Sign up now: Free six-week course for carers in North Somerset starting 26 September
This September, North Somerset Wellbeing is running a free, six-week course for carers (18 years and over) who provide support to adults living in North Somerset.
The Wellbeing for Carers: Looking After Yourself course will support carers in understanding their own mental health needs and those of the person they care for. Over six weeks, you’ll explore topics such as coping skills and emotional resilience, as well as having a safe and confidential space to share your experiences and meet other carers.
The course starts on Thursday 26 September, 10am to 12.30pm at:
4 Boulevard
Weston-super-Mare
BS23 1NA
Booking is essential – fill in our online booking form to save your space.
“It can be a very positive and rewarding experience to know you are helping someone else but it’s important to look after you too!” says Gemma Sparks, Wellbeing Service Tutor. “We have developed a course for carers with the aim of supporting them to share their experiences, learn new coping skills and improve their emotional resilience in a safe and supportive group environment.”
“Doing this course gives carers help & support for us to carry on” – Carers course learner
The six sessions will cover:
Week 1, Thursday 26 September: Thoughts, feelings and challenges
We will explore the impact that caring can have on your own mental health and wellbeing and the importance of being able to identify and understand emotions associated with this. This session will also focus on ways we can begin to build our emotional resilience.
Week 2, Thursday 3 October: Identity and coping with change
We will focus on the impact that a caring role can have on our own identities and relationships and look at ways we can reconnect with ourselves and others. This session will also explore how to cope with change.
Week 3, Thursday 10 October: Compassion fatigue and burnout
This session will focus on secondary trauma among carers and explore experiences of compassion fatigue and burnout and ways to manage and avoid this.
Week 4, Thursday 24 October: Establishing and maintaining boundaries in the caring role
We will look at what boundaries are, why they are important and how we can establish and implement them to support our wellbeing and the wellbeing of those we care for.
Week 5, Thursday 31 October: Self-care for carers
We will focus on the importance of self-care for your mental health and wellbeing and ways we can practice self-care.
Week 6, Thursday 7 November: Navigating the system
We will bring together what’s been covered throughout the course and focus on carers’ rights and what support is available.
Cover image by Matthias Zomer on Pexels