Good News! We have secured funding to support military families in Wiltshire...

Carer Support Wiltshire has been successful in accessing funding for a project working with carers in military families in Wiltshire through the Wiltshire Council and the Wiltshire Military Covenant. 

The funding is for one year and it will be a targetted piece of work identifying and supporting adult carers within the military – these may be parent carers of disabled children or carers of an adult with a physical, emotional, mental or learning disability. Many will be ‘younger’ adults (aged 18-30). 

Carer Support Wiltshire will be:

Working with ‘HIVE centres’, chaplains, Medical Centres, GP surgeries, and Welfare Officers and ongoing work with Tedworth House, Royal British Legion and SAFFA., we will also publicise through a range of media (local radio stations, newspapers, newsletters, targetted posters, flyers etc)

Offering Specialist free and confidential advice, information & support: 1:1, through home visits or in peer groups, accessing our more specialist Support Workers when appropriate (Mental Health, Parent Carers, Learning Disabilities), supporting access to other specialist services e.g. Headway (Acquired brain injury), Voluntary, Wiltshire Council and NHS services. We will work closely with Tedworth House and ensure that if families are relocated we will signpost to agencies local to their new location.

Undertaking Carer Assessments (on behalf of Wiltshire Council): this is a statutory entitlement for all carers identifying their needs and access to Carers Direct Payments, Carers Emergency Card etc.

Delivering Training: We have a programme of training courses planned to sustain carers in their caring role including a range aimed at improving carers health -Mental Health 1^st Aid, Nutrition, ‘When the caring role begins’ (including financial, health, looking after yourself) and preparing for when the caring role ends – this may be through breaking up of a relationship, when the cared-for goes in to a placement or moves away, or when there is a bereavement.

Facilitating Support groups: Initially offering specialist support groups (including younger adult carers aged 18-30) in 5 locations, we aim to encourage participants, in due course, to join our more specialist groups we facilitate countywide for Carers such as mental health, physical or learning disabilities or parent carers.

Giving carers the opportunity to take Time Out: Breaks from caring role (outings, craft groups, Carers Cafes, walking groups, book clubs etc) and opportunities for volunteering with CSW, further integrating military carers into the wider community including Befriending service, assisting at Time Out events.

To find out more about us, please visit our website.