About the service
Carers Count Kirklees is a free service for adults who provide unpaid help and support to a loved one due to illness or disability in the Kirklees area. It covers the following postcodes: HD1-5, HD 7-9, BD4, BD11, BD12, BD19, WF4, WF12, WF13, WF14, WF15, WF16, WF17.
Carers Count works closely with a wide range of professional health and care services, Kirklees Council, charities, and community groups to provide support, advice and training designed to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of local carers.
We know that being a carer can impact your day-to-day life significantly. It can be both rewarding and isolating, as well as physically and emotionally demanding. A lot can change when you become a carer – you may be unable to work, and your own health can suffer as a result.
Our Carers Count service in Kirklees is committed to promoting the wellbeing of carers and supporting them throughout their caring journey. We aim to help carers maintain their role while also enjoying a life of their own by:
- Providing advice and information (including benefits advice)
- Running groups, activities and sessions
- Offering support and helping carers to support each other
- Helping carers to find their voice and ensuring they are heard through the advocacy service and the Carers Network
- Delivering training
- Helping to raise awareness of carers’ rights and issues with the wider public
The service also includes specialist provision for carers of people with mental health needs and/or drug and alcohol dependency.
We can help you with:
- Benefits advice – we can help with completing forms for Carer’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children, Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Attendance Allowance (AA).
- Carers Assessments – we can help to complete the form to access other support you may need.
- Support and practical help for both carers and those they care for.
- Social groups and activities for both carers and those they care for. Our groups can help you to meet other people in a similar situation, share experiences and support each other.
- Carer breaks to support the person being cared for (including people with an early diagnosis of dementia), offering the opportunity for regular respite.
- 1:1 support for carers to talk about how they are feeling, or to access support and information.
- Ongoing emotional support after bereavement.
Whilst we cannot offer counselling services, we understand how difficult it can be to lose a loved one who you have been caring for. We can signpost you to services and organisations that can provide counselling.
We also have Carers Count services in Calderdale and Lancashire.
Downloads
“I heartily recommend this service to other carers, because you can get one-to-one support even if it’s just over the phone… my support worker will never know how much she really helps.”
“If you’ve got a problem, Carers Count can point you in the right direction. They are very good at knowing what services are out there.”
We can offer support and advice on:
