Carers

Are You a Carer?

Making Caring Visible has never been more important in these unprescedented times.  

What do we Mean by Carer?

A Carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who, due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support.

This is different from a paid care-worker.

Anyone could be a Carer, a 15-year-old girl looking after a parent with an alcohol problem, a 40-year-old man caring for his partner who has terminal cancer, or an 80-year-old woman looking after her husband who has Alzheimer’s disease. 

Although for many carers, caring can positive and rewarding, there are lots of reasons why caring can also leave you needing support. It might affect your physical and emotional health, your finances, relationships, social isolation, education or career. 

Do You Look After Someone? 

5 Things Carers UK Recommend you do:

  1. Tell your friends, family, GP that you are a Carer. See the Carer registration form on the ‘Our Documents’ page of this website, or pop in and collect one at the surgery.
  2. Find out more about your health and the person you care for, their treatment and condition. 
  3. Contact Carer Links Herefordshire and find out what practical, financial and emotional support is available. Tel: 01432 663057.
  4. Think about making a plan in case of emergency.
  5. Make time for yourself today, even if its only ten minutes.

What Can the Surgery do for Carers?

5 Things we Can Offer:

  1. If you tell us about your caring responsibilities we can update your record so the GPs and Nurses know you look after someone. 
  2. We offer a Carer Health Check with a Nurse to ensure you are on top of your health. You also get a flu jab to keep you well during the winter months.
  3. If you look after someone who is also a patient here we can register you as their Carer. This means that, with their consent we can talk to you about their health.
  4. We can work with you to try and ensure appointments are arranged in the best way possible so that visiting the surgery is as stress free as it can be for both you and the person you look after.
  5. We can help you to find support locally. There are a number of websites listed below which provide specific support for young carers:

Crossroads Together offer a range of support services to carers including information and advice service, called CarerLinks. The CarerLinks team based in Hereford offer free emotional and practical support to unpaid family carers across Herefordshire, helping them protect their health and well-being, being able to cope with their caring role. https://www.crossroadstogether.org.uk/ – Telephone service – Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm on 01432 663057 or email [email protected].

You can also join their CarerLinks Facebook group.

Hope Support Services – provide support to 11 -25 year olds when a close family member is diagnosed with a life threatening illness. http://www.hopesupport.org.uk/.

No Wrong Door – offer a safe space for those aged 11 – 25 to access information, guidance and support, along with different activities that can help build skills, self-esteem and confidence.  https://www.facebook.com/pg/NoWrongDoorHereford.

St Michael’s Hospice offer a Children and Young People’s Service for anyone aged 25 and under who has a close family member diagnosed with a life threatening illness. https://www.st-michaels-hospice.org.uk/hospice-care/support-for-carers/support-for-children-young-people-families/.

Carer Links Herefordshire

Carer Links

Are you a carer? Do you care for someone unpaid? 

How Carer Links Herefordshire can help:

  • By supporting carers to think about their own needs and plan action for change.
  • By listening and offering a range of services and support to help carers improve their health and wellbeing, including 1 to 1 support, information, advice, advocacy and signposting.
  • By working in partnerships to link carers with all other sources of help and support.
  • By offering support with applications for attendance allowance, carers allowance and blue badges. 

Carers support Line: 01432 663057.

Email: [email protected].

Local Support

Support Available in Herefordshire

 The following organisations based in Herefordshire can provide free support and advice.

Non-urgent advice: Notice

Please note: we have included direct links to websites for organisations listed below. Occasionally, organisations change their web address without us knowing and our link may not work. We apologise if this happens and advise you to use a search engine to find the correct address.

 Advice About Care, Support, Housing, Benefits and Services

1. WISH – Wellbeing and information signposting for Herefordshire. This is Herefordshire’s directory for care, support, services and activities across the county. 

WISH is a partnership between Herefordshire Council and Services for Independent Living (SIL). It aims to provide you with the information you need to support your wellbeing and ensure your care needs are met. Where appropriate it will signpost you to other organisations and agencies that can provide support. 

WISH is the hub for finding out about support in Herefordshire for people of all ages and needs – www.wisherefordshire.org/.

2. Shelter – Independent advice and information on housing to help you understand your rights and options. Shelter Housing Support Service Herefordshire, 79-81 Widemarsh St, Hereford, HR4 9EU. Tel: 0344 515 2511.

Bereavement Support

1. Herefordshire Cruse Tel: 01432 359 46. Cruse Bereavement Care can help anyone affected by the death of someone they know. Support is given on a one to one basis with a trained volunteer.

Carers and Family Support

1. Carer Links Herefordshire – Carer support line: 01432 663057.

2. Home Start Herefordshire – support, friendship and practical help for families who are experiencing stress and finding it hard to cope and have at least one child under five years of age. 

Contact: 01432 371212 . Email: [email protected].

3. Hope Support Services – a Herefordshire based charity set up to support young people when a close family member is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. It offers one to one support, safe online support, workshops for young people, weekly youth sessions and monthly county-wide activities.

Contact: 01989 566317. Email: [email protected].

Disability and Special Needs Services 

1. Affinity Trust (SCORE) – Innovative opportunities service for adults with learning disabilities. Run by national charity Affinity Trust, SCORE is based in Hereford and supports adults with a learning disability to have the opportunity to make friends and keep active. 

