Under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, all unpaid carers are entitled to an Adult Carer Support Plan. This is an opportunity to talk about your caring role, explore the impact it has on your life, and identify the support that may help you achieve a better balance between caring and your own wellbeing. 

When you register with Dochas Carers Centre, you will be allocated an Adult Carer Support Worker who will arrange a time and place that suits you to complete your Adult Carer Support Plan. 

Through a relaxed and supportive conversation, you'll have the opportunity to discuss your caring responsibilities, what matters most to you, and how caring affects different aspects of your life, including your physical and mental health, relationships, finances, employment, and overall wellbeing. 

Together, we will identify your personal outcomes and explore ways to help you achieve them. This may include accessing information and advice, connecting with local services, exploring short breaks from caring, planning for emergencies, or discussing future care arrangements. 

Most importantly, your Adult Carer Support Plan is about you. It is designed to ensure your voice is heard, your needs are recognised, and you have access to the right support, information, and opportunities to help you maintain your own health and wellbeing while continuing in your caring role. 

If an emergency prevents you from providing care, having a plan in place can give you peace of mind and help ensure the person you care for continues to receive the support they need.

o    An emergency could include:
o    Sudden illness
o    An unplanned hospital stay
o    A family emergency
o    An accident or injury
o    Transport difficulties
o    Any situation that means you are unable to provide care

Our team can help you create an Emergency Care Plan, including:

o    Who should be contacted in an emergency
o    Important medical information and medication requirements
o    Daily routines and personal preferences
o    Mobility needs and any equipment used
o    Details of health and social care professionals involved
o    Access arrangements, such as key holders or key safes
o    Any other information needed to support the person you care for

We encourage you to discuss your plan with the person you care for and anyone named in it, so they know what to do and where the plan is kept if an emergency occurs

Thinking about the future can be difficult, but it can also provide reassurance and help you feel more prepared if circumstances change.

Future planning can help unpaid carers consider what might happen if they are temporarily or permanently unable to continue in their caring role. It provides an opportunity to think about the needs, wishes and preferences of the person you care for, and to consider who may be able to provide support if needed.

Our Adult Carer Support Workers can offer information, guidance and practical support to help you explore future planning options. This may include discussing important information about the person you care for, their routines, support needs and the people or services involved in their care.

Future planning is not about having all the answers. It is about thinking ahead, identifying potential sources of support and helping you feel more confident about the future.

Sometimes caring can feel overwhelming. Whether you are facing a difficult situation, feeling isolated, or simply need someone to talk to, our Adult Carer Support Workers are here to listen and provide a safe, confidential space to discuss what matters to you. 

Sometimes it helps to speak to someone outside your family or friendship circle who understands the impact that caring can have on different aspects of your life. Whatever challenges you may be facing, we are here to provide support, understanding and a listening ear. 

Support can be provided at our offices, over the phone, online, or at a time and place that suits you. 

While caring often means focusing on the needs of others, counselling provides an opportunity to focus on your own thoughts, feelings and wellbeing. 

Our counselling service provides a confidential, supportive space where you can focus on yourself, explore your thoughts and feelings, and discuss the challenges you may be facing in your caring role. 

Available to registered adult carers, counselling can help you manage stress, build resilience, navigate difficult emotions, and develop strategies to support your wellbeing. Whether you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, isolated, or simply need time to reflect, our counsellors are here to listen without judgement. 

A counsellor is a trained professional who will work alongside you, helping you explore your situation, consider your options, and find ways to cope with life's challenges while supporting your emotional resilience and quality of life 

If you feel counselling may help, speak to your Adult Carer Support Worker, who can discuss the service with you and make a referral where appropriate. 

Navigating the range of services, support, and information available to carers can sometimes feel overwhelming. Our Adult Carer Support Workers can provide information, advice and signposting to help you access the services and resources that are right for you and the person you care for. 

Whether you are looking for information about benefits, health and social care services, short breaks, community resources, housing, transport, or other caring-related issues, we can help guide you to relevant organisations, services, and sources of support. 

You can speak directly with your Adult Carer Support Worker or explore our online Resources Hub for information, useful contacts, and links to services that may help you in your caring role. 

Visit our Resources Hub HERE. 

Connecting with other carers who understand the realities of caring can provide reassurance, encouragement and a sense of belonging. Many carers find that sharing experiences with others helps reduce feelings of isolation and reminds them they are not alone. 
 
Dochas Carers Centre offers a range of activities and events where carers can meet others, try something new and enjoy time away from the day-to-day responsibilities of caring. Activities take place across Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands and vary throughout the year. 
 
Our programme aims to promote wellbeing, encourage social connections and provide opportunities for carers to relax, recharge and enjoy activities that matter to them. 
 
To find out what is coming up visit our Activities Calendar and don't forget to sign up to our mailing list to receive regular updates and be among the first to hear about activities and events in your area.

Taking a break from caring can help you rest, recharge and maintain your ability to continue caring in the long term.  A short break does not need to be a holiday. It could be an afternoon pursuing a hobby, meeting friends, attending an activity, or simply having time for yourself. 

Our Adult Carer Support Workers can help you explore opportunities for a break that suits your individual circumstances and personal outcomes. We can provide information, advice and guidance on accessing short break opportunities that may be available to you. 

The Time to Live Short Breaks Fund may be able to help eligible unpaid carers take a break from their caring responsibilities and focus in their own wellbeing. Funding is limited and subject to availability. 

