Carers Lewisham

Who we are

Carers Lewisham has successfully provided information, advice and support to carers in the London of Borough of Lewisham since 1988. We are a social enterprise, registered charity, and company limited by guarantee.

A carer is defined as someone who spends a proportion of their life providing unpaid support and care to a friend or family member who - due to illness, age, disability, mental health or addiction - cannot cope without their support. It includes parents caring for a child with disabilities or a young person caring for a parent. Each carer’s experience is unique to their own circumstances and the causes of taking on caring responsibilities can be varied and multiple. Just as the reasons why someone becomes a carer vary greatly, the variety of tasks that a carer fulfils is also diverse:

·       Practical household tasks such as cooking, cleaning, washing up, ironing, and financial management

·       Personal care such as bathing, dressing, lifting, administering medication and collecting prescriptions

·       Emotional support such as listening, offering advice and friendship.

Although the distinction is often made between a full-time or part-time carer, there is not a minimum time requirement or age restriction that “qualifies” someone as being more or less of a carer.

Our mission is to provide advice, information and support to carers and to raise public and professional awareness of carers and their needs. The core elements are:

1.       Awareness-raising - We work with health, welfare and social care partners to improve their understanding and awareness of carers’ issues as well as the identification and registration of carers.

2.       Information - We provide a wide range of tailored and general information to carers and professionals in print, digital and social media.

3.       Advice and guidance - We provide general and specialist advice and guidance to help carers make better-informed decisions that will help them cope with and manage their caring role.

4.       Support and interventions - As well as a large number of drop-ins, outreach, and community-based activities where carers (and others) can access a wide range of information, advice and support, we provide a wide range of support and intervention services including occasional sitting service; respite breaks; well-being/relaxation activities; employment support; training and education; counselling; peer support and facilitated, specialist support groups (eg mental health); befriending; leisure and social activities; grants and emergency payments; 1-2-1 advocacy and casework support regarding welfare benefits, housing, and health and social care services.