As our ability to access our usual forms of exercise, hobbies and relaxation have been severely restricted due to various lockdown restrictions, we are having to be more creative and imaginative in ways we can use our down time. Some examples of things that can be purchased:

• Items that enable you to take a break within your home, for example: laptop, tablet, smart phone, garden furniture, hot tub, craft and hobby items, online classes, gym equipment, lego
• Broadband access or TV subscription
• The purchase of sitter services to give you time to yourself (in addition to statutory services and dependent on availability)
• Leisure opportunities that relieve stress and improve well being
• To pursue a hobby or take online classes
• Short Breaks within the UK

What can’t be funded?

• Services that should be provided by statutory services
• Retrospective purchases
• Breaks abroad

Information about you – the carer or young carer:

Please ensure that you provide accurate contact details and remember to notify us if there are any changes to your details. For young carer applications, please give telephone number of the parent/guardian and their name as well as the name of the young carer.

About the person you care for:

Information about the person you care for their age, health and relationship to you their carer.

Information about your caring situation and how you feel about your caring situation:

This section tells us a bit more about your caring situation. It is important that we know about how your caring role is impacting on you. These impacts may be because of changes to your caring situation or because of caring without adequate support in place or any other factor that might increase the likelihood of the caring situation breaking down. These might be changes in your health or the person you care for, changes in personal circumstances, sudden events, a change in working role, a recent hospital admission, COVID 19 etc

We also ask about the health and wellbeing of the person you are caring for.

If you are successful we will ask for this information again, after your short break/ activity, as part of an evaluation.

What you are applying for

Please provide as much detail about your planned purchase, remember to include:

• What type of purchase you are planning to make and how much it will cost
• How many people will benefit from the break and how many of them are carers/ young carers e.g. 2 adults caring for an elderly parent would be 2 carers or 2 young carers caring for a sibling would be 2 young carers
• If the person being cared for will also benefit e.g. garden furniture

There is additional space at the end of the application form for you to add any other information about your caring situation that you feel may help the panel decide.

Supporting statement:

If you are NOT currently registered with Carers of West Lothian, we will need you to provide confirmation that you are a carer. Your application MUST be supported by someone who knows you in a professional capacity, e.g. GP, Nurse, Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, Support Worker with a voluntary organisation etc. They must NOT be a family member or close friend.

It may be difficult for you to get the form completed by the professional. If this is the case, you can complete their details (with their permission) and ask them to email a supporting statement to office@carers-westlothian.com

Your application will not be considered without the supporting statement from a professional person.

• Funding for retrospective purchases will not be considered
• Carers must provide receipts by the provided deadline and funds not spent by then must be returned to Carers of West Lothian
• Awards will be paid straight into the carers bank account
• Carers agree to complete an evaluation after they have had their break
• If the application is for a young carer then a parent or guardian must also agree to the terms and conditions

We can only pay the grant into the carer’s bank account, a joint bank account or to a young carer’s parent or guardian (will only be made to the person who has signed the application).

• All applications must be submitted using the appropriate form online.  If you require any additional help with this please get in touch with us
• Applications will be assessed and you will be notified by email if we require further information and of the outcome
• All information provided on the application form must be true and accurate at the time of signing