Carer support groups and organisations

Being recognised as a carer is important as it can be both a physically and emotionally demanding job.

Adults Health and Wellbeing can provide practical support for carers through direct services such as care at home, day services, or if preferred, money to arrange their own support services called a direct payment.

Read the plan for carers in Tower Hamlets 2012 to 2015

Who is a carer?

A carer is anyone who regularly looks after someone who is too ill, disabled, or frail to manage alone. Often people don’t think of themselves as ‘carers’ – they may be wives, husbands, sons, daughters, parents, other relatives, or friends and neighbours, who find themselves caring for someone and simply get on with what needs to be done. You don’t always have to live with the person you are caring for but your help might be essential to help someone go on living in their own home.

How much support someone gets will depend on how disabled they are by their condition, and the social worker should liaise with the person's health workers to get a clear picture of this.

Whether or not the person you care for is willing to have an assessment, as a carer you are entitled to an assessment of your own needs for support which should take into account what you have to do for the person and the impact it has on your own life and routine, including on your work, social and leisure activities. This should also be carried out by the team that would be assessing the person you care for, and they should liaise with your own borough if you do not live in Tower Hamlets and you need local support services to where you live.

Adults Health and Wellbeing also commission other local organisations to provide support and services for carers and you can contact these organisations directly for advice and information on caring for someone and the services you may be entitled to.

Contacting us

It can be hard to work out which part of the council you need to talk to as there are many different teams that deal with different issues. If you are caring for an adult over the age of 18 there is one central team to contact in the first instance, and they will forward your details to the correct team within 24 hours.

Adults Social Care Team - Mon-Fri 8am-8pm - 020 7364 5000
If you are caring for a disabled child you should phone Children and Families Services on 020 7364 5000
Out of office hours call the Emergency Duty Team on 020 7364 5000

For non-emergencies you can email: adultcare@towerhamlets.gov.uk

For general information contact the Carers Centre in the first instance:

Princess Royal Trust for Carers
Tower Hamlets Carers Centre
21 Brayford Square
London E1 OSG
Tel: 020 7790 1765
www.carerscentretowerhamlets.org.uk/

Other useful contacts:

Age Concern – for carers of older people
82 Russia Lane
London E2 9LU
Tel: 020 8981 7124
Website: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/

Alzheimers Society, Tower Hamlets – for carers of people with dementia and memory problems
Toynbee Hall
London E1 6LS
Tel: 020 7392 9631
Website: www.alzheimers.org.uk/

APASENTH Care Services – for Asian families caring for someone with a learning disability
The Brady Centre
192-6 Hanbury Street
London E1 5HU
Tel: 020 7375 0554
Website: www.apasenth.org.uk/

Black Women's Health and Family Support - support for Somalian carers
82 Russia Lane
London E2
Tel: 020 8980 3503
Email: bwhafs@btconnect.com

Family Welfare Association – for support to families of people with mental health conditions
22-28 Underwood Road
London E1 5AW
Tel: 020 7364 3406
Website: http://www.family-action.org.uk/

Jewish Care
Merit House
508 Edgware Road
London NW9 5AB
Tel: 020 8922 2222
Website: www.jewishcare.org/

The London Buddhist Centre
51 Roman Road
Bethnal Green
London E2 0HU
Tel: 0845 458 4716
Email: info@lbc.org.uk
Website: www.lbc.org.uk/

Rethink Mental Illness Carer Support Service
Albert Jacob House
62 Roman Road
London E2 0PG
Tel: 020 8981 2645
Email: towerhamletscarers@rethink.org
Website: www.rethink.org/

St Hilda's East Community Centre
18 Club Row
London E2 7EY
Tel: 020 7739 8066
Website: http://www.sthildas.org.uk/

TLC Care Services
3rd Floor
77 East Road
London N1 6AH
Tel:020 7017 2836
Email: towerhamletsrespite@tlccare.org.uk/