A carer is someone of any age who provides unpaid support to family or friends whose health or wellbeing could suffer without this help. This could be caring for a relative, partner, child or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems.

Many people are carers - parents, children, husbands and wives, even friends and neighbours and although it can be immensely rewarding it can often be very difficult and sometimes extremely stressful.

Crossroads Care, Coventry & Warwickshire are the people home carers turn to. We know that we don't have all of the answers, so here is some practical advice and also some useful links to other organisations that may be able to offer further information, resources or services.

Financial Support for the Home Carer

Though there is a range of financial support available for home carers, the main benefit for the home carer is called Carers' Allowance. From 2013 the rate is £58.45 per week. The rate is the same regardless of how many hours you do or how many people you care for.

To get Carer's Allowance you must meet all the following conditions:

• The recipient has to certify to work a set number of hours per week (at least 35 hours)
• You must be aged 16 or over and not be in full-time education
• You must not earn more than £100 per week from any other paid employment.

Carer's Allowance is taxable but on it's own it is below the threshold for paying tax. So you will only have to pay tax if you have other sources of taxable income such as an occupational pension or other paid employment. Carers may also be entitled to other benefits, depending on their income and personal circumstances.

More information can be found at Directgov, the UK government's digital service for people in England and Wales. Directgov gives you easy access to government information and services.

Alternatively visit Carers UK, a charity set up to help the millions of people who care for family or friends. They provide information and advice about caring alongside practical and emotional support for carers.

Young Carers

Despite the fact that there are currently 175,000 carers under the age of 18, many young carers often don't recognise themselves as carers and need information and support to be able to take that important step to ask for help. If the caring that you do affects your school work or causes you problems, your family might be able to get help so that you don't have to do so much. If you're not sure whether you are a young carer or not, please see if any of the following apply to you:

• Do you regularly carry out chores for a relative, such as cleaning, because they are unable to?
• Do you have a relative, including any brothers or sisters who are disabled, ill or injured and you have to care for them?
• Do you live with a relative who is either an alcoholic or a drug user?
• Do you have to help look after someone, which means that you can't spend time with your friends or get your homework done?

If any of these apply to you then you could be a young carer. There are thousands of young carers in the UK, so if you want to learn more please visit the Young Carers website for carers aged 18 and under which is run by the Carers Trust.

Short Breaks for the Home Carer

Crossroads Care Coventry and Rugby offices both have contracts with Coventry & Warwickshire Social Services to deliver short break services to home carers in their respective areas. These services are accessed through a social services assessment of need and a referral made to Crossroads Care for a service. A senior staff member will then visit the home carer and the person with care needs, to discuss the service they want and what they would like the outcome to be.

Once established, the service is delivered in line with the agreed home care plan and the service user's wishes. The home care services provided can be on a regular day and time or flexible to meet the changing needs of both the home carer and the person with care needs. The personal care assistant is trained to enable them to meet the needs of all of our service users whether they have a physical or sensory disability, age related problem, mental health problems or ill health.

Carers Response Emergency Support Service (CRESS)

CRESS is an emergency service designed to give carers peace of mind. Many carers worry about what would happen to the person they care for if they themselves were involved in an emergency or were suddenly taken ill. CRESS is a membership scheme which works with the home carer and the person with care needs in order to set up an emergency plan which outlines what would happen if the home carer was suddenly unable to attend. The plan is kept at the home of the person with care needs and a copy is also held on a secure database at Crossroads.

In the event of an emergency (night or day, 365 days a year) a single phone call activates the emergency care plan and our trained Care Support Workers are available to take the place of the home carer for up to 72 hours or until alternative care arrangements can be made if the emergency is longer term. CRESS is free to all home carers who have had a carers' assessment or who care regularly and substantially for someone who lives in the Coventry area.

Red Flag & Home Carers Special Days

Red Flag & Carers Special Days are services in Coventry and Rugby created to enable home carers and those they care for to enjoy a special day out supported by a member of the Crossroads Care Team. Many carers find themselves unable to enjoy quality time with the person they care for, perhaps finding difficulty going out together, enjoying trips into the country or places of interest. It may be that their own health or mobility is a problem, but Crossroads Care can help by arranging a special day out, paying for all expenses and providing a member of staff to accompany them.

"Red Flag Days are a day to look forward to, to enjoy and to remember"

Help for Parents - STARS Club

The Help for Parents - STARS Club is a young members club for children and youngsters with disabilities to get together on a Saturday afternoon and is supported by well qualified and experienced staff. The children enjoy playing games, socialising and meeting new friends, and during the time the young people spend at the Club, based at the AT7 Centre in Coventry, their parents also have some well earned respite and "me time".

The STARS Club currently supports around 30 children with a range of disabilities and plans are in hand to develop a similar club for older teenagers.

Useful Website Links

Please note: Crossroads Care, Coventry & Warwickshire is not responsible for any of the content displayed on any of the websites we have linked to, or for any other information found outside this website.

Carers Trust

Carers Trust is a new charity which was formed by the merger of Crossroads Care and The Princess Royal Trust for Carers in April 2012.

Carers Trust works to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems. With our Network Partners, we aim to ensure that information, advice and practical support are available to all carers across the UK.

Coventry Carers' Centre

The Centre offers free and confidential information, advice and support service to meet the needs of Coventry's family carers.

Age UK Coventry

Age UK Coventry exists to help improve the quality of life for older people in Coventry.

Age UK Warwickshire

Age UK Warwickshire provides a wide range of services and activities for the local community and for older people and their carers across the County.

Alzheimer's Society Coventry

The Alzheimer's Society works to improve the quality of life for people affected by dementia.

Coventry Office
Alzheimer's Society
Barras Court
31 Barras Green
Coventry
CV2 4LY
Tel: 024 7665 2602

The Carers' Hub

The Carers' Hub is a joint initiative from Carers Trust to inform the commissioning and development of personalised services for carers by providing a central point for information sharing.

Carers Trust has the vision that carers should be supported and recognised as valuable citizens and treated with respect and dignity.