Receiving support from an advocate can be really useful in helping you to express your views and wishes. They can make sure that your voice is heard.

This guide outlines how you can access advocacy support in Sheffield.

It’s really important to us that carers and young carers are recognised as experts in the important care they provide to our service users.

Our Carers and Young Carers Charter outlines our commitment to carers and how we will ensure you are listened to and involved in the care of your loved on.

You can take a look at the charter by clicking here.

A carers assessment is for adult carers aged 18 or over and looks at how their role as a carer is impacting on their life.

A young carers assessment is for carers under the age of 18 and looks at their needs and the needs of their family to determine if they need any support to make their life easier.

You can find out more about carers and young carers assessments by clicking here.

We’ve put together a checklist that you can use to check if you have received all the information you need as a carer.

If you read through the checklist and there is something that you haven’t received just get in touch with the team and we can help point you in the right direction.

To download the checklist, click here.

Your loved one may be being cared for by one of our Recovery Teams, which are also known as Community Mental Health Teams.

We’ve put together a guide to help explain the role of a community team and how they care for your loved one. It also explains what the Care Programme Approach is.

This short guide runs through your rights regarding confidentiality and information sharing.

If your loved one has been admitted to hospital under the Mental Health Act this short guide talks you through everything you need to know, and explains things like the Mental Capacity Act, Lasting Power of Attorney, Advance Decisions and Powers of Attorney.

We offer a variety of support groups for carers and young carers. These groups are based with our individual services and include:

• Forest Lodge’s Carers’ Forum
• EIS Relatives’ Group
• Gender Identity Service’s Family Support Group
• Memory Service’s START programme
• Chaplaincy Carers’ Support Group
• START’s Families in Recovery Service

If you would like find out more about any of these groups please email engage@shsc.nhs.uk

This guide provides you with links to further information on a range of mental health conditions, and the medication that your loved one may have been prescribed as part of their care.

If you need support as a carer or young carer there are lots of local and national organisations who can offer advice. This guide lists the different options available to you, as well as groups that you can attend.