Have your say on Southwark Council’s new Carer Centre

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Southwark Council would like your views to help design a new Carer Centre for unpaid carers living in Southwark, aged 18+.

Who are unpaid carers?

Unpaid carers are people who provide care for a friend, family member, or neighbour who has an illness, disability, mental health concern, or who is older and needs extra support. Unpaid carers do not receive any payment from the council or a private company for this caring role.

What is the Carer Centre?

The new Carer Centre will be located in Southwark and will offer a range of services for unpaid carers living in the borough. The Carer Centre will aim to improve the wellbeing of unpaid carers, empower them in their caring role, and support them to access health and care services and other voluntary and community services that can offer support.

The Carer Centre will be delivered by an organisation that will work closely with Southwark Council to support unpaid carers.

When will the new Carer Centre open?

Southwark Council intends to open the new Carer Centre in June 2026.

Between now and June 2026, the council will be working closely with carers and health and care professionals to design the new service and ensure there is an organisation ready to deliver the new service.

How can I get involved?

There are several ways you can share your views and ideas with Southwark Council. You can participate in as many ways as you like.

  1. Information sessions

Information sessions are being held to explain the planning process for the new Carer Centre and to ask for your feedback. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and share your views.

You have the choice to attend a face-to-face information session or an online information session. Both sessions will cover the same content, so there is no need to attend both. Please sign up to attend one of the information sessions: https://forms.office.com/e/xycy3Pr7xU

Face-to-face information session

A face-to-face information session will be held as part of the United for Carers forum on Wednesday 27 November 2024 at 4pm at Southwark Resource Centre, Hitard Court, 10 Bradenham Close, London, SE17 2QB. The forum is chaired by Southwark Carers, a local carer organisation in Southwark.

The forum will also include presentations and discussions on Carers Rights and will run until 6pm. You are welcome to stay for the whole Forum or leave after the information session on the Carer Centre.

Online information session

An online information session will be held on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 3 December 2024 at 5pm. After you have signed up using the link above, you will receive an email invite with the link.

Please Note: While the dates of the information sessions have now passed, all information regarding the survey can be found on this page.

2. Survey

A survey was developed to learn what services Southwark residents would like the Carer Centre to deliver, and any other views or ideas about the new Carer Centre. The survey was live over November and December 2024 and was available online, with paper copies available in locations the borough. This survey is now closed. Thank you to everybody who took the time to complete the survey. All of the feedback shared will be reviewed and will inform the design of the new Centre.

3. Focus groups

Focus groups are an opportunity to discuss the new Carer Centre in more detail with other carers. Each focus group will have 5-8 carers, and a representative from the council will ask the group questions. Another council representative will also attend to take notes.

Each focus group will be a maximum of 2 hours. You have the choice to attend a face-to-face focus group or an online focus group. All focus groups will cover the same content, so there is no need to attend more than one.

Face-to-face focus groups will be held on Tuesday 4 February 2025 at Southwark Resource Centre, Hitard Court, 10 Bradenham Cl, London, SE17 2QB, at the following times:

  • 10am-12pm
  • 1:30pm-3:30pm
  • 5:30pm-7:30pm

Online focus groups will be held on Thursday 6 February 2025 via Microsoft Teams, at the following times:

  • 10am-12pm
  • 1:30pm-3:30pm
  • 5:30pm-7:30pm

If you would like to attend a focus group, please sign up here before 2 February 2025: https://forms.office.com/e/qgS0rcG1h3.

4. Lived experience representatives on a working group

A small number of unpaid carers who are interested can sign up to be part of a working group. This working group will be responsible for:

  • Reviewing feedback shared throughout the engagement process
  • Developing a service model for the new Carer Centre
  • Evaluating any tender bids received and sitting on interview panels for shortlisted organisations
  • Deciding together which organisation to award the contract to.

The other members of the working group will be Adult Social Care practitioners and health care professionals who work closely with carers.

Carers who participate in the working group will be asked to commit approximately 2-6 hours per month over an eight-month period, from February 2025 to October 2025. Those who participate will be compensated for any time they dedicate to the project, including time attending meetings, time reviewing documents, and travel time. Prior to you making any commitment, we will explain how this compensation may impact any benefits you receive so that you can make an informed decision about participation and compensation.

Carers will be invited to register their interest in being part of the working group via this webpage in a few weeks.

