The Enabling project
The Community Enabling Project's aim is to help people
with disabilities, the elderly and their carers to live independent
lives. The project has been in existence since 1998, the aims of the
project are:
- To improve the quality of life for disabled and
elderly people and their carers who live in the Wansbeck area by
helping them to be independent by supporting them opposed to doing
things for them.
- Encouraging people to volunteer in the Health and
Social Care field, providing them with training opportunities and
supporting them to carry out tasks. Click here
for more information.
The project has widened its provision after further
researching the needs of the client group, and currently offers the
following additional services:
Carers Together
Carers
Together is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and Northumberland Care Trust
to support unpaid carers in South East Northumberland by: -
- Providing
information for carers to guide them through their caring role.
- Organising
informal events, coffee mornings and get-togethers around the area.
- Provide
training sessions, which are designed to cover issues of most importance
to carers in their caring role.
- Providing carers with an opportunity
to have a voice and influence issues of importance throughout health
and social care services.
Definition of a Carer?
You are a carer if you look after a family member,
friend or neighbour, who is unable to manage alone. This could be because
they have an illness, a disability or are elderly.
Carers provide unpaid care and support for example,
washing, cooking, shopping or emotional support. If you would like
to know more about what Wansbeck Carers Project provides click
here for more information.
External Links:
Carers UK www.carersonline.org.uk
Disability Rights Commission www.drc-gb.org
Northumberland County Council www.northumberland.gov.uk
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The
Enabling project
What we hope to achieve
Volunteers will act as "enablers" assisting people to access
activities and services rather than carrying out tasks for them. People
who are interested in a career in the Health and Social Services field
would particularly benefit from this project.
What skills or qualifications do I need?
No specific qualifications are required. However a volunteer should be reliable,
a good listener and have the ability to communicate well.
How much time would I have to give?
A few hours per week would be sufficient and volunteers would be expected to
attend regular quarterly meetings at Wansbeck CVS.
What Training will I Receive?
Before assisting people in the community, Volunteers will undergo
training in the following subjects: Confidentiality, Equal Opportunities,
Listening & Communication
skills, Health and Safety, Emergency First Aid and Wheelchair handling.
What about Expenses?
Any travel expenses that you incur whilst volunteering with the project will
be fully reimbursed.
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One
to one volunteer enablers
Volunteers provide help to elderly and physically
disabled people. Support includes providing help with visits to libraries
or the dentists, for social contact, or for respite for carers. We
hope to develop this project further by using volunteers to take people
who are unable to use public transport to visit relatives and friends
who may be in hospital or a care home, and hopefully providing more
demand-responsive support when needed.
For more details contact Cari Hook or Karen Cox At
Wansbeck CVS on 01670 858688 or call into the office at 107 & 109
Station road, Ashington. Office opening hours are Mon - Thurs 9am-5pm
and Friday 9am - 4.30pm, or contact enabling@wansbeckcvs.org.uk
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Wansbeck
Assisted Shopping Project
The Wansbeck Assisted Shopping Project helps elderly
people with mobility or confidence problems access town centre services,
by providing accessible transport, and volunteers to assist with wheelchair
pushing, guiding and support. The project is in addition to statutory
provision and promotes independence and choice.
We currently run the project twice a week, but there
are plans to extend this to meet needs throughout the area. We have
received positive feedback from our users on how this project enables
them to keep their independence, whilst also providing social interaction.
Another initiative of this project will be to introduce
food hygiene initiatives. This will help raise the awareness of our
volunteers and project users to the dangers to their health when storing
food, and in addition promote healthy eating.
For more details contact Cari or Karen At Wansbeck
CVS on 01670 858688 or call into the office at 107 & 109 Station
road, Ashington. Office opening hours are Mon - Thurs 9am-5pm and
Friday 9am - 4.30pm, or contact enabling@wansbeckcvs.org.uk
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Information
Communication Technology (ICT) Project
The ICT Project involves volunteers with computer
knowledge supporting the elderly, disabled and their carers to become
ICT literate.
The user has the loan of a laptop computer for 6 months.
Users are taught how to use the Internet and email,
thus enabling them to keep in touch with their family and friends and
access shopping services via the Internet.
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The Carers Project - How Can
I get Involved?
If you or someone you know is a carer, then the Wansbeck
Carers project is here to help.
We both hold,
and can tell you about, Support groups, Social events and Training sessions
that may be of interest.
You can get involved in influencing what we provide
by joining the Steering Group.
For more details on any of the above projects contact Cari or Karen
at Wansbeck CVS on 01670 858688 or call into the office at 107 &
109 Station road, Ashington. Office opening hours are Mon - Thurs 9am-5pm
and Friday 9am - 4.30pm, or contact careinfo@wansbeckcvs.org.uk
or carers@wansbeckcvs.org.uk
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