Support for carers
Support from your local Carers Centre - Carers of East Lothian
Carers of East Lothian provides dedicated, confidential and free support for anyone with a caring responsibility to someone in East Lothian, over the age of 18. They will offer you as much advice and support as you feel you need, anything from a bit of practical advice to much more support for carers struggling to cope with the physical and emotional demands of caring.
Carers of East Lothian can:
- provide advice around welfare benefits, either for yourself or the person that you look after
- provide information and advice around health and social care services
- provide you with information around housing concerns and adaptations
- support you through specialist services, including Counselling and legal advice clinics
- support you to apply for relevant grants, including our Time for Me (Breaks from Caring) Grant
- help you meet other people in a similar situation through their social events or support groups
- listen to your concerns in confidence
- advocate on your behalf
Carers of East Lothian can meet you in their offices, in your home or in another suitable venue.
Visit the Carers of East Lothian website
Downloadable advice leaflets
Carers of East Lothian have a range of information leaflets which outline the services they offer. These leaflets include:
- Who Carers of East Lothian are and their services
- Help with welfare benefits
- Caring for someone with mental health issues
- Accessing breaks from your caring role
- Counselling services
- How to get involved with Carers of East Lothian (volunteering opportunities)
- Support groups and activities programme
- Power of attorney guidance
- Requesting an Adult Carer Support Plan
- Legal advice
- Useful contacts
To access any of the leaflets / guides above visit:
Carers of East Lothian | Welcome Information
Support from East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership
ELHSCP can offer support to the person you care for or to you, following an assessment of your needs. To request an assessment you should contact your social work department.
During your assessment your social worker will:
- Assess your level of need
- See if you are eligible for support, including financial support
- Provide information and advice around options available to you
In order to qualify for a service from ELHSCP you must be assessed as having critical or substantial needs as defined in our eligibility criteria.
You should be offered choice about your support through Self-directed support (SDS), SDS is a way of providing support that means people are given choice and control over what kind of support they get. It means that people can choose and arrange some or all of their own support instead of having it chosen and arranged by other people.
Guide to Self Directed Support in East Lothian
A furtherguide to SDS is available on the Scottish Government website: Self-directed Support: A Guide for Carers (www.gov.scot)