and well-being and

promotion of local groups and initiatives.

Get Involved WAM

The local community and voluntary sector

umbrella organisation who have details of local

volunteering opportunities.

What’s on in Windsor and Maidenhead

Information about events including a date search

option.

If you do not have access to the internet or would like help to identify activities suitable for

you, please contact the SIGNAL office who also have access to community maps and resources.

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Useful Contacts

Access to Services, Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead / Optalis – 01628 683744

Emergency Out of Hours – 01344 786543

NHS Out of Hours call 111

SIGNAL Contacts

You can contact us on:

01628 947974

[email protected]

Visit our website:

www.signal4carers.org.uk

Postal address:

TRAX, Mill Ride (off Fernbank Road),

North Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 8JW

http://www.facebook.com

/signal4WAMcarers

@SignalWAM

http://www.facebook.com/signal4WAMcarers

http://www.facebook.com/signal4WAMcarers

signal for windsor, ascot & maidenhead carers · 2019. 11. 14. · lets talk about….. pages...

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