Carers Forum

The Carers Forum is open to all family carers who care for an adult in Telford and Wrekin, so this is your chance to come along and have your say on the issues that are important to you.

The Carers Forum is looking for carers who would like to be actively involved in helping to get the forum going to allow the voice of local carers to be heard. The forum is being facilitated by the Carers Contact Centre.

Just come along and let your views be heard. Call us on the above number if you would like any more information. If you would like to join our mailing list to receive information about the Forum, you can download, print and complete our Carers Forum Registration form.

(To download the form, you will need Adobe Reader. This can be obtained free of charge by going to www.adobe.com.)

Next Forum Thursday 8th December: Walker Room Meeting Point House 10.30am – 12.30pm

Carers  - What Does the Future Hold?

Are you interested in strengthening the voice of carers and ensuring that carer issues are being identified? Would you also like to hear how the local authority is proposing to support carers and the cared for in the light of current financial restrictions and to give them your views? Then come along to the next Carers Forum meeting.

There will be an opportunity for carers to look at what the Forum has achieved so far and look at what we would like to do in the future and also to hear about proposed future provision from the Local Authority.

Please note that the Forum is an open event for carers and carers do not need to book in advance.

Professor Luke Clements at the October Carers Forum


The previous forum held on Tuesday 18th October was a great success.

“Thank you Carers Contact Centre for putting on such a brilliant Forum. Luke Clements was stimulating, interesting, thought provoking, held our attention, used language we could all understand, absolutely brilliant. A really useful session.”
“What a great event!....Professor Luke Clements speaks in ’normal’ language. We understood him and he made us laugh… a lot! “
“Enlightening, inspiring and informative.”
“He simplified the laws relating to carers …………..I’ve already ordered his book from the library.”
“He gave us information and the courage to fight for our rights.”
“Superb! It was so refreshing to hear someone who really knew what he was talking about!”

These are just some of the comments made by carers who came along to the Carers Forum on 18th October. A three hour session on legislation and Community Care Law sounds as though it is going to be heavy going! Not a very tempting prospect for carers who get few opportunities to have a morning off from their caring role!
However the comments above from some of the 67 carers who came along to hear Professor Luke Clement’s presentation on Carers and their Legal Rights show what a worthwhile, stimulating and thought provoking experience it was.
Luke explained in simple terms how the process of assessing and providing support for carers and the person they look after is underpinned by legislation and Acts of Parliament.

See references below - if you missed Luke’s talk or would like to follow up some of the links he highlighted:
  • Download Luke’s detailed notes from the October Carers Forum
  • Luke Clement’s website: www.lukeclements.co.uk Newsletter and Information. For example on challenging Reductions in Care Services, a template letter for making a formal complaint to a local authority
  • Luke Clement’s book Carers and Their Rights: The Law Relating to Carers Fourth Edition 2011 is available from the library (Carers Contact Centre also has copies). The fifth edition will be published shortly. See above website.
  • http://www.bailii.org The British and Irish Legal Information Institute BAILII provides free access to primary legal materials. For example decisions of the Court of Appeal, reports from the Law Commission.
  • http://www.thecbf.org.uk Ten Top Tips from Luke Clements on ensuring good support for adults whose behaviour is described as challenging.

Carers Forum 2011:

Date:
Time:
Venue:
Thursday 8th December
 10.30am to 12.30pm Meeting Point House



Carers at the forum joining in Carers UK Virtual Protest