Support, Advice and Information for Parent Carers and Carers (Local Offer)

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Young mum with baby being handed some information

As parents and carers, we tend to focus on meeting the needs of our children, young people and family members. 

This section of the SEND Information hub (Local Offer) is all about support and information that may be of use to you as carers.

You can also find lots more information on the Adults Caring for Someone in Peterborough page.

Where to get help

Worried about your child?

If you are worried about your child, talk to someone you trust such as your doctor, health visitor, teacher at your child's school as soon as possible. They will be able to listen to your concerns and begin the process of identifying how to help you and your child. On this page, we have listed links to some teams or organisations that you can also contact for help and support.

SEND Partnership Service

Peterborough's SEND Partnership Service supports parents, carers and young people aged 16+ with confidential, impartial information, advice and support about special educational needs.

Find out more about SEND Partnership Service can help you and how to contact them

Family Voice

Many parents find it helpful to talk to other parents and carers who have a child with SEND.  Family Voice Peterborough is a local registered charity who are actively seeking to improve services in all areas of the lives of children and young people with disabilities or additional needs. They support parents and carers of children and young people aged 0—25 years with a disability or additional needs.

Find out more on Family Voice's website.

Help and advice from social care

We have a range of support and advice available for families, carers, children, young people with special educational needs and disabilities. You can find out more about universal support we provide and social care support for children and young people with disabilities on the Early Help and Social Care page.

Health services

If you have concerns or questions about your child’s health, talk to your doctor, health visitor or school nurse. They can help with a wide range of health issues and any concerns you might have about your child’s development. They can also refer you to specialist health services depending on your child’s needs.  You can find out more on our Health pages.

To access the majority of these health services, a referral from a health professional is required. 

Support for carers

Information, advice and support for carers in Peterborough s provided by Caring Together.

Telephone: 0345 241 0954
Email: hello@caringtogether.org

More information

You can find lots of useful information on support by searching within this website. 

You can also find information on local and national support organisations on the Local Offer Parent Carer Participation page.

Caring Together

Caring Together

Caring Together support carers of all ages and provide services such as:

  • Carer helpline
  • Help to attend your own medical appointments, including through support for the person you care for
  • Someone to talk to
  • Carers magazine and email newsletter
  • Carer learning opportunities
  • Opportunities to share your views and tell the people making decisions that affect you about your experiences
  • Transition planning for parent carers of young people approaching 18
  •  Emergency planning (carers of under 18s)
  • What if? contingency plans (carers of over 18s)
  • Carers cards to identify you as a carer

Find out more here.

Caring Together learning opportunities for parent carers

Are you a parent carer to a young person who is approaching adulthood?

Then Caring Together parent carer learning opportunities are for you. They have developed a comprehensive programme of learning opportunities, on a wide range of topics, that are designed to give you information and practical skills to help in your caring role.

You can find more information in their leaflet. Parent carer thrive - A programme of learning opportunities to support you in your caring role.

Parent carer hub

Are you caring for a child or young person with complex needs?

Our parent carer hub is an ideal opportunity for you to meet up with other parents. The hub is free to attend and open to anyone living in Cambridgeshire or Peterborough.

  • Time to chat - share experience and support other parents. 
  • Workshops/training - we will have occasional speakers come along to the hub. 
  • Advice and support around transition to adulthood for families of young people aged 14+. 
  • Refreshments will be served.

The parent carer hub in Peterborough is held on the last Tuesday of every month, 10am to 12pm.

The location is the Tesco Extra Community Room, Hampton, Peterborough.

To find out more :

Telephone 0345 241 0954

Email -  hello@caringtogether.org

Visit our website -  caringtogether.org

To book -  https://peterborough-parent-carer-hub.eventbrite.co.uk

Caring for someone who is over 18 years old

Guide to Independent Living

You can find lots of useful information to support you as a carer in the Peterborough Guide to Independent Living.

You can view it online here

To obtain a hard copy of the Guide to Independent Living in Peterborough, please contact the Adult Early Help Team at Peterborough City Council on 01733 747474.

You can find more information on our Adults Caring for Someone in Peterborough page.

Caring Together - Parent Carer online hub

This monthly online hub is for parent carers who are caring for a young adult or adult with additional needs. The hub is most suitable to parent carers of young people 18 years or over but if your family member is approaching adulthood please come along - you will be very welcome.

  • Meet other parents
  • Time to chat and share experiences.
  • Support and advice from carer advisors at Caring Together
  • Workshops/training - we will have occasional speakers come along to the hub.

The hub is free to attend for parent carers living in Cambridgeshire or Peterborough.

The first event starts on Thursday 23 March 2023 at 10 am to 11:30 am

It is an online event and you will need to book online to attend this event.

