Support for Armed Forces carers -

At Carers Matter Norfolk we offer information and advice, carer breaks, signpost to services, and support for carers who are part of the armed forces community. We are here for you whether you are a family member, or still serving, a service leaver, a young carer, veteran, or a reservist.

We are here to help if you support a family member, child, friend or neighbour, whether they are part of the armed forces community or not, because they need support for any of these reasons:

disability or special needs
chronic illness
mental illness or mental health needs
dementia/Alzheimer’s
frailty
a substance misuse problem with drugs or alcohol.

The type of support you give may be regular and on going. It could include helping them with:

showering, toileting, dressing or other personal care
cleaning, cooking, shopping, transport and/or assistance with bills or other paperwork
providing necessary emotional support
medication or other health care
other tasks or activities they would have difficulty managing on their own if you could not provide regular and ongoing support.

If any of these apply contact us to find out more – whether you receive Carers Allowance or not.

If you are a carer you are not alone – see below for more information.

Free, independent, and confidential support

The support available is confidential and can help you better manage your caring role – and this means you are also in a better position to be able to cope with family life, your career, school or education, and other areas of life.

If you are posted to another part of the country we can help you find out what support is available there, and if you would like us to, we can share information with the carer support organisations, in that area so you don’t have to tell your story multiple times. This means that you can more quickly and easily be linked into the support that is available as your personal situation changes.

Call us on 0800 083 1148
Email info@carersmatternorfolk.org.uk
See more at carersmatternorfolk.org.uk/contact-us/

Read more about how we can help you below.

How we can help…

Being a carer can be both challenging and rewarding. Sometimes you might want just a little bit of support in your caring role, some information and advice, or you may want to become involved by having your say in carers services. Our team of Advisors and Family Carer Practitioners are here to help you.

Advice Line

The Carers Matter Norfolk Advice Line can provide information and advice on a wide range of issues such as:

Accessing local services and support, including carer peer support groups, young carer activities or other local social activities or services
Carers’ rights (including employment)
Accessing health and social care services
Social welfare (benefits) and housing
Equipment and resources, including Assistive Technology
Emergency Planning so you have a plan in place if something happens meaning you can’t carry out your caring role.

For benefits and legal advice in relation to your role as a carer, our advisors can sign post you to the most relevant people for your needs.

You could be worried about:

Those who you care for – if you’re not about
A family member who is away while you’re caring for those at home
Moving schools regularly
A young carer missing school, or falling behind, due to their caring responsibilities
Feeling isolated and not able to take part in social activities.

We can offer tailored support to help you in your caring role. And Young Carers Matter Norfolk are able to support young carers.

More support for you is available

Please see:

The Royal British Legion – www.britishlegion.org.uk/

The Royal British Legion is there to help members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans and their families.They support serving and ex-serving personnel all year round, every day of the week. Their support starts after one day of service and continues through life, long after service is over.

Veterans’ Gateway – www.veteransgateway.org.uk/

Veterans’ Gateway provides information, advice and support for veterans and their families. They’re there for you 24/7. And they are also the first point of contact for all your welfare needs. From healthcare and housing to employability, and more. They refer you directly to vetted partners. If you are a carer for someone with ill health, there is a range of practical help and emotional support available to you and you view this page to find out more.

SSAFA – the Armed Forces charity – www.ssafa.org.uk/

In recognition of their service to the Nation, SSAFA works to ensure that the needs of the Armed Forces, veterans and their families are met in an appropriate and timely way. They can also provide practical support such as with adaptations in your home.

Help for Heroes – www.helpforheroes.org.uk

Helping wounded veterans and their families to recover and get on with their lives

Army Families Federation – aff.org.uk/

The Army Families Federation (AFF) is the independent voice of Army families and works hard to improve the quality of life for Army families around the world – on any aspect that is affected by the Army lifestyle. AFF is independent of the Army and offers confidential advice. We will deal with your enquiry without revealing your identity.

RAF Families Federation (RAF FF) – raf-ff.org.uk

The RAF Families Federation (RAF FF) is the independent voice of RAF Families and Service personnel: they work to improve the quality of life for RAF personnel and their families around the world – at work and at home. The RAF FF is totally independent of the RAF and ensures confidentiality if you contact them.

Naval Families Federation (NFF) – nff.org.uk

The Naval Families Federation is an independent voice of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Families. The vision of the Naval Families Federation is for Royal Navy and Royal Marines families to: be able to have their views heard by those in positions in power; feel valued and treated with fairness and respect; and thrive in their communities of choice.

Carers Voice Norfolk and Waveney – carersmatternorfolk.org.uk/carers-voice/

As a Carer, you are an ‘expert’ through your ‘lived experience’ of caring and should be able to have a say in services, policies and decisions that affect you and the people that you care for. Carers Voice is led within Carers Matter Norfolk by Carers Voice Norfolk & Waveney, a user-led organisation providing the independent voice of carers.

Norfolk Young Carers Forum (NYCF) – www.caringtogether.org/support-for-carers/young-carers/nycf

Norfolk Young Carers Forum gives young carers and young adult carers the opportunity to raise awareness and make a difference about the issues that affect them and their families. For more information on Norfolk Young Carers Forum click here or contact the team on nycf@caringtogether.org

You are not alone

Being a carer can sometimes feel like an isolating place – the key is to remember that you are not on your own.

Three in five of us will care for someone in our lifetime.
23% of those aged 16-64 in the ex-Service community have a caring responsibility, compared with 12% in this age group nationally. Those of retirement age are almost as likely to have a caring responsibility (18%) as younger people (23%).
1 in 10 of all carers in the ex-Service community agree that they struggle to cope with their caring responsibilities; equivalent to around 110,000 people. With carers aged 75-84 and those with a long-term illness themselves are slightly more likely to agree (around 15%).
Figures taken from – The Royal British Legion

The latest figures from The Children’s Society research is that 1 in 11 UK Military veterans will need significant physical or mental health support – we are here for the people who are supporting them.