Supporting People Services
Supporting Local People with Sight Loss to live Independently
This service is available to people living within the Caerphilly County Borough
The GAB Supporting People team aims to help people with severe sight loss to overcome difficulties they have so that they can live independent lives. This is a home-based service. We provide information, advice and practical support. The Supporting People project is intended to help people to remain at home, to be independent and to find solutions to the problems they meet because of their sight loss. The type of support we can offer may include :
- Managing budgets and accessing welfare benefits
- Helping someone to stay safely in their own home by using safety appliances, identifying risks and requesting repairs
- Ensuring people are safe from intruders and fire
- Helping people to comply with tenancy agreements
- Assistance with making and attending appointments
- Providing access to other services including further education, training, employment, health and social services
- Helping to ensure a healthy lifestyle by planning weekly meals and introducing to shopping schemes
- Helping people to maintain good relationships with neighbours, develop life skills and links with the local community
- Helping people to develop and maintain social relationships
- Helping people to use other agencies, such as Care and Repair or Dial a Ride
- Making sure people know what equipment can help their sight, accessing the Low Vision services and helping them use the equipment provided
- Assistance with completing forms and applying for concessions such as TV licences and Disability Badges
How Can Someone be Helped by the Supporting People Project?
People can be referred to GAB by a carer, a health visitor, social worker, an ophthalmic surgeon or low vision specialist. Or people can come directly to us.
We will then arrange a visit from one of our team who will do an assessment of what help is needed. If we are able to help we will agree a support plan that will make clear the assistance that we can give. A support worker will call for around an hour or two a week for several weeks to provide that support.
What People say about our Support Workers
"Wendy was brilliant. She organised a disabled car badge, sorted out my concessionary TV licence and even showed me how to get my shopping delivered each week. Next week she is introducing me to a new swimming group and everyone will have the same sort of sight problems as me so it won't matter if I come out with my shirt buttoned the wrong way!"
"Nina brought a big-button telephone over, programmed it for me so I can call my daughter easily and helped me get the British Telecom directory service for disabled people. She also showed me some talking watches. Fancy that! One had an American accent; just like having George Clooney on your wrist it was!"
"Trish introduced me to the Tesco Escort service. Fantastic it was. They helped me get everything I needed, packed my shopping away and they can even deliver it. Trish did say I could do my shopping on the internet and not even leave my home, but I said I quite liked spotting the two-for-one offers."