Book this event online

Family Voice Peterborough

Family Voice Peterborough

Family Voice is Peterborough’s parent carer forum and can offer:

  • Information, signposting, advice, support
  • Various groups – topic based and more general
  • Training type sessions
  • Seek and share views with local authority, health and others
  • Family based trips and activities
  • Volunteering opportunities

Family Voice Training Programmes, including

  • Expert Parent Programme Parent Participation
  • Challenging Behaviours

For more information you can visit their website, call 01733 685510 or email training@familyvoice.org

Find out more here.

SEND Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)

SEND Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)

The SENDIASS offers the following services:

  • Impartial advice and information about Special Educational Needs
  • Help for parents, children and young people to navigate through the Special Educational Needs process
  • Help for parents about their rights to make sure the educational needs of their child are met
  • Help for parents to work with schools, education, children’s services, health and other professionals
  • Information for parents about other support services and organisations
  • Help for parents to resolve disagreements

Find out more on their own page.

Healthwatch Peterborough

Healthwatch

Healthwatch Peterborough covers Peterborough and works together with Healthwatch Cambridgeshire as part of the same organisation.

  • Healthwatch purpose is to understand the needs, experiences and concerns of people who use health and social care services and to speak out on their behalf
  • They share information, give general advice and can help with finding services
  • Healthwatch run a Carers Partnership board (l for all age carers of adults and children)
Children and Family Centres

The Children and Family Centres in Peterborough are a ‘one stop shop’ for families with children under five. 

They offer easy access to health and family support, information and advice, help with finding jobs and training, drop-in sessions and activities, and information and about local childcare and early education.

Find out more here.

Little Miracles

Little Miracles

Little Miracles is a charity that supports families that have children with additional needs, disabilities and life limiting conditions

  • A place to play, laugh and create friendships
  • Access to advice, support and care
  • Reduce this isolation
  • Ensure that families get the support that they need to support their families fully
  • Activities and Family Support Workers
  • Support the whole family including parents, carers, the child with additional needs as well as the siblings and any family can receive support even before they receive the formal diagnosis
  • Little Miracles can support parents apply for and complete applications for Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independent Payments

Find out more here.

Local Support for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers

Centre 33

Centre 33 support Young Carers up to the age of 18 across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

They provide:

  • A Young Carers needs assessment
  • Information, advice and support
  • Opportunities to meet up with other Young Carers
  • One to one support
  • Groups in primary and secondary schools and other places across Cambridgeshire
  • Regular activities and events
  • Support during transitions such as changing schools, starting college and independent living
  • Centre 33 also provide information, support and advice to young people around other things like housing, food, sexual health, money, jobs , benefits and emotional support.  

Find out more here.

Caring Together

Caring Together provide support to young carers and young adult carers including:

  • Opportunities to meet and spend time with other young carers
  • Activities and breaks from caring
  • Support to spend quality time with your sibling
  • Supporting schools and colleges to become carer friendly
  • Helpline
  • Find out more at the website, by calling 0345 241 0954 or email hello@caringtogether.org

Find out more here,

Technology Enabled Care

The use of Assistive Technology can support independence and safety for people of all ages as well as providing reassurance and support to carers and family members.

The TEC team can, where appropriate, loan assistive technology to people.  You can contact them yourself to find out more and request a referral.

Find out more on the Technology Enabled Care page.

Assistive Technology Smart Flat - Peterborough

A new Assistive Technology flat, designed to showcase how the latest technology can support independent living, is now open at Kingfisher Court, Stanground, Peterborough PE2 8NZ.

The equipment is fully operational from voice activated bed sensors, to property exit sensors and medication reminders. The Lifeline personal alarm system is also live so you can see how the control centre responds to calls.

You are welcome to come along and visit the SMART flat by appointment. To book a time slot please call Peterborough City Council on 01733 747474 (option Adult Social Care) or email:  adultsocialcare@peterborough.gov.uk giving your name, address and phone details. 

We look forward to seeing you.

Looking after your own health and wellbeing

You can find lots of useful information on our Adults Health and Wellbeing pages.

How Are You? – wellbeing activities and information

  • Local networks and information about a range of activities, groups, support opportunities, informal and informal to support with well being
  • Bringing together everything in the local community that is good for mental wellbeing

Use this link to find things near you in Peterborough: How Are You (H.A.Y) Peterborough (haypeterborough.co.uk)

There are also How Are You websites for the Fenland and Huntingdon areas.  For most of the things you don’t have to live in the area to get involved so do browse a little bit further afield if you wish.

