Meet the Edinburgh Carer Support Team
The Carer Support Team are part of the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (EHSCP), supporting unpaid carers to complete Adult Carer Support Plans (ACSP). Additionally, they offer support where the cared-for person is admitted to an Edinburgh hospital. The team is citywide and have Hospital Discharge Carer Support Workers based at the Royal Infimary of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital and Astley Ainslie/Liberton. They have a specialist Carer Support Officer for Progressive Neurological Conditions (pan Lothian) and a Senior Carer Support Worker who works with the Edinburgh Community Rehabilitation and Support Service.
The Carer Support Team work in partnership with many local carer organisations including:
Staff from both our Carer Support Team and our partners will offer carers an Adult Carer Support Plan and guidance in accessing:
- Grants and benefits
- One to one support and counselling
- Peer support
- Short breaks and replacement care
- Training
- Befriending
- Complementary therapies
- Emergency planning
- A Future Care Plan
- Connecting to other appropriate services
The Carer Support Team can offer support to unpaid carers who meet at least one of the following criteria:
- The cared-for person is admitted to an Edinburgh hospital.
- Either the carer or cared-for person live within Edinburgh.
- Where the cared-for person has a progressive neurological disease (for example Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease or Motor Neuron Disease) and the carer lives within Edinburgh or the Lothians.
How to refer to us:
- Complete a carer support referral form with the carer’s details and send to loth.carersupport@nhs.scot.
- Call our friendly helpline on 0131 536 3371.
- EHSCP staff can also refer via Swift/AIS using inbox 7523, referring from the carer’s record.
- SCI Gateway users can refer under Astley Ainslie Hospital / Social Care / LI Carer Support, referring from the carer’s record.