On this page you'll find some resources that are helpful if you're a carer for someone who uses our services.
You can also find out more about the pledge we've made to involve you in decisions about your loved ones. As a result we've received the nationally recognised Triangle of Care accreditation (click the box below for info).
Wards and services
Contact details for specific wards and services can be found on our service directory pages, or by using the search bar.
PALS
Our patient advice and liaison service (PALS) can act on your behalf and provide confidential advice and support.
They can give you information on:
- the NHS and health related matters
- complaints procedures and how to get in touch with someone who can help
- how you can get involved in our work
- volunteering opportunities with us
Tel: 0161 716 3178 (24 hour answer phone)
Email: pals.penninecare@nhs.net
Mental health helpline
Our 24/7 mental health helpline is here to support anybody who uses our services (all ages) and their carers: 0800 014 9995
There are also a list of other helplines you can speak to for support.
Local authorities and charities across our patch offer carer services. Click and the links to find out more:
Bury
Rochdale
Oldham
Stockport
Tameside and Glossop
These documents are designed for you to print off, and have helpful information about our units and the care team who will look after your loved one. They've been put together by carers and staff who have experience of them:
The Triangle of Care is a guide to best practice in mental health care.
To become accredited, we must achieve six key standards:
- Recognising the essential role carers play and making contact with them as early as possible after admission or contact with the service user
- Carer awareness training for staff
- Established practices for sharing information with carers
- Named ‘carer champions’ responsible for ensuring carers are valued and informed
- Introducing carers to the staff and service their loved one is part of
- Support services for carers
More information on the Triangle of Care can be found at: http://professionals.carers.org/
Our Triangle of Care steering group
We first introduced a trust-wide Triangle of Care steering group in 2014. Now each borough has a local steering group to build on our success so far.
The group has achieved:
- Carer champion roles in all adult acute mental health wards, community mental health teams and rehab and high support services.
- Monthly carer awareness sessions by staff and carers to services working on the Triangle of Care.
- Co-produced carer information booklets for all inpatient wards
- Membership on the regional Triangle of Care group
- Involvement in regional carer support days with partner NHS trusts and services
- The development of an information sharing protocol and policy in situ on wards
- A reduction of number of acute service carer contacts with the patient advice and liaison service.
We've made a short video with Dementia United to explain how speech and language therapy can help people diagnoses with primary progressive aphasia (PPA).
PPA is a rare form of dementia that often affects your communication. From using your phone to make reminders, to carrying a small notebook with important phrases, there's plenty of things you can do to support yourself. Click here to watch the video.
Our Stockport older people's mental health team have worked with carers to develop a series of videos, with advice and infomation about frontotemporal dementia.
Frontotemporal dementia is an uncommon type of dementia that causes problems with behaviour and language.
These videos are in three parts, each featuring stories from carers of people with frontotemporal dementia, along with advice from our experts. Click on the links to watch them on YouTube:
- Part one - An introduction to frontotemporal dementia
- Part two - Getting help and support with frontotemporal dementia
- Part three - Living with changes in behaviour in frontotemporal dementia
More information
These links have more helpful information, related to what's mentioned in the videos:
This leaflet has been developed by people with dementia and their carers, alongside health professionals in Oldham, to help you have difficult conversations about death and the end of life.
It uses cartoons by award-winning illustrator, Tony Husband, to address some of the common questions you have, the barriers you might face, what you can do to help, and the support that’s available.
We have now developed a carers questionnaire. The questionnaire has been reviewed by ToC members including carers and is aligned to the ToC six core standards.
We encourage all carers to take part. Please click here to complete the survey.