Carer support

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My favourite quote at the moment is "you can't drink from an empty cup".  

I have recently been part of a project funded by AGE UK that offered support to carers who were seeking support within the mental health/emotional wellbeing and/or recovery services themselves. And I found myself referring to this quote a lot. And this quote & advice is applicable to us all, but particularly when we view someone else in our life as having more support needs than us, so others get priority over ourselves.  

There are particular common needs that surface when a person is a carer & there is support out there, the difficulty is carers are often far too busy to be able to access it. And they are often very tired too & some suffer carer burnout which is such a debilitating thing to experience & can feel so hard to address & overcome alone. Life is always a tricky balance & a carer role makes it even more of a juggle - there are only so many hours in a day.

As part of this role I designed a one-off workshop and delivered this online to Carers Support members. It seemed to be well received & was well attended. 

I purposely designed it to be one-off in case carers could only make that one session date. So I wanted to encapsulate some "quick wins" in terms of wellbeing tips that could be taken away & used when needed. The session was 90 minutes & I ensured that although there was an opportunity for a Q & A afterwards, they knew they could leave before this part if they needed to, as so often time is so precious there will be their 'cared for' needs that need attending to or appointments to rush off to. 

I was so pleased how well the workshop was received & have since referred to it in 1:1s for carers & sent them it's contents to refer to. Just 5 minute strategies of breathing, standing outside, not leaving cups of tea to go cold & small self-soothing activities were suggested. As well as prompt tools (e.g. a shortened version of a WRAP/WAP - Wellness Recovery Action Plan) & asking carers what their coping methods were. And *this* is often where the most & the best coping tools come from, from within & from creating spaces & opportunities to remind ourselves we actually often already have the answers, as we know what "makes us tick". 

 

 

 

froim My favourite quote at the moment is an empty cup"

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Background

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I'm Sam, (Samantha Hunt) I'm 51 and I’ve worked in a wide range of health settings over the past 33 years, underpinned by studies in counselling and psychology.  Up until the end of May 2026 I ran specialist emotional wellbeing workshops and established & facilitated community discussion groups & goal focused 1:1s for the charities BHT Sussex & Wsx Mind. I have also worked part-time in elderly care for a local agency for the past 2 years, where I offer companionship via company calls.  Over the years I have successfully set up pilot projects that are, to my knowledge, still running. These include a community Home Support Team in Essex for the elderly & a Community Team offering short-term practical support to people attached to NHS, ATS mental health services, I continued to work in that team for 10 years & loved the autonomy, variety, flexibility & holistic nature of that community role.  I've also worked in residential rehabilitative units, 2 soc...
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Psychology Degree, Bsc (Hons); University of East London. 1 year certificate in Rogerian Counselling skills. Hills Rd College, Cambridge. Art Psychotherapy Foundation Year, Goldsmiths College, London. Fundamentals of Trauma; Alison.com 30 years of completing annual mandatory training in mental health & elderly care settings including: GDPR Safeguarding Adults Equality Diversity & Inclusivity Mental Health First Aider Lone working In addition (non mandatory): Grassroots Suicide Prevention: on adhoc peer advisory board to help inform service development & delivery. LGBTQIA issues & awareness. Allsorts. Neurodivergent Affirming Practice: THINK Neurodivergent UK Nature Facilitation Training : Change in Nature, at Hawkwood Agricultural College, Stroud. Introduction to Social & Therapeutic Horticulture : Thrive.org. Centre for Ecotherapy, Stanmer Organics, Brighton. CELTA (Certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages), International House, Barcelona CPD ...
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FAQs

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  I hope having some frequently asked questions zaps some of the anxiety or uncertainty out of approaching this service.  And I also hope it encourages other questions - which you can ask here (in the comments), or on a call or via email or FB messenger. Please try not to feel shy about reaching out. Q : Do I need a diagnosis to get support ? A : No, not at all. And if you do, this service is to add to any treatment you may have, not replace it if you need statutory mental health services or other formalised care. It's an add on, complementary service.  Q : Do I need to be a Carer or a Health worker? * A : No, these are support areas I specialise in & have experience in & feel passionately about, but it's not necessary to be a carer or health worker.  *But if you are please reach out as you're deserving of support & I've pretty big discounts available for you too!. Q : Do you also have lived experience ? A : Yes I do, and I subtley weave it into my appr...
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