How Are You (H.A.Y) Fenland (hayfenland.co.uk)

How Are You (H.A.Y) Hunts (hayhunts.co.uk)

Healthy You

Healthy You is a free service for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough residents who are looking to make changes to their lifestyle. So, whether you want help to stop smoking, lead a more active lifestyle, lose some weight, or simply take advantage of the NHS Health Checks we offer, Healthy You, funded by Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council can help.

Find out more here.

Money and Benefits

General information

You can find lots of useful information on the Money and Benefits pages.

Cost of living help

Find the details you will need on the council's  Support with the cost of living - Peterborough City Council web page.

Benefits

The GOV.UK website has up to date information about benefits including:

National Insurance Credits for Carers

If you care for someone over 16 years old for more than 20 hours a week you may be entitled to National Insurance (NI) credits.  Find out eligibility, how much you could get and how to claim by viewing the GOV.UK Carer's Credit web page.

Support and Advice about Finances and Benefits

Your Jobcentre Plus work coach can tell you about support you can get to help you combine work with looking after children or caring responsibilities.

Making Money Count are partnership projects working in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and can offer support and advice about money, bills and debt, benefits and other financial matters.

Household Support Fund

The Household Support Fund - Peterborough City Council is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. The Fund has been created to help people experiencing immediate financial hardship to pay for food, household energy or other essential items.

Benefits advice and information

There are information sheets about benefits for people of all ages, including about changes that happen as children become adults, and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - which are updated on a regular basis.

Debt Advice

Turn2Us are a national charity who provide information and support to help you get back on track.

The Citizen’s Advice Bureau can offer advice and practical support too.

Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space

If you are receiving mental health crisis treatment, Breathing Space can help take the pressure off of debts and repayments. An Approved Mental Health Practitioner can provide evidence of debts to a debt advice provider.

The debt advice provider will try to establish (as far as possible) which debts you have, and whether they are eligible for the scheme, before including them in a Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space (MHCBS).

To find out more ask your mental health practitioner.

More information about Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space (Gov.UK)

Disability Energy Support

Scope offer free energy and water advice to any disabled person or household where one or more disabled people live. There is a range of info about grants, support, benefits, dealing with energy debt, energy saving info and joining the Priority Services Register. They also offer individual advice consultations. 

National Carers Organisations

Carers UK online support

  • We’ve teamed up with Carers UK to give carers in our area access to a wide range of digital tools and essential resources that may help make their caring situation easier.
  • elearning to help you to build strategies to support wellbeing and the impact of stress
  • Wide range of topics covered include nutrition, building resilience, working and caring
  • How to cope with experiencing loss
  • Create an account at the Carers UK website using the free access code: DGTL3385
  • The Carers UK website also has general information and advice

Contact – for families with disabled children (aged 0 – 25) 

Contact are a national organisation who offer a range of information, advice and support to parents and carers of disabled children and young people.

  • Info and advice
  • Benefits and money, family life, relationships, work, childcare
  • Listening ear service
  • Workshops and events
  • Info about preparing for adulthood
  • Help line 0808 808 3555

Find out more here.

Could you use your experiences as a Parent Carer to support other disabled children or young people and their families?

If you are looking to increase your working hours, re-enter the world of work, or are looking for flexible part-time opportunities, becoming a Link Carer can provide you with the chance to use the skills and experience you have developed while caring for your own child or young person. 

Link Carers are registered Foster Carers, which means we will support you throughout your assessment process and provide you with opportunities to take on flexible, paid work in your own home. Hours are flexible: one weekend a month, one night a week - it’s entirely up to you. Becoming a Link Carer means you can use the valuable skills you developed while bringing up your own child to support families going through similar experiences. 

Please free to share with friends and family you think might be interested in this opportunity. 

For further details: 

Related Pages

  1. Caring for someone in Peterborough (Adults)
  2. SEND Information Advice and Support Service - SENDIASS (Local Offer)
  3. Technology Enabled Care (TEC) for Adults
  4. Health (Adults)
  5. Wellbeing (Adults)
  6. Local Offer Parent Carer Participation
  7. Money and Benefits (Local Offer)
  8. Getting Help (Local Offer)

External Links

  1. Caring Together support for parent carers
  2. Making Space carer support
  3. Family Voice
  4. Healthwatch
  5. Little Miracles
  6. Centre 33
  7. HAY Peterborough
  8. Healthy You
  9. Carers UK
  10. Contact

Downloads

  1. Parent carer thrive - A programme of learning opportunities to support you in your caring role

Related Services

  1. Caring Together
  2. Family Voice Peterborough
  3. SEND Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)
  4. Healthwatch Peterborough
  5. Little Miracles
  6. H.A.Y. Peterborough
  7. Healthy You
  8. Contact - for families with disabled children
  9. Rethink Carer Support - Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

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