Whattoexpectafter contactingtheservice
You may have contacted us yourself, or someone may have contacted us on your behalf and asked us to speak with you.
However you reach us, a member of our team will take some basic information about your situation and tell you a bit about the support we can provide
Registration
You will be asked if you would like to register with the service, to automatically receive our quarterly newsletters, other useful updates and access certain services.
If you want to take advantage of this opportunity, and give your permission, we will store your information on our secure database
You can ask to be removed from the Service database at any time, and all contact/support will stop.
Adult
Carer Support Plan
Thanks to the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, every adult carer is entitled to an Adult Carer Support Plan (ACSP). This gives a better understanding of your situation and helps identify the support you feel you need.
With your consent, you’ll be referred to the Social Worker (Unpaid Carers) at Moray Council, who will arrange a convenient time to discuss your plan
An ACSP will lead to the creation of a Support Summary detailing the changes you want to see and the actions you have agreed that yourself and others will take to facilitate those changes
Your support plan might include joining learning opportunities on offer or groups and activities with other unpaid carers.
from the Service
We’re here to provide information and advice to any carer in Moray, regardless of their circumstances
For carers who need more than just information and advice, the Service can offer access to learning and skills opportunities, short breaks planning and funding, emotional support from a Family Wellbeing Worker, counselling, emergency planning and making arrangements for the future, and peer support activities with other carers Any supports needed that aren’t in place by the time of your ACSP will be identified in your Support Summary to ensure you have access to them
If needed, you’ll have an allocated worker for a period of time, to help you benefit from the supports you’ve agreed to.
We aim to respond to requests for support within a maximum of five working days
We recognise your caring role can sometimes cause delays, so we’ll work to your timings wherever possible.
Support
Howweuseyour information
As the commissioned Carers Service in Moray, our support for carers is offered on behalf of The Moray Council. This means your data is shared with the Council, and your consent is required for your ACSP to be completed You can find out more about how the council use your data on the privacy notice in your welcome pack.
We encourage you to register with Quarriers Carer Support Service (Moray) This means your details will be held on our database, and you’ll receive newsletters and mailings from us by post and electronically (depending on your preferences) with information that may be relevant and interesting to you in your role.
We don’t share your details with other agencies, but may occasionally mail information on their behalf where it’s of interest to carers.
Once you have registered with us, we will gather information from you to make it possible for the right support to be put in place and note any contacts we have with you on our database.
Our support may include putting you in touch with other specialist organisations who are able to give you the best information or support for your circumstances or those of the person you care for
You can agree to any/none of the uses of your data during your registration and ongoing support.
You can ask to be removed from our database at any time, after which we will no longer hold your information to make contact Should you change your mind, a quick call to us is all that’s needed to initiate contact again.
We will always tell you what we do with your data.
For more information about how Quarriers uses personal data, see the Privacy Notice on our website at www.quarriers.org.uk/morayvcc
Wheredowefitin?
Health and Social Care Moray is the integrated partnership committed to working with communities and partners to enable people across Moray to lead independent, fulfilling and healthier lives. It brings together the NHS and Council, along with organisations within the Third and Independent Sectors, to provide a wide range of social work, social care, community health and primary care services
Community Care
Community Care supports adults who live in Moray to keep their independence, stay safe and enjoy a reasonable quality of life Support may be available if you or someone you care for:
is an older person becoming frail is physically disabled or ill has a sight or hearing impairment has a mental health illness, which makes coping with everyday life difficult needs support because of a learning disability has problems with drugs or alcohol needs help to look after a family member or friend needs to stay safe and free from harm
Quarriers Carer Support Service (Moray)
We are contracted by The Moray Council to deliver support services to unpaid carers of all ages in Moray.
Where a Community Care Assessment will highlight support required by the person you look after, we work on the areas where specific support for you, the carer, would be beneficial.
The work of Health & Social Care Moray is governed by the Moray Integration Joint Board – a public body formed in 2014 through Scottish Government legislation. The Board has responsibility for the governance, planning and resourcing of the services which have been delegated to it by Moray Council and NHS Grampian.
Community Care Assessment—CCA
(different from your Adult Carer Support Plan)
This is often carried out for the person you care for and is the route to unlocking services like Homecare Support, Shared Lives and Self-Directed Support for that person
Initial contact Access Care Team
Call 01343 563999 Initial Contact Email accesscareteam@moray.gov.uk
We can provide access to: respite funding, emotional support, advice and information, skills and knowledge development, peer support, counselling, and emergency and future planning
Health and Social Care Moray, via community care packages, manage the provision of support like Shared Lives, Homecare and Self-Directed Support identified in the CCA and ACSP.
