Welcome to the e-bulletin of Real Issues brought to you by Sunderland Carers’ Centre and Children’s Services.

Each month we will bring you the latest news and information about support groups and activities that you might be interested in.

If you no longer wish to receive an email alert about Real Issues, please contact Services for Disabled Children on 0191 566 2190.

Sunderland Carers' Centre Activities and Events

Parent Carers' Group

The Parent Carers’ Group is for parents and carers of disabled children (aged 18 or under). It usually meets on the second Thursday of each month at Sunderland Carers’ Centre, 12 Toward Road, Sunderland, 10.30am – 12 noon.

The next meeting will take place on Thursday 11 September.

Any parents wishing to attend this group are most welcome (including guardians, adoptive parents and grandparents looking after disabled children). If you have not attended the group before and would like more information, please contact Sunderland Carers’ Centre on 0191 567 3232.

Please note: In order to give parents and carers the chance to go to the Parent Carer Forum on Thursday 9 October (see details below), there will be no group meeting in October. The Carers’ Centre would like to encourage parents to book a place at the forum. As well as finding out about services/new developments and picking up useful information, it is a great opportunity to meet and chat with other parents. Staff from the Carers’ Centre will be there too, so we look forward to seeing you there.

Carer Representation Course

A few places are still available on Sunderland Carers’ Centre’s Carer Representation Course. This course is for any carers who may be interested in becoming carer representatives and wish to learn more about speaking out for and representing other carers and their interests/issues.

The first of six sessions (running over 6 weeks) begins on Thursday 18 September, 10.30am – 12.30pm, at Sunderland Carers’ Centre. The sessions will be:

1. Introduction – what is a carer representative?
2. Confidence building and jargon busting
3. Introduction to committees
4. Being at a meeting as a representative
5. Other ways to represent carers
6. Course review and feedback

If you wish to join the course please contact the Carers’ Centre on 0191 567 3232.

New Group for Male Carers

Sunderland Carers’ Centre is relaunching the Male Carers Group to give male carers the chance to meet each other socially. Any male, from any area of Sunderland, Washington and the Coalfields, who is over 18 and is a carer of a family member (including disabled children) or friend can attend. The first meeting is on Thursday 4 September, 1 – 3pm, at Sunderland Carers’ Centre.

The group can decide their own schedule of events and speakers etc. Events in the past have included a day at York Races and an evening at Sunderland Greyhound Stadium. The group will be very informal and could meet on a monthly basis, but this will be decided at the first meeting.

If you are interested in joining the group contact Dave or Gina at the Carers’ Centre on 0191 567 3232 or come along on the day.

Catch Up for Carers - Evening Information Session

Are you unable to attend daytime meetings? Would you like to catch up on what’s available for carers?

Sunderland Carers’ Centre is holding Evening Information Sessions every two months to ensure working carers and carers who can only attend evening sessions are aware and up to date with existing and new services, information and support.

A Telecare Representative will be attending the first Evening Information Session on Thursday 25 September, 7 – 8.30pm, at Age Concern, Stockton Road, Sunderland. They will bring carers up to date with all existing and new technology (such as property exit sensors, fall detectors and smoke, flood and fire sensors), demonstrate the products and answer any questions you may have.

For more information please contact Tracey on 0191 567 3232. Parent carers welcome to attend.

Carers’ Trip to Barnard Castle

A few places are still available on the carers’ trip to Barnard Castle on Wednesday 10 September, 10am – 5.30pm.

There’s lots to do and see in Barnard Castle – you could visit Bowes Museum (admission price £7 or concessions £6 for over 60s, students, unemployed – evidence to be shown), or the Castle and Sensory Garden (admission price £4 or concessions £3.20), browse the specialist antique shops, relax in one of a selection of tea shops, or walk the historic walking trail.

The trip is open to all carers living in the Sunderland city. The coach will leave Sunderland Carers’ Centre at 10am and return at about 5.30pm. The cost is £3 which must be paid before 8 September. To book a place please contact the Carers’ Centre on 0191 567 3232. Places are limited. The trip is for carers only.

