Introduction to The Carers Support Project

About The Project

The Carers Support Project is a new National Schizophrenia Fellowship (Scotland) Project, funded for three years by the National Lottery Charities Board (Scotland). NSF (Scotland) already provides direct services to carers in Grampian, Tayside, Fife and Glasgow. The Carers Support Project has been set up to provide support to carers in areas in Scotland where there were previously no direct carers' services managed by NSF (Scotland).

There are five staff:

Highland Carers Officer. Wilma Fenton, based in Inverness and covering the Highland Council area
Lothian Carers Officer. Jo Reed, based in Edinburgh and covering Edinburgh and the Lothians
Carers Support & Development Officer. Trish Forster, based in Edinburgh and covering areas in West and Central Scotland.
The Project Leader, Jenny Douglas and the Administrative Worker, Sandra Macmillan are both based in Edinburgh.
Contact addresses are at the bottom of the page.

What will the Project Do?

The Carers Support Project has been set up to enable people who are caring for someone affected by schizophrenia to gain access to information, education and networks of self-help or mutual support.

A range of services will be developed in different areas based on what carers, relatives, friends and workers in other agencies and projects tell us is needed. Some suggestions have already been made.

Designing and running education courses and other training or information opportunities for carers.

Providing some support to existing groups run by NSF(Scotland), if this is required.

Establishing new carers' support groups or finding other ways of putting carers in touch with each other.

Providing telephone or one to one support to individuals and families.

Improving and developing local information, perhaps developing information packs or providing mobile information services.

Setting up or linking in with advocacy services and finding ways of ensuring the representation of carers' interests and needs to statutory or other organisations.

Planning education courses for professionals or developing workplace, school or college information tours.
Other ideas will emerge as the project develops. It will not be possible to provide every service in every area; we will of course try to develop as much as our resources will allow.

Can I Contact the Carers Support Project Now?

As we are still very new, and the Carers Officers are only recently in post, we are not yet able to provide all of the services described above. Please do not let this put you off contacting us though, if only to let us know where you are so that we can get in touch with you as services develop. We may already be able to provide you with some information, link you to an existing group or put you in touch with someone who can help. All enquiries are treated confidentially.

Who do I Contact?

People in the Highland area should contact the Highland base at the telephone number given below. If Wilma is not available, please leave a message. Her answerphone is checked regularly during the day and she will return your call as quickly as possible. The Edinburgh base is currently staffed weekdays, 9.30 - 12.30. Ideally you should telephone first, as Carers Officers may not be on site. Please leave a message on the answerphone at any time the office is not staffed and your call will be returned as quickly as possible. If your area is not covered by this Project, contact the Information Worker at National Office who will tell you if a project is available in your area. The Carers Support Project will at a later stage provide services in the Borders.

Edinburgh Base:

7/8, Castlecliff Workshops, Johnston Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2NH Tel: 0131 622 7186 Fax: 0131 622 7187

Highland Base:

Cairdeas Cottage, 5, Bank Street, Inverness IV1 1QZ Tel: 01463 713091 Fax: 01463 713344

NSF(S) National Office:

40 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh EH2 4RT Tel: 0131 226 2025 Fax: 0131 225 7552