Yourrightsasacarer
We all have human rights, but unpaid carers in Scotland have additional rights enshrined in two documents:
The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 which came into force on 1 April 2018 The Carers’ Charter – March 2018
These give unpaid carers a right to:
an Adult Carer Support Plan or Young Carer Statement support to meet eligible needs identified as a result involvement in services and care planning for your cared for
involvement in the hospital discharge process of your cared for
The aim of these rights?
improved health and wellbeing for you as a carer sustain your ability to provide care support you to maintain a life of your own
Taking care of yourself is one way of exercising your rights as a carer, and is something every carer needs to do.
Not being able to take a break from caring - 65%
Carers often feel they are unable to spend time with friends and family because they are too busy caring, and this can cause loneliness. Carers can also struggle with depression when they are unable to focus on their own needs and pursue their own hobbies and interests This Carers UK survey found that carers who were caring for more hours per week were more likely to have poor mental health. 38% of carers caring for over 35 hours per week had bad or very bad mental health compared to 26% of those caring for less than 35 hours per week.
Source: State of Caring - The impact of caring on carers’ mental health and the need for support from social care services, February 2025
AdultCarerSupportPlan
What is an Adult Carer Support Plan?
As a carer, you are entitled to support in your own right to help you continue providing care to the person you look after
The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, which came into force on 1 April 2018, is a key piece of legislation containing a package of provisions to support carers’ health and wellbeing
Among those provisions is:
A duty for local authorities to provide support to carers, based on the carer’s identified needs which meet the local eligibility criteria.
Every adult carer to be offered the opportunity to complete an Adult Carer Support Plan (ACSP) to identify their support needs and personal outcomes.
What does it do?
An ACSP is a chance to look at your current caring circumstances and identify issues and where you might benefit from some support
Your needs might be in relation to:
services currently in place, e.g. homecare who else helps you out, or could specific difficulties that you may be having the impact caring is having on your own health and wellbeing your opportunity to have a life of your own your employment situation the financial implications of caring emergency measures you have in place your hopes for the future your concerns what help you think you need
This might seem like a lot of information but it is important to paint as accurate a picture as possible so you get the best possible support Your information should be kept confidential and only used with your permission.
Once you’ve completed an ACSP, a support summary highlighting where support is required, the outcomes you seek, what support will look like and (perhaps) where it will come from will be agreed with you.
Any supports already in place from the Service will be taken into account in your Support Summary, and any additional supports that may be useful will be identified and the Service advised so we can make further contact with you to progress them.
What happens if things change?
You are automatically entitled to an annual review, but if things change dramatically before that, your ACSP can be updated sooner.
What questions might I be asked?
Your ACSP will cover:
personal and contact details whether the person you care for has had a Community Care Assessment your caring role - how often, what you do whether you have relevant legal paperwork in place, e g power of attorney, guardianship managing the time you have to yourself gaining a better understanding of the condition you care for staying in, or finding, work accessing practical skills to improve your caring role and/or your wellbeing spending time away from your caring role
Adult Carer Support Plan checklist
Preparing for your Adult Carer Support Plan
Use the following checklist to help you prepare for your ACSP. Keep the information handy so you can refer to it during your conversation with the Social Worker (Unpaid Carers) at Moray Council.
Washing/bathing
Toileting/using continence aids
Getting in and out of bed/transferring
Eating/drinking
Dressing/undressing
Housework/gardening/ shopping
Cooking/laundry
Dealing with paperwork
Transportation/travel
Daytime safety
Care at night
Emotional support
Coping with challenging behaviour
Communication/ understanding
Advocacy
Arranging/attending appointments
Collecting prescriptions
Medication
Dealing with finances
Do you work, paid or voluntary?
If you work, does caring make work difficult?
If you study, does caring make studying difficult?
Do you have a condition which has an impact on caring?
Would your own assessment help?
Do you usually get a good night’s sleep?
Do you have time for hobbies or social contact?
Do you feel isolated?
Does caring impact on other relationships?
Do you ever get a total break/go on holiday?
Do you know where to find advice and support?
Have you had any training to help with your caring role?
Do you know what respite services are available locally?
Do you think you are receiving all the benefits you should?
Do you get information in a language/format you understand and suiting your cultural/religious beliefs?
Do you know who to contact in an emergency?
Do you have an emergency plan in place?
