NEWCIS provides a lifeline to carers of all ages and backgrounds and offers a range of services tailored to meet individual needs.
Carer Assessments (also known as a What Matters Conversation)
A Carer’s Assessment is free and anyone can ask for one. It will help us see what might help make your life easier and how we can best support you. It’s separate from the needs assessment the person you care for might have. This includes how it affects your physical and mental health, work, free time and relationships.
Once you have had an assessment, you can access our services including grants and respite.
What happens during an assessment?
We will ask you how you are coping with your caring role and what you think might make it easier. This includes how it affects your physical and mental health, work, free time and relationships.
Try to give as much detail as you can about the impact caring for someone is having on your life. This will help make sure you get all the help and support you need.
The assessment can be face to face or over the phone, and it will last for approximately half an hour.
Carer Assessments should usually be reviewed every 12 months, or you can request a new assessment if something changes within your caring role or you start to care for someone new.
Carer Breaks
We have a number of different break options to suit your needs, with help to secure funding, depending on your circumstances. A Wellbeing Officer can discuss our current break options with you during an assessment.
Support Groups
NEWCIS facilitates monthly support groups for carers across Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham as well as more regular drop ins. These informal and friendly groups are a great way to meet others, socialise and have a break from your caring role.
Details of the groups can be found in our newsletter or on Eventbrite.
Training for carers
Working with a range of organisations, NEWCIS runs a training programme for carers registered with us in four key areas: practical skills, emotional support, leisure/hobby activities and employment support.
Details of the groups can be found in our newsletter or on Eventbrite.
Events
NEWCIS offers various social activities for carers which provide an enjoyable opportunity for carers to have a break from their caring role and meet others, helping to reduce isolation. We participate with national campaigns including Carers Week, Carers Rights Day and hold seasonal events such as Christmas and Summer parties.
Details of the groups can be found in our newsletter or on Eventbrite.
Continuing Health Care
Continuing NHS Healthcare (also known as CHC) is a package of care which is arranged and funded solely by the NHS for individuals who have been assessed as having a primary health need. NEWCIS has a CHC Facilitator who supports carers caring for someone who receive CHC funding in Flintshire.
Light Touch Counselling
As a carer there may be times when you feel overwhelmed, speaking to someone can help relieve those feelings and also support you to develop ways to cope in the future. Our light touch counselling service offers a safe and confidential environment to speak openly with a qualified or student counsellor about things that worry you.
This service is needs based and operates on a waiting list.
Flintshire & Wrexham Dementia Project
Our Dementia project offers carers living in Wrexham and Flintshire the opportunity to talk with our Dementia Carer Wellbeing Officer about emergency respite planning and to discuss plans you may have in place should you require support with respite.
We will be able to have a ‘What Matters Conversation’ with you, and following the discussion and an emergency planning document being completed, you will receive this document for future reference, along with any other relevant signposting information.
Living Better with Dementia – Full Series Dementia Screenings
A new series of films, featuring NEWCIS long standing volunteer Joe, designed to create a better understanding of dementia have been showcased at a premiere screening in Wrexham.
These 5 short films were funded by the Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Division at the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Through the films they hope to create better understanding of dementia in North Wales including how to get checked and live as well as possible with the condition. There are 5 films (totalling 32 mins) created by Eternal Media.
Film topics: What is dementia?, When to seek help, Getting a diagnosis, Living with dementia, Planning for the future.
Watch the films here > Living Better with Dementia – Full series w/Welsh subtitles on Vimeo
The Memory Support Pathway
We understand that living with, or caring for someone with dementia can make a difference to someone’s life. We aim to provide support to anyone living in North Wales who is affected by dementia.
This includes anyone who is:
- Worrying about their memory
- Living with dementia at home or in hospital
- A carer, family member, or friend
We work with other services to ensure that people receive what matters to them. These include:
- Alzheimer's Society
- Carers Trust
- Carers Outreach Service
- NEWCIS
We work with other services to ensure that people receive what matters to them. These include:
Over the phone or face to face, we provide advice, guidance, support and the opportunity to meet others who are living with dementia.
Dementia Centres (Carers Trust North Wales) – Please contact: 01492 542212 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Employment & Education Support
The C.O.P.E Project (Carer Opportunities & Participation in Employment) supports unpaid carers to access lifelong learning, volunteering opportunities and/or employment. The project can also support carers who currently work. The C.O.P.E. Officers (Wrexham and Flintshire) can help you to explore interests and opportunities, and to focus on what you want to achieve. Through practical advice, signposting, information gathering and liaising with other agencies such as employability services, colleges and community groups, the C.O.P.E. Officer can work with you to reach your goals.
Help in a caring crisis
We know your life as a carer may not always be smooth sailing. With this in mind, NEWCIS have created a Carers Emergency Plan.
An emergency plan gives carers the opportunity to think about and document concise, relevant information on the person they care for. This information can then be used if they cannot care, in the short term, due to an unplanned event or accident. It means that in an emergency the practical arrangements for caring are set out, and the carer’s views and knowledge of the person they care for can be shared with others.
Hospital Support
The work of the NEWCIS Hospital Facilitators is to work with the acute and community hospitals supporting carers whilst the person they care for is in hospital.
NEWCIS Hospital Facilitators support unpaid carers when their cared for person is admitted to hospital; as well as when the carer themselves finds they have been admitted. We assist unpaid carers by providing relevant information and support with the discharge process. This enables NEWCIS to have links with the PALS teams, Hospital Multidisciplinary Teams, and local authorities, as well as other organisations such as Macmillan and Stroke Association to name a few. The hospital role enables NEWCIS to communicate with the social worker teams involved during the hospital stay and discuss with families the routes and processes going forward. We aim to be approachable and do feel that carers can contact NEWCIS with queries they may have felt they couldn’t ask at the hospital setting.
We have a frequent presence within Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Glan Clwyd Hospital, Deeside Community Hospital, Mold Community Hospital and Holywell Community Hospital.
For helpful information about hospital discharge and what to expect, please follow this link from the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales.
Information & Quarterly Newsletter
Many carers are struggling with a multitude of issues including access to information. NEWCIS can source and signpost you to the most useful, timely and relevant information and organisations.
NEWCIS also produce a quarterly newsletter with a round up of the latest news as well as a calendar of upcoming events, training and carer groups.
Pen Pal Scheme
Respite
Our award-winning respite scheme, ‘Bridging the Gap’, is designed to support carers. It provides a flexible break to suit your needs. It can also be used to ‘try out’ care services as a stepping stone to having care within the home. Our BTG Family Support Grant can also be used for a family member to come to you and offer support with your caring role (this could be practical tasks such as shopping, cleaning, cooking, walking the dog etc.)
‘Connecting Carers to the Community’ Project
Volunteering
Volunteering with NEWCIS is a great way to help deliver services to carers. We offer flexible and voluntary work in a variety of roles and locations. You would be joining a friendly and welcoming team and would be valued and fully supported in your role – training can be offered to enhance your volunteering role.