• Organisations will gather on World Mental Health Day to celebrate the positive work happening in the region and to signpost the products, services and technology available to support the health and wellbeing of unpaid carers
• Unpaid carers urged to help shape future support for unpaid carers in Dumfries and Galloway

There is no doubt, that navigating the world as an unpaid carer is challenging, so organisers and partners of Dumfries and Galloway’s first conference for unpaid carers are calling for unpaid carers throughout the region to come along and help inform decision-makers about the support that is required in Dumfries and Galloway.

The conference is set to take place at Easterbrook Hall at The Crichton in Dumfries on World Mental Health Day; Tuesday 10th October, from 9.30am – 4pm. The conference is free to attend and is open to anyone who is an unpaid carer or who has an interest in supporting unpaid carers.

From 9.30am and during breaks, delegates can meet with other carers over coffee and/or meet with representatives from a variety of support organisations who will be showcasing their products and services for unpaid carers.

The conference will formally begin at 10.30am with opening remarks from Julie White, Chief Operating Officer at NHS Dumfries and Galloway and will be followed by two keynote speakers; Becky Duff, Director for Scotland at the Carers Trust who will talk about Caring in Scotland: The Bigger Picture and Shaun Houston-Wells, Strategic Planning Lead for Orkney Islands Council will talk about The Orkney Carers Conference and Lessons Learned. The morning session will finish with a panel discussion and Q&A about the vision for the future of unpaid carers in Dumfries and Galloway.

During the lunch break there will be an opportunity for delegates to enjoy a guided walk of The Crichton grounds or they can relax with a complimentary hand massage, participate in a fun and interactive music session or watch a demo to learn firsthand about the benefits of VR for carers.

In the afternoon, delegates can attend two out of five workshops including; home sensors, assistive technology and supporting carers in employment, mindful music taster session and raising awareness of young carers, wellbeing through conversation and the power of empathy, self-care and wellbeing for unpaid carers and time for you and LGBT+ and Think Carer training and advice.

Ian Seymour, General Manager at Care Training and Consultancy CIC (CTC) and his team are the driving force behind the conference. Ian said: “We understand how challenging it can be as an unpaid carer. With more and more of us taking on caring roles for our friends and loved ones we, at CTC, are on a journey to identify, support and empower unpaid carers. We offer practical training and support sessions, but we also recognise the value in bringing unpaid carers together to support each other. Often just talking and listening to others about our experiences is helpful, but sharing knowledge of, and access to, products, services and technology is crucial too.

By the end of the conference, we hope to understand more about the needs of unpaid carers and what support they and other carers might need going forward. We want to celebrate the positive work that is already happening in Dumfries and Galloway, and we want to listen and learn from the experience of unpaid carers as well as to signpost, support and empower them to access the help and services they need to protect their own health and wellbeing.

We can’t promise to meet every need, but we are committed as an organisation to working with other service providers, support organisations and unpaid carers to understand the priorities and perhaps most importantly, to signpost these priorities to funders, policymakers and decision-makers, so that we can all take steps in the right direction to better support unpaid carers and those they care for.This will only be possible through collaboration, which is why we have taken the initiative to organise the conference and why it is great that so many organisations and unpaid carers are coming on board.

There will be plenty of opportunities for delegates and support organisations to share their experiences, views and ideas, both on the day and afterwards, including in workshops and during breaks using a video diary, feedback forms and/or an online survey.

We understand that taking time out to attend a conference is difficult, so we have made every effort to provide help with transport, to arrange a sitting service and to give delegates the flexibility to come for part of the day if necessary. Anyone who can’t make it, but would like to know more or share their views can contact CTC, or come along to one of our EUCHO workshops, some other time.”
Booking is essential, so to find out more, download the programme or to book your place, please visit /unpaid-carers/conference. Alternatively, please call 01387 214248 or email: conference@caretrain.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY:
PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS: Representatives from Dumfries Carers Centre, Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership, Change Mental Health, Quarriers and Care Training and Consultancy CIC (CTC) who are supporting the D&G Conference for unpaid carers.
Left to Right: Gordon Williamson – Carer Support Worker, Change Mental Health, Laura Hough – Business Support, CTC, Andrew Forsyth – Family Wellbeing Worker, Quarriers, Fiona Gleghorn – Team Lead, CTC, Claudine Brindle – Chief Officer, Dumfries Carers Centre, Cheryl Murray – Unpaid Carer and Handling Lead, CTC, Larel Currie – Commissioning Officer, Health and Social Care Partnership, Ian Seymour – General Manager, CTC and Euan MacLean – Locality Manager, Change Mental Health.

Photo credit: Mike Bolam Photography

PRESS ENQUIRIES:
Caroline Bell, Clear as a Bell Marketing (on behalf of Care Training and Consultancy CIC)

Tel: 07795371888 Email: caroline@clearasabellmarketing.co.uk

Organised by: Care Training and Consultancy CIC, Grierson House, The Crichton, Dumfries, DG1 4ZE. SC711304 Tel: 01387 214248 Email: info@caretrain.co.ukwww.caretrain.co.uk