Find out more about the Time to Live Short Breaks Fund and how to apply here. 

As an unpaid carer, you have rights and may be entitled to support, but understanding what's available can sometimes feel overwhelming. Our Support Workers can provide information and guidance on a wide range of issues, including Adult Carer Support Plans, benefits, grants, Power of Attorney, Guardianship, short breaks and other services that may help you in your caring role.

We're here to help you understand your options, access the support you're entitled to and make informed decisions about your future.

It can sometimes be difficult to navigate services, appointments and meetings, especially when you're already juggling the responsibilities of caring. Our Support Workers can help you understand information, explore your options and identify the right people or services to contact.

We can also provide informal advocacy, supporting you to prepare for meetings, attend appointments with you, and help ensure your views, concerns and wishes are heard and understood.

Planning for the future can bring peace of mind for both carers and the people they care for. Understanding the difference between Power of Attorney and Guardianship can help ensure the right arrangements are in place if someone loses the capacity to make decisions for themselves.

o    Power of Attorney allows someone to appoint a trusted person to make financial and/or welfare decisions on their behalf in the future.
o    Guardianship is a legal process that may be required when a person has already lost capacity and can no longer make these arrangements themselves.

Our team can provide information and guidance on the options available, explain the processes involved and help you find further specialist advice and support

Training can help unpaid carers feel more informed, confident and supported in their caring role, benefiting both the carer and the person they care for. Contact us to learn more about available training opportunities.

The Shared Care Scotland Time to Live Short Breaks Fund helps unpaid carers take a break from their caring responsibilities and invest in their own wellbeing. Grants can be used for things like hobbies, leisure activities, fitness classes, subscriptions, equipment or a short getaway. 

If you care for someone and live in Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands you can learn more about the eligibility criteria and apply online here. 

Funding is limited and subject to availability.

The Carers Trust Grant provides financial support to unpaid carers aged 16+ and over whose caring role is having an impact on their wellbeing, finances or daily life. Grants can help carers access items, services or activities that make a positive difference to their caring role or help reduce some of the additional pressures they may face.

Funding may be available for a wide range of purposes, including:
•    Household items such as fridges, freezers, beds and washing machines
•    Short breaks for carers, with or without the person they care for
•    Short-term replacement care
•    Essential home repairs
•    Courses, training and related materials
•    IT equipment, mobile phones, software and data packages
•    Transport costs related to caring responsibilities
•    Driving lessons and driving tests

If you would like to find out more or discuss an application, please speak to your Adult Carer Support Worker.

The Connected for Good Fund provides financial support to people experiencing hardship across Argyll and Bute. As well as helping with immediate daily living costs, the fund connects individuals with specialist advice and support services that can help improve their financial wellbeing.

Working in partnership with local organisations, including Citizens Advice, ALIenergy and the Community Food Forum, the fund offers an initial payment to eligible households on low incomes with little or no savings. A second payment may be available for those who engage with the support services offered.

Visit the Connected for Good Fund website to find out more and apply.

Connected for Good Fund | Argyll and Bute Council

Family Fund provides grants to families on a low income who are raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person. Funding can help with a wide range of items and services that improve family life, support wellbeing and ease some of the additional pressures that families may face.

Grants may be available for household items, technology, family breaks, clothing, play equipment and much more.

Find out more and apply through Family Fund Scotland.

Scotland programme - Family Fund

Take a Break Scotland provides grants to parent carers of disabled children and young people to help fund a short break from their caring responsibilities. Funding can be used in a variety of ways, including holidays, days out, leisure activities, sports equipment and other opportunities that support wellbeing and family life.

The fund aims to give families time to relax, recharge and enjoy meaningful experiences together.

Find out more and apply through Take a Break Scotland.

Take a Break | Scotland’s short breaks fund to support carers of disabled children and young people who have complex additional needs

A range of benefits, grants and financial support may be available to help you in your caring role. Argyll and Bute Council's Benefits and Grants webpage provides information on local and national support, including Carer's Allowance, Council Tax Reduction, Scottish Welfare Fund assistance and other grants you may be entitled to.

Visit the Argyll and Bute Council website to explore available benefits and grants and check your eligibility.

Benefits and Grants | Argyll and Bute Council

Disability Grants is an online directory of charitable funding that can help disabled people, carers and families access financial support. The website brings together information on a wide range of grants, including funding for equipment, home adaptations, mobility aids, household items, holidays and other essential needs.

It can be a useful starting point for exploring additional sources of financial support and identifying grants that may be relevant to your individual circumstances.

Visit Disability Grants to search for available funding opportunities.

Disability Grants - Charitable Funding for the Disabled

The Turn2us Grants Search is a free online tool that helps people find grants and other sources of financial support. By answering a few simple questions, you can search thousands of charitable funds and identify grants that may help with everyday expenses, care-related costs, household items, education, wellbeing and more.
It can be a useful way to explore additional financial support that may be available to you and your family.

Visit Turn2us Grants Search to find funding opportunities and check your eligibility.

Turn2us Grants Search

The Carers Card UK scheme offers unpaid carers access to a range of discounts, special offers and useful services from participating organisations across the UK. It is designed to recognise the valuable contribution carers make while helping them save money and access additional support.

The card can be used to access a variety of benefits, making everyday life a little easier for unpaid carers.

Visit Carers Card UK to find out more and apply.

Carers Card UK | Official ID, Discounts & Free Ticket