Support organisations
Durham County Carers Support
Durham County Carers Support is an independent, charitable organisation providing information, advice, and support to carers. Durham County Carers Support offers a wide range of local, confidential support services to adult and parent carers.
We encourage carers to register with Durham County Carers Support (DCCS) to access their support and services for free. To register click here and you will be taken to the DCCS form.
Durham County Carers Support: Claire’s Story – video on YouTube with subtitles
Contacts
- 0300 005 1213
- admin@dccarers.org
Family Action – The Bridge Young Carer’s Service
If you are a young carer aged 5-17 years, there are services that can provide you with support and information. Family Action also provides bespoke support to young adult carers aged between 16-24. They provide a range of help and can also support you though key times of transition such as going to college, university or entering the workplace. They aim to reduce your caring role by working with services to help your family to find other solutions and reduce the impact of your caring role.
Contacts
- 0191 383 2520
- durhamyoungcarers@family-action.org.uk
- Family Action: The Bridge Young Carers Services
Mobilise
Durham County Council has partnered with a new digital service called Mobilise to extend online support for carers. To access a whole range of free services and discover an online network of people to support you, please go to – https://support.mobiliseonline.co.uk/durham. Support is available 7 days per week from 9.00am to 10.00pm.
Carers UK
Carers UK offers unpaid carers living in County Durham free access to a wide range of online resources to help make caring easier.
The Digital Resource for Carers provides lots of free resources including free elearning, publications and access to a care coordination app where you can manage appointments and save important information about the person you care for.
To access the resources visit https://www.carersdigital.org/login/ and create an account using your free access code: DGTL2485
Dementia Advice and Support
The Dementia Advice and Support service in County Durham provides local information, advice, and support to carers of people living with dementia. They will also offer advice and support to people worried about their memories and with a diagnosis of dementia.
Contacts
- 0191 3890400
- durhamandchester@alzheimers.org.uk
Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS
Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust has a carers’ hub. Created with carers, the hub is a great resource for practical advice, information and support.
Advocacy services
In County Durham we have Carers Advocates who help unpaid carers over the age of 18 to be more involved and have their voices heard in decisions that affect them. They may be able to help you with:
- helping carers to understand their rights and how to exercise them
- supporting carers to access a Carers Assessment
- supporting carers to communicate their own needs to people making decisions
- attending meetings with carers
- making a social care complaint
- helping carers to find other services that might be able to help them (signposting)
For more information visit Cloverleaf Advocacy or call 01924 454875. You can also email them at enquiries@cloverleaf-advocacy.co.uk.
Other advocacy services are also available to carers
Durham County Carers Support’s Informal Advocacy Support can help carers:
- to be more involved and have their voices heard in decisions that affect them and their families
- make sure that their opinion and experiences are properly heard by Health, Social Care and other organisations
- make contact with organisations on your behalf if you’re not comfortable doing this and make sure that you are not forgotten about as a carer
Durham County Carers Support can also refer you onto formal advocacy if you need it. Visit their Informal Advocacy Support page for more information or call 0300 005 1213.
Carers Federation – can help support individuals complaining about the NHS. For more information visit their website or freephone 0808 802 3000.
Rethink Advocacy – provide advocacy support to people across the whole of County Durham who are affected by mental health issues or have a learning disability, autism or a physical disability. For more info visit their website or contact 01388 766 310. You can also email them at Countydurham.advocacy@rethink.org.
This List of North East and North Cumbria Carer Centres.pdf contains contact details for carer support organisations in the North East and North Cumbria region.
