COVID-19: Services, support and advice

Updated: 6/5/2020

Our services and support

In light of government guidance about COVID-19 we are unable to run our in-person sessions and hubs until further notice. We are operating our usual service for carers on the phones during our opening hours, offering support and advice.  If you need help, support or someone to talk to, please get in touch on 01904 715 490. We will be able to directly support you or signpost you to the most appropriate service to help you.

Online support groups: From May we will start to run some of our support groups for carers online, to allow carers to get support from home.  This will include the substance misuse carers group and the mental health carers group. Please see our events calendar for session dates and how to book a space.

As this situation is unprecedented and evolving we will do our best to maintain updates through our website and monthly email news. If you would like to receive our email news and don’t already, please get in touch. York Carers Centre is also contacting the most vulnerable carers who are registered with us to ensure they know where to get support. This is particularly aimed at those carers who don’t have internet access.

Government advice for carers

  • Guidance for those who provide unpaid care to friends or family: The Government is urging all unpaid carers to create an emergency plan. This would be used in circumstances where help may be needed from other people to deliver care. Carers UK have also created guidance on contingency planning and protecting the person you care for.
  • Extremely vulnerable people register: use this Government page to register if you or the person you care for has a medical condition that makes you extremely vulnerable to coronavirus. If you’re not sure whether your medical condition makes you extremely vulnerable, register anyway. You can register yourself, or on behalf of someone else.
  • Providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults: this government guidance aims to help those with caring responsibilities keep people with learning disabilities and autistic people safe, to support them to understand the changes they need to make during the COVID-19 outbreak, and to protect their own wellbeing.

Emergency help from City of York Council

If you’re on your own and struggling to manage or you don’t have any support, but need it because of COVID-19: City of York Council have set up a COVID-19 helpline, contact covid19help@york.gov.uk or call 01904 551 550.  Please also continue to refer to City of York Council for general COVID-19 guidance.

Resources

  • We have compiled a range of national and local coronavirus resources which may be helpful to carers (see the menu). 
  • The York COVID-19 facebook group is coordinating a list of useful local information including lists of grocery deliveries, emergency tradespeople and more www.facebook.com/groups/YorkCOVID19