Is your home fit for your caring role?
Do you feel safe in your home?
Do you feel you have a choice about caring?
Does your GP know you are a carer?
Are you willing/able to continue caring?
Do you have confidants to talk to about caring?
Copingwiththeupsanddowns
It’s human nature
In the beginning, we were naturally hard wired to think negatively, to think there was always something bad around the next corner. Listening to those bad thoughts kept us alive. However, as times changed and we evolved, our need to be so negative decreased.
Unfortunately, those thoughts were so well developed within our psyche that today it often seems easier to just stay in that mindset. It’s no longer T-rex coming for us but some other issue, or even the weather!
Life’s like that
Make no mistake, life is a rollercoaster of ups and downs. You have no sooner enjoyed the glorious view from the up than you are hurtling uncontrollably to the next down. When you have a caring role on top of the normal, everyday stuff that gets thrown in your direction, it can be hard to see the positive.
Why is negativity so bad?
Negativity is a bit like ivy. If you have ever tried to get rid of that plant from a house wall, you’ll understand that it invades as much as it can and hangs on for dear life. Negativity is a bit like that. If you allow negative thoughts in, before you know it, they have taken root and you are only thinking negatively about life:
Everything becomes a chore You can’t be bothered to do things, especially for yourself
You get tired, have no energy. Your body systems slow down. You get aches and pains Your temper is on a short fuse.
Any of this sound familiar?
Not only does negativity pervade you but it also affects your interaction with others Have you ever found yourself not wanting to be in someone’s company because they bring you down too? If you are giving off a negative vibe or your patience is short, do you find that your cared for’s behaviour can be a bit more challenging?
The consequences of negativity can make life even harder.
How do I change?
You need to identify what you want to change. You need to identify why you want to change it. Only then will you have the desire to make a change.
Nothing worth having is easy in the getting, so it’s fine to stay as you are, but understand the consequences and the impact.
If you are fed up always being more down than up and are prepared to put in some effort then:
Try to use positive words, e.g. rather than “don’t do it like that”, use “could you try it like this?” instead.
Instead of focusing on the bad stuff, think about three good things, e.g. it’s a beautiful day, I had a nice chat with Jo at the shops, Dad didn’t have a fall today.
The minute you hear a little negative voice in your head distract and replace it with a good one, e g tell yourself a joke or sing a song to yourself
These really do work if you stick with it but do allow yourself to fall off the wagon occasionally! After all, you have to take the ups with the downs.
Steps for Stress
Breathing Space Minding Your Head
Youcan’tpourfromanemptycup
1
4
6
8
2
Give yourself the feeling of love.
3
7 Please yourself first, then others. Give yourself permission to rest. Notice when you’re pushing yourself too hard. Feel your feelings without shame or judgement. Stick to your boundaries. Forgive yourself when you fall out of routine. Say 'no’ when your gut says no. Walk away from relationships that hurt you.
9
5
Be okay with not being busy, and knowing you are still enough.
Ourimpact
Usefullinks
Moray Council Access Care Team
First port of call for community care support for the person you look after
01343 563999 accesscareteam@moray gov uk
Moray Wellbeing Hub
Lots of useful learning and peer support opportunities
www moraywellbeinghub org uk hello@moraywellbeinghub.org.uk
Pathways to Wellbeing - Moray
Designed to help you find the support you need, when you need it to manage your mental wellbeing.
www.discoverpathwaysmoray.org.uk/
Care Inspectorate
Set up in April 2011 by the Scottish Government as a single regulatory body for social work and social care services
www careinspectorate com enquiries@careinspectorate.gov.scot 0345 600 9527
Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland)
Information on Power of Attorney and Guardianship. 01324 678300
OPG@scotcourts gov uk
YouTube
Lots of useful videos relating to caring including moving and handling and first aid.
www youtube com
Quarriers Arrows Service
Drug and alcohol support in Moray.
01343 610500 arrows@quarriers.org.uk
Quarriers Carer Support Service (Moray)
Lots of useful information keeping you up-to-date with what’s going on in the world of caring
www quarriers org uk/morayvcc
Citizens Advice Bureau, Moray
Moray Citizens Advice Bureau
offers free, impartial and confidential advice to the citizens of Moray. They deliver support and guidance on a range of topics, giving people the information they need to deal with any situation and improve their lives.
01343 550088 6 Moss Street, Elgin IV30 1LU
ALISS
Find services, groups and activities for health and wellbeing across Scotland.
www.aliss.org