Information, Activities and Events

Aiming Higher… Parent Carer Forum 2008

The Parent Carer Forum will take place on Thursday 9 October, 9.15am – 2.30pm, at the Marriott Hotel, Seaburn, Sunderland. This event welcomes parents, carers and other family members. There will be presentations on the National Carers Strategy, Parent Participation and Aiming High for Disabled Children as well as discussion workshops for you to influence developments and information stalls on services in Sunderland.

Please register your interest by telephoning Mel Hardy on 566 2191 or emailing child.disability@sunderland.gov.uk. We can support transport and childcare costs for you to attend. View here for more information ( 111kb).

Lambton Street Youth Centre

Lambton Street Youth Centre (25 Falkland Road, Sunderland SR4 6XA) have the following youth clubs welcoming young people with disabilities living anywhere in Sunderland.

• Lambton Street Lassez Girls Group
  Various activities. Monday and Wednesday evening, 6 – 8.30pm, for all girls aged 12 – 19 years. Cost 50p per session. No transport provided. No parental supervision required. No booking required. Please contact Tracey Usher on 0191 567 5227 for further details.
• Fitness Fun on Fridays
  Sport and exercise activities. Friday evenings, 5.30 – 8pm, for all disabled young people aged 12 – 25 years. Cost 50p per session. No transport provided. No parental supervision required. Please contact Keith Cooke on 0191 567 5227 for further details.

Tax Benefits for Families with Disabled Children

Thousands more families with disabled children will be better off after realising they are entitled to extra tax credits.

Up to 30,000 families were not getting the disability element of tax credits because they did not know to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) they were receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

After work by Contact a Family, Every Disabled Child Matters, HMRC and the Department of Work and Pensions, the HMRC has found a way to identify the families currently missing out and give them the correct tax credits. Officials have also put measures in place to make sure future claimants get their full entitlements immediately.

For more information on tax credits for families with disabled children contact the Tax Credit Helpline on 0845 300 3900 or visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/disabilities.htm

New Sunderland ADHD Support Group

The launch of the Sunderland ADHD Support Group will take place on Monday 22 September, 11am – 1pm, at Sunderland Carers’ Centre, 12 Toward Road, Sunderland SR1 2QF. The group is for parents/carers/adult family members or friends of a child or young person with ADHD. Meetings will be fortnightly. Please come along to help establish this group to meet your needs. The guest speaker at this first meeting will be Pat Bolton, a parent carer who runs Gateshead ADHD Support Group which was established 10 years ago. Any enquiries please contact Linda New – telephone
0191 558 0109 (home) or 07857008451 (mobile) or email: lindanew66@yahoo.co.uk

Rickaby Rascals Creche at Chance Community Centre

Chance Community Centre (1 – 2 Rickaby Street, East End, Sunderland SR1 2DL
Tel: 0191 567 0978) has a crèche for children aged under 5, with sessions available Monday – Friday 9.30am – 12 noon. Each session costs £3.50 and may be booked separately. It has secure indoor and outdoor activities. Its staff are trained in SEN and the crèche is Ofsted approved. You are welcome to call in and look at the nursery during its opening hours. Chance is within walking distance of the city centre and also on the Compass 001 Hendon and East End Traveller route (ASDA – City Centre).

Courses at Bunny Hill and Hetton Customer Service Centres

Family Adult & Community Learning and Community and Cultural Services are working in partnership to deliver adult education to the community in various centres across the Sunderland. All the courses are delivered in a friendly and informal atmosphere and the class sizes are small which helps to make learners feel comfortable and relaxed.

Courses which may be delivered within Bunny Hill Customer Service Centre from September include: Sign Language; Spanish for Beginners; Counselling; 1st Aid; Basic Skills – Literacy & Numeracy; ICT – Basic and Intermediate; Customer Care; Textiles; and Construction for beginners.

Hetton Customer Service Centre will be providing the following courses from September. Courses will start week beginning 22nd September. No courses will run during half term 27th – 31st October. All courses will finish week beginning 1st December. Please note: Small fees apply to all courses. Courses are free if you are in receipt of benefits. Please bring along evidence to the scheduled enrolment days.

For further details of how to enrol on any of the courses please contact Balbinder Kaur at Bunny Hill Customer Service Centre on 0191 561 8161 or 0191 561 8133, or Christine Willis at Hetton Customer Service Centre on 0191 553 679

Please feel free to distribute to your friends, family and colleagues with their permission.