Useful Links

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers - 020 7480 7788 or visit www.carers.org

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers provides advice and guidance for carers.

Social Care & Health (Formally Social Services) contact Social Care Direct - 0845 850 50 10.

Direct Payments - 0191 384 9111.

This is an initiative to enable individuals to purchase their own care, or if you are a parent to purchase care for your child.

Out ‘N’ About - 0800 393 726 or visit www.outnabout.org.uk

Out ‘N’ About is an easy to use electronic Directory including information on accessible breaks for people with disabilities and their families.

PALS - 0800 328 9155 (freephone)

Each Primary Care Trust and NHS Trust has a Patient Advice and Liaison Service. Sedgefield Primary Care Trust’s PALS Officer is Kathleen Sheehan.

Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) - 0845 120 3732  or visit www.icas-network.com

ICAS is an independent complaints and advocacy service who have staff employed locally by Citizens Advice and they are independent of the National Health Service (NHS).

NHS Direct - 0845 46 47 or visit www.nhsdirect.co.uk

NHS Direct operates a 24-hour nurse advice and health information service

 

Carers UK - 020 7490 8818 or visit www.carersuk.org

Carers UK provides information and advice on all aspects of caring to both carers and professionals.

One Parent Families - www.oneparentfamilies.org.uk

Information for lone parents caring for a child with additional needs.

Welfare Rights

Social Care & Health has a dedicated team of staff whose priority is to maximise benefits to individuals and to represent those who have had their claims rejected or their benefits reduced or removed.  Please contact your local office.

Derwentside                                            Telephone No: 01207 291536

Durham & Chester-le-Street                  Telephone No: 0191 383 6081

Easington                                                 Telephone No: 0191 518 6043

Sedgefield                                               Telephone No: 0191 370 887

Wear Valley/Teesdale                            Telephone No: 01388 744430

Warm Front

For further in formation visit www.eaga.co.uk and click on site map and scroll down to Apply for grant - Engalnd - Warm Front.

 County Durham LINk Members’ Event is a Success! 

  The newly formed County Durham LINk (Local Involvement Network) held it’s first members’ event on Tuesday 30th September 2008 at Durham County Cricket Club      which was a resounding success with over 140 members attending.

 

 The day was facilitated by Ross Cowan who was involved in supporting the Early Adopter Project (a pilot of the LINk) in County Durham.  Members present  overwhelmingly supported the adoption of the proposed County Durham LINk Structure, Terms of Reference and Management Committee membership Structure  developed by the LINk Interim Steering Group.

 

The members were also asked to discuss in workshop groups the main health and social care issues that they had identified as part of the registration process for the event.  The information from the groups will be used to develop and initial work programme for the LINk over the next six to twelve months.

 

LINks are able to:

  Obtain the views of people about their needs for, and experience of, local health and social care services

  Enable people to monitor and review the commissioning and provision of care services

  Enter and ‘view’ certain local health and social health and care services

  Make known the views of local people and make reports and recommendations

 Develop positive working relationships with those responsible for commissioning, providing, managing or scrutinising local health and social care services.

 LINk membership is open to anyone who lives or works in County Durham.  If you are interested in becoming a member or require further information, please contact  the team on 01325 327431 or visit www.linkcountydurham.co.uk