Young Carers

The Wired Carers Service support 364 Young Carers and 190 Young Adult Carers in Warrington. Support offered includes 1 to 1 emotional support, signposting, referrals onto other appropriate services and advocacy. Wired has good links with schools and universities in the North West ensuring that they are informed of the rights of young carers and young adult carers, including YAC university funding, financial advice and pastoral care. In addition, placements opportunities with other partners e.g. The Princes Trust.

In January 2021, Wired Carers hosted a Webinar aimed at Young Adult Carers entitled “Your Life Matters” with guest speakers from partner organisation including Warrington Voluntary Action, Warrington Wellbeing, The University of Chester, The Prince’s Trust and Life - Careers for Young People in Warrington. The presentations were interesting, informative and inspirational.

One Young Adult Carer aged 21 who struggled with school due to severe anxiety, lack of confidence and caring needs, has worked with closely with Wired who introduced him to a programme funded by New Leaf and delivered by Warrington Youth Club. With continued support from Wired and Warrington Youth Club, the Young Adult Carer took a huge leap of faith and registered with the Princes Trust. He took part in a 16-week programme. They were so impressed that he was asked to stay on as a volunteer. He is now in training awaiting a paid position. This Young Adult Carer was a key speaker on behalf of the Princes Trust at our Webinar.

The Young Carers Team have continued to support Carers on a  1 to 1 basis and via innovative ideas to proactively engage and support our Young Carers during COVID e.g. online live art, guitar and craft session via text, phone or face to face Zoom calls. The YC Team have continued to advocate and adapt the meetings due to the pandemic  eg via the phone - conference calls, Skype and Teams.

Young carers - additional information

Wired Carers Service is always looking for fresh ideas to raise the profile of Young Carers to ensure that they are recognised and included in the national agenda.

Wired Young Carers Team currently work with multiple agencies – locally and nationally.

In 2019 Wired Young Carers presented an exhibition at The Gateway in Warrington. The exhibition was then transferred to Priestly College and Chester University, Warrington Campus where it was display for a further 3 weeks.

Following a successful bid to become an Associate of the Tate Gallery in Liverpool, the team worked hard with the young carers to produce a wonderful exhibition as part of the Tate Exchange Programme based on the word “Power”.   Paintings, artwork, poems, lived experiences, photography and a contemporary dance piece were displayed with pride of place on the first floor of the TATE gallery, Liverpool.  Throughout the week, we welcomed over 3,000 visitors from all over the world!  Feedback was fantastic.

Wired worked in partnership with Warrington Voluntary Action and Ludovico Productions to produce a short filmed entitled “What Not to Say to a Young Carer”. We asked young carers about their daily challenges and frustrations, which resulted in a raw and unflinching account of what their lives, are really like.

We opened the exhibition with a spectacular launch where we raised awareness of National Young Carers Awareness day.  Wired Young Carers performed poems and music to over 100 special guests. Over 3,000 visitors attended the exhibition. Two Young Carers were invited to speak on Radio Merseyside.

As Associates of the Tate Gallery, Wired have attended Associates network meetings in order to meet, communicate and work with other national and international organisations in order to promote Young Carers and work in partnership.

Wired Carers Centre organise weekly Thursday evening sessions for Young and Young Adult Carers to meet with their peers and have the opportunity to take part in guitar, art, craft, karaoke, singing, Emergency First Aid and chat and chill sessions. This is time for young people to make friends and relax. The centre also organises free trips and activities during the holidays.  We had facilitated trips to Chester Zoo, Manchester Activity Centre, Safety Central in Lymm and attended a disco at the Pyramids in Warrington, Wizzard Canal Boat. Culture Warrington have donated free theatre tickets every January for the whole family. Young Carers have been invited to various free events by other partners including an invite from The Mayor of Warrington to a Christmas Dinner and on another occasion afternoon tea when Young Carers received awards for the amazing work that they do.

WYC received funding of £10,000 to support Young and Young Adult Carers with IT equipment. There is also funding for the YC Welfare Fund in order to support YC families to buy school uniform, bus passes, lunch boxes etc. in September. Another funder donated £600, which has been used for 2 electronic notebooks for a Young Carer and a local School. BT Call Centre have chosen WYC as their chosen charity for the next 12 months. They funded £300 of Amazon vouchers for families at Crisis. Warrington Youth Club deliver 21 food parcels to families at crisis.

