
In September 2023 both Middlesbrough and Stockton Mind and Redcar and Cleveland Mind merged and are now known as Teesside Mind.
The merger has supported us to become one of Teesside's largest independent mental health charities, offering a range of services which includes support for carers with the South Tees Carers Service.
Teesside Mind have two emotional well-being practitioners working across Middlesbrough and the Redcar and Cleveland areas.
Stacey Corrigan supports those carers living in Middlesbrough, providing bespoke packages of care for unpaid adult carers. This support can be provided on a one-to-one basis or in a group setting, with a regular carers community support group meeting on a Wednesday morning on a fortnightly basis.
The carers community support group not only gives carers the opportunity to connect with others in similar circumstances but also provides opportunities for social events, such as visits to Saltburn beach, RSPB Saltholme, Seaton Carew, local coffee shops, the theatre and much more. Carers attending the group have said:
"It has made me feel happier, it's uplifting to talk with other carers".
"I have learned so much from another carer's experiences, who has been in the same situation as me".
Nikki Wright works alongside carers based in Redcar and Cleveland and she is excited to announce a new carers support group is due to start on Tuesday 6 Feb 10-11.30am at St Hilda's Church in Redcar, the group will run on a fortnightly basis.
The group will be a supportive safe place for carers to be themselves and connect with other carers with shared lived experiences and interests.
As well as the Emotional Wellbeing Project, Susan Lee from Teesside Mind is working alongside GP practices across both local authority areas to offer training and support to staff. The training consists of ‘Carer awareness sessions’ so unpaid carers can be identified and offered support by healthcare professionals as well as being signposted to other organisations. The initiative is hoping to help GP practices to be ‘Carer Friendly’.
Often unpaid carers don’t recognise the important role they have in supporting a loved one or a friend, so a carer registration form has been created and used by community staff who have face to face contact with families. Once the form is completed it can be handed into the GP practice and unpaid carers will be offered vaccinations and, in some cases, annual health checks. It’s vital that unpaid carers are acknowledged and receive the correct level of support from their surgery to maintain their own health and wellbeing.
The Carers Team have been recognised for their innovative work and have been awarded the ‘Team Value Award’ by Teesside Mind in November 2023. Below shows the team with their award (Stacey, Susan, Nikki).
