Carers Support

News Carers' Support

The East Sussex Carers' Support Service is here to provide information and support to carers of people affected by mental illness. If you are a relative, neighbour or friend of someone who has mental health needs, and you provide regular or occassional support to them, then you are a "carer"

The Carer Support Service in East Sussex is provided by the mental health charity rethink and is funded by East Sussex County Council

The service covers all of East Sussex (though not Brighton & Hove), and is run by Jane Lawrence and Dave Eastwood.

We can be contacted directly via this site or by phone on 01323 636442

Both Jane and Dave are available for one to one appointments arranged anywhere to suit you across the county or are just available for telephone support.

Support may be particularly helpful to you when a friend or family member has been newly diagnosed, or has had an upsetting crisis. Over time, as a carer, you may find yourself becoming isolated or stressed and the opportunity to talk through your current concerns may be welcome.

The Carer Support Service also aims to provide information or 'signposting' to specialist services about:

Medication
Treatments
Diagnoses
Complaints
Carers' Rights
Carers' Assessments
Care Plans
And anything else related to Carers' issues

In certain circumstances we can also act as advocates for Carers to make sure you get the support you deserve!

Additionally, we run a scheme called Carebreak. The Carebreak scheme allows us to award grants towards providing respite breaks for Carers. This could be a holiday, with or without the person you care for, days out, a training course, or a leisure activity for you to enjoy - in fact anything that gives you as the Carer some 'time out' and a chance to 'recharge your batteries'.

Please contact us for an application form and to informally discuss whatever ideas you have that might give you a deserved break from caring.

We are keen to make contact with all Carers and also to bring Carers together to form their own support networks.

There are currently Carers groups being run in Hastings and Eastbourne and we aim to develop more throughout the County.

Hastings - 7:30 pm till 9pm on the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Friends Meeting House, South Terrace.

Eastbourne - 7:30 pm till 9pm on the 1st Wednesday of each month at EAVS, Saffrons Road, Just up from The Town Hall.

We are currently running 2 outreach sessions:

The Department of Psychiatry in Eastbourne from 4pm till 6pm on the 1st Wednesday of each month to meet with any Carers of inpatients currently on the wards there.

Summerhayes Centre in Newhaven from 10am til 12pm on the 2nd Wednesday of each month.

We are planning similar sessions at other locations soon.

At present we are attending key planning meetings to ensure that the Carers perspective continues to be recognised. However we would appreciate hearing from any Carer who would be willing to attend these meetings and put across their own views.

Our message to Health Professionals is:
please identify who is involved in the informal care of your Services Users and ask for their consent to be referred to our service so we can reach as many Carers as possible across the county.

Carers can receive our Newsletter and be aware of what is available, even if they are not currently in need of any extra support.

Our message to Service Users is please encourage your Carers to contact us so we can offer them information and support.

Our message to Carers is please get in touch; we'd really like to hear from you.

Contact Dave or phone 01323 636442

Rethink Carers Support
Braemar House
28 St Leonards Road
Eastbourne
BN21 3UT

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