Fiona Jenkins is a member of the BA & MA Social Work Programme People with Lived Experience Steering Group based at Chester University (Warrington Campus).  Wired Carers Service have received funding of £600 to take part in an exhibition to be held on the Chester University Warrington Campus Site entitled “What does social care mean to me”. Carers will have the opportunity to engage in the exhibition through the medium of letters, poetry, artwork, and lived experience etc., to ensure their voices are heard.  Each participant received an Amazon voucher. Twenty participants took part in this project, which will later be exhibited at Chester University.

Fiona Jenkins – Service Manager is invited to speak at the International Young Carers Conference in Brussels together with Dr. Valerie Gant, Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Chester University in May 2021. The Swedish Parliament and other national and international dignitaries will be attending this event.

During National Young Carers Action Day, Wired shared an online, assembly raising the awareness of Young Cares via Teams. Wired also shared a tool kit with Schools regarding the importance of identifying Carers when completing the National Census.

Warrington Adult Carers

Out of hours

We offer out of hours services to working carers, parent carers and other adult carers who find it difficult to use the phone during business or school holiday hours.

Drop ins

We have a monthly evening drop in for working carers and carers who cannot attend our day time drop ins.  We have a monthly drop in for Carers of people with dementia.  This group welcomes and mentors each other.

Carers Celebration Day

During Carers week, we hold a Carers Celebration day to recognise the value and voice of Warrington Carers.  The event is an opportunity to show Carers in Warrington how much they contribute, not just to the person they care for but to the social health of Warrington. Senior social service officers and elected members attend the celebration day to allow them to see, meet and acknowledge the role that Carers play in Warrington.

Advice Information and Awareness raising

We deliver regular awareness raising in Warrington to carers to ensure that they are aware of any national and regional initiatives that can affect them and the person they care for.  We have delivered training in the Mental Capacity Act, the Care Act, Lasting Power of Attorney and Becoming a Deputy and the impact this legislation has on the life of Carers.

GP and identifying new carers

Wired Adult Carers is working with GP’s to identify carers in the GP’s area.  We make sure that all GP surgeries have up to date materials.  We regularly (weekly) make sure that we contribute to the GP newsletter.

Hospitals

All the relevant wards have our posters and we attend staff meetings to make sure that staff are aware of our services.  We have a monthly Carers’ café at the Hospital for new and existing carers, including staff.

All of the services above, during the COVID lockdown, been replaced virtually.  We have made sure that Carers have the skills to download the appropriate app to ensure that they can still access the Wired Carers Service Warrington

Their quarterly newsletters cover vital information for carers, including COVID vaccination details, links to services and support groups and reminds carers that all staff are here to ensure carers feel less isolated.  Throughout the pandemic, Wired continued to run services for all carers to ensure they felt supported including advice and information.  They have over 3,000 carers registered with them.  Examples of support groups include -

The Tea break @ 10am session which includes external speakers.

Dementia carers support group:  10am—12pm, second Thursday of the month.   Peer support to learn about coping strategies, focussing on techniques that have been found to work and draw on the experience of members of the group. A relaxed and positive atmosphere, seeking to help people live well with dementia, be they a person who is experiencing it or those who love them.

Evening support Group:  The Evening Support Group is a space to support unpaid carers to take some 'me time'. It provides the opportunity to chat, get support and even have a laugh with other carers from the comfort of wherever you are.  The Evening Support group is perfect for you if:

  • You are feeling lonely or isolated
  • You feel no one understands your situation
  • You want to move yourself up on your list of priorities
  • You want to hear how others cope with caring

Warrington Disability Partnership

The 28   services provided by Warrington Disability Partnership (WDP) have continued to have a positive, direct and indirect, impact on the lives of carers by providing choice, opportunities and increasing independence. The delivery of ‘Matrix Accredited’ quality Information, Advice and Guidance on equipment, transport, days out and leisure activities ensured a wide range of experiences could be enjoyed. Many individuals who are Direct Payments recipients are carers and payroll users and have been supported in their role as employers. During the pandemic we have supported carers by providing Personal Protective Equipment to their homes.

In response to our ‘Friends and Family’ feedback one carer said ‘without the support of WDP over the past 12 months I don’t know who I would have turned to for support.’