Carers worried about the impact of Coronavirus

Southend Carers is Virtually Open

Page updated on 1/4/2020

Southend Carers is not open for visiting at the moment as the SAVS building is closed due to Coronavirus health and safety measures. However, we are still working and look forward to hearing from you!

We encourage you to email us at info@southendcarers.co.uk at this present time. You can also call us on 01702 393933 and leave a message on our answerphone, including your name and telephone number, and we will call you back. 

There is lots of information for unpaid carers and professionals on our website www.southendcarers.co.uk, including our Carers e-handbook, and we also post updates on our Facebook page and Twitter page. 

All  our face-to-face Counselling at Southend Carers has stopped until further notice, but we are continuing to support carers through our Telephone Support Service, with a focus on the isolated, elderly and vulnerable. 

• Face-to-face Counselling and Peer Support Groups for carers have also been suspended at our partner charity, TrustLinks. However, Counselling and Listening Support continues via telephone and Skype, and the groups are being held virtually using Zoom.  
• If you are an unpaid carer and you would like to receive Telephone Support from Southend Carers, or Telephone Counselling, Listening Support and virtual Peer Support Groups from TrustLinks, please send an email to info@southendcarers.co.uk. Or call us on 01702 393933 and leave a message, and we will call you back.  
• We are also continuing to support Young Carers by providing craft activities, listening support and information via our Young Carers Facebook Group. Young carers must be registered with us to join the group. Email us at YoungCarers@southend.gov.uk, or call us on 01702 393933 and leave a message, and we will call you back.

Our Bookable Respite service is not taking any new bookings until further notice. However, if you are an unpaid carer registered with Southend Carers, and you have received respite from SPDNS Homecare CIC before, and you are in desperate need (i.e. to go to hospital, collect medication or buy food), SPDNS might consider your request. Email us at info@southendcarers.co.uk. Or call us on 01702 393933 and leave a message, and we will call you back.

• If you are a carer registered with Southend Carers, and you need help with your Employment, Benefits, Debt, Housing, Immigration or Universal Credit, we can make a referral to our partner charity, Citizens Advice Southend (CAS). Or you can call CAS directly on 01702 456352 or 01702 456354. They are closed to the public but will call you back as soon as possible.
• If you are a carer registered with Southend Carers and you are in need of advocacy and help with talking to professionals, please be aware that we can only make urgent referrals to our partner charity, South Essex Advocacy Services (SEAS), at this time. SEAS will consider each referral on a case by case basis, and will offer telephone support for the majority of cases. If there is no other alternative, they will provide face-to-face provision, but this will only be in exceptional circumstances. You can call SEAS on 01702 340566 or email advocacy@southessexadvocacy.org.
• To request that Southend Carers makes a referral to Citizens Advice Southend (CAS) or South Essex Advocacy Services (SEAS) on your behalf, please email us at info@southendcarers.co.uk. Or call us on 01702 393933 and leave a message, and we will call you back.

As well as making practical plans, your own wellbeing is very important

We will endeavour to keep you up to date as the situation changes. 

Be safe and look after yourself. 

Southend Carers