Carer support
Rethink offers a number of specialist services across the country for carers of people with severe mental illness. We also provide more than 138 groups which meet regularly to give carers and people with severe mental illness a support network in their local area.
Most importantly for me was the feeling of social inclusion. Knowing that once a week I would be meeting with other group members in a safe and understanding environment with supportive facilitators was very comforting for me. The group has given me confidence to become more involved in life again.
David - A carer from The New Horizon Group in Godalming
Rethink was established by carers and our aim is to give them, and those they care for, a voice in every aspect of mental health provision. We believe that carers play an invaluable role in helping people recover from severe mental illness and that they should be acknowledged, valued and supported. We recognise that they are central to the delivery of mental health care and that many carers have developed high levels of expertise gained from years of experience.
Our carer support services operate within our own Quality Assurance Programme and offer a range of support, including:
- helplines
- home visits
- a respite service which offers carers the opportunity to take a break by providing a member of staff to spend time with the person being cared for
- a high quality respite break service in a country hotel setting, where trained staff are on call at all times, for people with severe mental illness and their carers
- Our National Advice Service provides expert advice and information to help carers and people with mental illness make sense of the often confusing world of mental health
- a network of over 138 support groups which bring carers and people with severe mental illness together to help them share information and experience
- assistance to carers in accessing Carer Assessments with local authorities
- the Carers’ Education and Training Programme which is an expert carers’ course designed for those caring for people with a severe and enduring mental illness. It aims to convey a sense of optimism and hope while offering education and training based around day-to-day practicalities.
- We also publish research based on the experiences of carers, rights-based information, and other publications on all aspects of caring and the issues surrounding it
“Surrey County Council are extremely satisfied with the services provided at the resource centre and happy to issue a new three year contract without the service being retendered.This reflects upon the continued maintenance and development of a high quality resource especially as the County Council are now operating to the world class commissioning standards.”
Surrey County Council, regarding the SW Surrey Mental Health Resource Centre
As well as providing support for carers, we develop and deliver training for mental health professionals to help them work in partnership with carers. We also promote carers issues at a national level and support their involvement in local planning and development.
We are committed to working in partnership with those who use our services and their carers. We have a dedicated Membership and Participation Team to encourage them to take part in every aspect of our work and the majority of our Board of Trustees are people who have used mental health services or who care for a family member with severe mental illness.
“Attending the Rethink course was the only positive thing that has happened to me and my wife since our daughter became ill and we are very grateful to the team for their assistance and advice. We feel more confident in dealing with our daughter’s illness and are more understanding as a family thanks to the skills that we have learnt on the course. This course should be brought to the attention of all carers”
Paul, Carer group
Carer support services and groups in your area
To find out what carer support services there are in your local area click the map or enter your postcode on the Search for services page. For carer groups in your local area click the map or enter your postcode on the Search for groups page.
Alternatively, please call us on 0845 456 0455.