Southwark Council would like your views to help design a new Carer Centre for unpaid carers living in Southwark, aged 18+.

Who are unpaid carers?

Unpaid carers are people who provide care for a friend, family member, or neighbour who has an illness, disability, mental health concern, or who is older and needs extra support. Unpaid carers do not receive any payment from the council or a private company for this caring role.

What is the Carer Centre?

The new Carer Centre will be located in Southwark and will offer a range of services for unpaid carers living in the borough. The Carer Centre will aim to improve the wellbeing of unpaid carers, empower them in their caring role, and support them to access health and care services and other voluntary and community services that can offer support.

The Carer Centre will be delivered by an organisation that will work closely with Southwark Council to support unpaid carers.

When will the new Carer Centre open?

Southwark Council intends to open the new Carer Centre in June 2026.

Between now and June 2026, the council will be working closely with carers and health and care professionals to design the new service and ensure there is an organisation ready to deliver the new service.

How can I get involved?

There are several ways you can share your views and ideas with Southwark Council. You can participate in as many ways as you like.

  1. Information sessions

Information sessions are being held to explain the planning process for the new Carer Centre and to ask for your feedback. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and share your views.

You have the choice to attend a face-to-face information session or an online information session. Both sessions will cover the same content, so there is no need to attend both. Please sign up to attend one of the information sessions: https://forms.office.com/e/xycy3Pr7xU

Face-to-face information session

A face-to-face information session will be held as part of the United for Carers forum on Wednesday 27 November 2024 at 4pm at Southwark Resource Centre, Hitard Court, 10 Bradenham Close, London, SE17 2QB. The forum is chaired by Southwark Carers, a local carer organisation in Southwark.

The forum will also include presentations and discussions on Carers Rights and will run until 6pm. You are welcome to stay for the whole Forum or leave after the information session on the Carer Centre.

Online information session

An online information session will be held on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 3 December 2024 at 5pm. After you have signed up using the link above, you will receive an email invite with the link.

Please Note: While the dates of the information sessions have now passed, all information regarding the survey can be found on this page.

2. Survey

A survey was developed to learn what services Southwark residents would like the Carer Centre to deliver, and any other views or ideas about the new Carer Centre. The survey was live over November and December 2024 and was available online, with paper copies available in locations the borough. This survey is now closed. Thank you to everybody who took the time to complete the survey. All of the feedback shared will be reviewed and will inform the design of the new Centre.

3. Focus groups

Focus groups are an opportunity to discuss the new Carer Centre in more detail with other carers. Each focus group will have 5-8 carers, and a representative from the council will ask the group questions. Another council representative will also attend to take notes.

Each focus group will be a maximum of 2 hours. You have the choice to attend a face-to-face focus group or an online focus group. All focus groups will cover the same content, so there is no need to attend more than one.

Face-to-face focus groups will be held on Tuesday 4 February 2025 at Southwark Resource Centre, Hitard Court, 10 Bradenham Cl, London, SE17 2QB, at the following times:

  • 10am-12pm
  • 1:30pm-3:30pm
  • 5:30pm-7:30pm

Online focus groups will be held on Thursday 6 February 2025 via Microsoft Teams, at the following times:

  • 10am-12pm
  • 1:30pm-3:30pm
  • 5:30pm-7:30pm

If you would like to attend a focus group, please sign up here before 2 February 2025: https://forms.office.com/e/qgS0rcG1h3.

4. Lived experience representatives on a working group

A small number of unpaid carers who are interested can sign up to be part of a working group. This working group will be responsible for:

  • Reviewing feedback shared throughout the engagement process
  • Developing a service model for the new Carer Centre
  • Evaluating any tender bids received and sitting on interview panels for shortlisted organisations
  • Deciding together which organisation to award the contract to.

The other members of the working group will be Adult Social Care practitioners and health care professionals who work closely with carers.

Carers who participate in the working group will be asked to commit approximately 2-6 hours per month over an eight-month period, from February 2025 to October 2025. Those who participate will be compensated for any time they dedicate to the project, including time attending meetings, time reviewing documents, and travel time. Prior to you making any commitment, we will explain how this compensation may impact any benefits you receive so that you can make an informed decision about participation and compensation.

Carers will be invited to register their interest in being part of the working group via this webpage in a few weeks.

Page last updated: 07 Jan 2025, 04:42 PM