Training for unpaid carers

County Durham Care Academy offer a range of support to help people kick start their career in care. 

Considering a career in care?

As an unpaid carer you know what it takes to make a positive impact on the lives of others and you may be interested in using your skills and experience to start a career care. The Care Academy can provide a range of support to help you.

There are lots of different roles depending on what you want to do, who you want to work with and where you'd like to work. We have lots of flexible ways for you to develop your skills and experience and opportunities for further training, promotion and progression.

Take a look at Training and Employment page to find out more at Training and employment in social care.

Training for your unpaid caring role

We work in partnership with Durham County Carers Support to provide training courses and events for unpaid carers.

This is a great way for you to gain knowledge and to meet other carers in a relaxed environment.

Courses range from practical help with caring such as Managing Medication, Infection Prevention and Control through to digital skills and areas that focus on your own wellbeing and development.

The Care Academy are working in partnership with Barclays Digital Eagles and Durham County Carers Support to offer access to carers to a platform called Digital Wings.

Durham County Carers Support

Durham County Carers Support also offer a variety of different services to local carers including: Durham County Carers Support

specialist advice and information
home visits or meet in a venue more suitable to the carer giving time to talk through the challenges and find solutions
practical help with completing forms, gaining benefits, grants and other funding
a listening ear, telephone, email and social media support plus counselling
support in meetings, referrals to specialist services, find ways through the maze of services
training, workshops and events promoting opportunities for peer support, gaining skills and knowledge
ensuring carers have a voice shaping services

Courses for unpaid family carers from Durham County Carers Support

Moving and assisting course for unpaid, family carers

A three hour course to provide carers with the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to carry out their caring role, in a safe and effective manner whilst reducing injury to the cared for.

This course is suitable for unpaid, family carers either living in County Durham or caring for someone living in County Durham.

The aim of the course

To develop the principles of safer handling to ensure the safety of the Carer and the cared for.
Be able to identify the areas of their body most vulnerable to damage when moving or handling people.
Know what preparations are necessary before attempting to move or lift someone.
Know the correct procedures for lifting and moving someone from a variety of positions.
To reduce injury to the carer such as back pain and musculoskeletal disorders, which can leave Carers unable to continue their caring role.

Course dates and times

Date	Time	Venue
To be confirmed	To be confirmed	To be confirmed

How to book

To request a place on this course please contact Contact County Durham Care Academy

Anticipatory Grief

This course will provide support to promote health and wellbeing (including cultural, religious, and spiritual needs) by helping carers to understand the impact of anticipatory grief and loss and to identify strategies to help them through this difficult time.

Anticipatory grief is common among people facing loss and in particular the death of a loved one, possibly someone they are caring for. Most people expect to feel grief after a death, but a carer could experience fear, anxiety, worry, anger and more, before the death of a loved one.

The aim of the course

This course will help carers identify what Anticipatory Grief is and understand the impact it could have on them as a carer and help them cope. It will provide knowledge of managing your own grief, focusing on your own needs, and finding a way forward.

What you will learn:

identifying what anticipatory grief is
seeing how it affects you
talking about its challenges
coping with change
validating the past, adjusting to the present, redefining the future
support services available

Course dates and times

Date	Time	Venue
TBC	TBC	Delivered online over Zoom

How to book

To express an interest in this course please Contact County Durham Care Academy

First aid for carers

This course will increase carers understanding on how to deal with first aid issues linked to the person they care for. It is suitable for unpaid, family carers either living in County Durham or caring for someone living in County Durham.

The course will cover the most common accidents and medical emergencies and will give carers the knowledge to be able to prioritise injuries, establish if something is seriously wrong and give immediate first aid.  Prompt and appropriate first aid, saves lives, can prevent a minor injury becoming a major one as well as reducing pain and scarring. It also makes everyone more risk aware and gives carers and those they are caring for peace of mind that they can help in a medical emergency.

The aim of the course

Cover life-saving skills
Improve Carers support network by introducing them to other Carers.
Reduce the number of unnecessary GP visits, hospital admissions and emergency telephone calls.

Course dates and times

Date	Time	Venue
Thursday 13 February 2025	10.00am - 1.00pm	Four Clocks Bishop Auckland

How to book

To request a place on this course please complete the First aid for Carers Form

Please note this form belongs to Durham County Carers Support.

Digital Wings training

This course is suitable for unpaid, family carers either living in County Durham or caring for someone living in County Durham.

The aim of the course

Digital Wings is a free training platform that offers a range of modules relating to digital skills that aim to increase digital confidence. There are a wide range of modules available in areas such as digital foundation skills, communicating online, being safe and legal online and keeping children safe online.

Benefits

Free training to improve your digital skills
Range of modules including those recommended by the Care Academy
Your own account to track your learning

How and when it will be delivered

Digital Wings is an online training platform. If you are interested please complete the form below to receive your unique code and web address:

Microsoft Form: E-Leaning in partnership with Barclay Wings and County Durham Carers Academy

Please note that this form has been provided by an external partner, and we are not responsible for the content, accessibility or data protection.

Positive Behavioural Support (PBS)

This course will provide an understanding of supporting an adult with a learning disability with behaviours you find challenging.

PBS is a workshop for families who care for adults with a learning disability with behaviours that are challenging. Carers will learn more about tools that could help them within their caring role and support the person they care for to live a better life.

This course is suitable for unpaid, family carers either living in County Durham or caring for someone living in County Durham.

Learning method

The course is delivered face to face over three sessions, the sessions are five hours.

What you will learn

By completing this course, you will cover

Session 1 - Introduction to (PBS)
Session 2 - PBS Tools and how to use them
Session 3 - Well-being support and catch up

What do carers who have been on the course say about it?

"I do feel that the course was really good - very comprehensive and it's really made me think about how best to help."
"Thank you so much! You have given me a little more confidence & hope for a little more peaceful future."

Course dates and times

Lunch is provided.

Date	Time	Venue
Tuesday 4 March 2025 Tuesday 11 March 2025 Tuesday 18 March 2025	10.00am to 3.00pm	Eastlea Community Centre, Seaham

How to book

To request a place on this course please complete Durham County Carers Support: Positive Behavioural Support form.

Paediatric First Aid training

To help carers of infants and young children to understand how to deal with first aid issues linked to the person they care for.

This course will cover the most common accidents and medical emergencies and will give carers the knowledge to be able to prioritise injuries, establish if something is seriously wrong and give immediate first aid. It will also show how to put children and infants into the recovery position, how to administer life-saving CPR and how to provide assistance for a variety of injuries and illnesses. Prompt and appropriate first aid, saves lives, can prevent a minor injury becoming a major one as well as reducing pain and scarring. It also makes everyone more risk aware and gives carers and those they are caring for peace of mind that they can help in a medical emergency.

The aim of the course

Cover life-saving skills.
Improve carers support network by introducing them to other carers.
Reduce the number of unnecessary GP visits, hospital admissions and emergency telephone calls.

Course dates and times

Carers only need to attend one half day session.

Date	Time	Venue
TBC	TBC	TBC

How to book

To express an interest in this course please Contact County Durham Care Academy

Everything in its Place

This course will help break the taboos that surround death and dying and support these conversations.

For carers who are thinking about death and dying and leaving their loved ones. Understandably we shy away from the topic and change the subject. The Everything in its Place project helps make talking about death and our own future wishes as easy as possible. If we don't talk about these things with those close to us, it can make it more difficult to cope for the dying and also for those who will be bereaved once the time comes. Getting Everything in Place now can make it all a little easier when the time comes.