Adult services director takes a break at community café
Dr Graeme Betts, Warwickshire County Council’s strategic director of Adult Health and Community Services, paid a visit yesterday to the Guideposts Community Café.
After opening in 2006, the Carers Café is a community venue in Nuneaton with information and support for carers. As well as this, there are specific courses on hand for carers, such as those caring for people with drug and alcohol problems, and the café is now introducing alternative therapies such as reflexology and reiki.
The café hosts walks for carers on Tuesday mornings giving carers the chance to get some exercise and relax. A new venture, run in partnership with Silver Surfers, will help carers access information online and has given carers more choices in being able to pay bills online.
A recent venture is the plasma screen, funded by Warwickshire County Council, which plays public service films. An information centre enables carers to call in and have a chat or speak confidentially to a carer support worker.
Desiree Lambert, caraer support service manager, said: “We were very impressed that Graeme Betts took the opportunity to come and see what Guideposts do for carers in Nuneaton and North Warwickshire. He is clearly very supportive and is showing by his actions that carers are high on his agenda.”
Dr Betts said: “The café is an excellent example of carers coming together and building up a network of support. The vast majority of people needing care wish to stay in their homes and we are constantly looking at ways that we can facilitate this and improve their quality of life. If this is to succeed however, it is vital that we help and support their carers. I was delighted to see such a wonderful example of this in practice.”