Contact: 01432 379380. Email: [email protected].   

2. Marches Family Network – Working with and for children with disabilities or special needs and their families. It offers:

  • Play groups and outdoor activity sessions.
  • After school buddying sessions on an individual or small group basis.
  • Family Support.
  • Parent/Carer workshops – on a range of disabilities.
  • Regular Newsletter.
  • Disability Living Allowance support and guidance .

Contact: 01568 614908. Email: [email protected].

3. Services for independent living (SIL) – SIL is a user led organisation providing services that enable disabled and older people to live independent lives in their own homes within their own community. It provides a home support agency with a Team Co-ordinator and a Direct Payments Support Service (DPSS). This provides support, information and advice to disabled employers who employ their own personal assistants. 

Contact: 01568 616653. Email: [email protected].  

Drug and Alcohol Services

1. CLD Youth Counselling Trust. Tel: 01432 269245. CLDYCT is a registered charity providing free therapeutic counselling support to address substance misuse issues and begin recovery.

2. DASH (Drug Advisory Service Herefordshire).Tel: 01432 263636. DASH provides a free and confidential range of medical, practical and therapeutic interventions to help people with addiction.

3. Talk to Frank – a confidential helpline for anyone in the UK concerned about drug use. Information, news, leaflets plus questions answered via online submission.

4. Family Drug Support – Herefordshire based charity providing information and confidential support for families who are concerned about possible or actual drug use.

Contact: 01981 251155. Email: [email protected].

Mental Health and Counselling

1. Herefordshire MIND – provides support and services to people affected by mental distress, living in Herefordshire. It is based at 14 St Owen Street, Hereford, HR1 2PL.

Contact: 01432 271643. Email: [email protected] .

2. Let’s Talk is a FREE service from the NHS. Let’s Talk offers Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for mild to moderate anxiety and depression as well as other common mental health difficulties. CBT is a nationally recognised first choice treatment which focuses on the ‘here and now’ to modify behaviours and thoughts that maintain dpression and anxiety. All courses are held in Hereford and are run at various times of the day throughout the week. For more information please click on Let’s Talk above.

Contact: 0800 073 2200. You can also speak to your GP who can help you book on a course.

3. Relate – offers confidential Relationship Counselling, Family Counselling, Children & Young People’s Counselling, Sex Therapy and Courses and Workshops face to face, online and on the telephone. 

Contact: 01743 344010. Email: [email protected]

4. Books on prescription – The Books on Prescription Scheme is a way of helping people with common mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, and phobias. A proven self-help book is prescribed by a GP or other health professional. The book can then be borrowed free of charge from any Herefordshire public library. Click on the title to find out more.

Pain Self Management 

The Pain Toolkit can help you to live with and manage your pain effectively. For advice and information click here: http://paintoolkit.org/.

Pain Concern can also offer support. 

Support for Older or Vulnerable People

1. Age Concern, Ross on Wye and District – Offers a range of services from toenail cutting to Information and Advice. Their aim is to make later life an enjoyable, wealthy and healthy experience as possible, with particular emphases on reducing isolation due to the rural nature of our area.

Contact: 01989 567165. Email: [email protected].

2. Alzheimer’s Society – Herefordshire Alzheimer’s Society offers the following services for people with dementia and their carers;

  • Day support programmes.
  • Memory Cafes.
  • Singing for the brain.
  • Dementia Support Workers.
  • Support Groups.
  • Volunteering opportunities.

Contact: 01432 371137. Email: [email protected]

3. Britsh Red Cross Herefordshire, Worcestershire & Shropshire – can provide a range of services including; short-term care and support in the home for people after an accident or illness, medical equipment and therapeutic care. Contact the Red Cross Hereford Office at : 6 Harrow Road, Plough Lane, Hereford, HR4 0EH, Tel: 01432 373 020.

4. Meals on Wheels is run locally by WRVS, they prepare and cook healthy balanced and nutritious meals. To find out more about what meals are available or whether you are able to access the service contact them direct on:

Community Wheels, Unit 3, Rock field Road Industrial Estate, Hereford,
HR1 2UA. Tel: 01432 267555.

5. Community Transport. There are eight main Community Transport schemes within the County which operate through local voluntary organisations. Schemes use a variety of vehicles including some which are adapted to carry wheelchair users and those with limited mobility. Click on the WISH link at the top of this page to find out the scheme nearest where you live.

Sexual Health Services

1. Sexual Health Services are now provided by Herefordshire Health Partnership based at 

 29-30 Commercial Road, Hereford HR1 2BG. Tel: 01432 266 908 – It offers family planning, contraception services and diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.

There are a range walk-in clinics and appointments for both Sexual Health Screening and Contraception. Click on the link above for opening hours or telephone the number if you prefer to make an appointment. 

Skin Camouflage Service  

Camouflage creams can significantly reduce the appearance of marks, scars and skin discoloration whilst provide effective, long-lasting, waterproof cover. They can be used to cover a wide number of conditions, including: scarring, tattoos, rosacea, birthmarks, vitiligo, skin discoloration, other dermatological conditions. This service can provide an appointment with someone trained to help with specially formulated creams which may be prescribed by your doctor. 

1. Changing Faces – now the official home of the skin camouflage programme established in 1975 by the Red Cross. Click on the title to find out where the nearest service is for you.