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Carers

NECA delivers specialist substance misuse family and carers services across South Tyneside and Sunderland. Both services ensure consistent links with generic carers services are maintained to ensure a holistic package of care for family and carers. 

The services take referrals through other professionals including Drug and alcohol practitioners, social services, GPs and also self referrals. Referrals can be made into NECA services at the following addresses and phone numbers:

Assessment

Each service offers individual comprehensive assessments to build historic and current picture of the person living with substance misuse.  From this assessment a care-plan is developed with the family/carer.  The care-plan is regularly reviewed (6 weeks) to monitor goals and progress achieved or to amend care packages to reflect the changing needs.  

During the Assessment if further needs are identified which cannot be met within NECA, family or carers will be signposted to agencies to meet their wider needs, a multi – care package will be developed to provide coordination of services, increase communication and updates between agencies involved.

Support

One to one 

As a direct result of feedback and consultation from family and carers accessing NECA services, appointments are offered at appropriate venues within the community as opposed to treatment centre based, this meets the needs of carers who work or have limited time to attend appointments.  The service also maximises the use of local family centre’s not only to create opportunities for carers to be able to attend appointments whilst the children attend groups but also to ensure family and carers are aware of all their local Children Centre provision.  In providing a flexible service this has increased referrals, uptake of service, attendance and retention.

Group work

Group work has been developed as a direct result of feedback and consultation with family and carers. This entails:

Weekly support group where family and carers can attend to receive advice and guidance from NECA dedicated family and carer workers and also share experiences and gain support from other members of the group to help reduce their isolation.

Family and carers can also access the wider service provision including Counselling and Complementary Therapies as part of their care packages, with the aim of improving the family and carer members emotional and physical wellbeing. 

In order to increase options of service provision for family and carers a 6 week rolling structured group work program has been developed which includes topics such as :-

Substance misuse awareness

• Confidence Building
• Overdose/safer injecting awareness
• Alcohol Harm Reduction
• Relationships – managing conflict within the home.
• Anger management

Family and carers evaluate each group session and each 6 week programme is adapted using the evaluations to ensure topics and service delivery continues to be relevant and meet their need.

Documentation and self help leaflets developed by Carers accessing NECA Carers services are listed below:-

Carers Leaflet
Who Me

NTA Strategy and Useful Links – Carers
Parentline Information