The support we provide

The Essence Service offers a wide range of practical and emotional support for people living with a mild to moderate dementia diagnosis and their carers.

Our service is person centred, all support plans are tailored to individual needs.

We have a dedicated team of Essence Support Workers, an Essence Phase 2 Carer Navigator, a dedicated Essence Information and Advice Officer, a Carers Lifestyle Worker who provides practical support to carers, an Activities Facilitator and activity Tutors please click here to meet our team.

Essence support available includes:

Phase 1 - Support for clients diagnosed with dementia and their carers

Phase 2 - Support for carers

Information & Advice Service - Benefit support for clients and carers

LifeStyle Service - Support for carers

Activities and Events - for clients and carers, delivered at the Essence Centre and at various outreach venues across the City of Sunderland

Phase 1 – Our team supports people with a mild to moderate dementia diagnosis and their carers providing:

  • Information and advice to help improve and maintain good health & wellbeing

  • Signposting to relevant organisations that will benefit individuals and carers living with a dementia diagnosis, such as legal and financial issues and many more.

  • Emotional support to help you understand and live positively with a dementia diagnosis

  • Peer support group facilitation to enable positive connections with people with lived experience of dementia – both for the person with dementia and their carers

  • A variety of activities that are designed to keep your mind and body active to help maintain independence and have fun! Click here to see our current activity timetable

  • Listening ear support for both people with dementia and their carers

  • Dementia awareness training for carers

Phase 2

  • Our phase 2 carer navigator provides practical, social and emotional support to those caring for someone with a dementia diagnosis with higher need, helping carers navigate to higher tier support available.

  • Our essence lifestyle worker provides practical support to those caring for someone with a higher level of need including light housework, shopping and companionship support.

Additional support available

The Essence service offers a free and confidential information and advice service for Essence clients and their carers that focusses on benefit entitlements and income maximisation. Please ask your support worker for more information.

Please see our leaflets for more information

What people who use the Essence Service say about their experience of support.

“Thank you very much for the work done to support my mother, your proactive approach, and the kind advice you have given me in recent years, which is much appreciated. Thank you.”
“I can't thank Essence enough for the support and all of the groups. I am enjoying the groups and don't know where we would be without you.”
"Thanks we really do appreciate your support and concern."
“I really appreciate the call, and speaking to someone who understands really helps.”
“Thank you for the call. It is so reassuring to know people are thinking about us.”
“Thank you again for all your support and advice since I’ve been back, I really do appreciate it.”

Healthwatch Sunderland

“It has been a great pleasure for our team to work in partnership with The Essence Service, service users, carers and staff over the past few years, but we feel this has been especially important over the past year, during the pandemic. We feel our relationship with The Essence Service is partnership working in Sunderland at its best – Thank you Essence Service!”
“We are so grateful for your help.”
"Fantastic support as always."
  • Make a referral
Complete our referral form online, submitting information direct to our team.
  • Get in touch
Call our confidential advice line on 0191 514 1131.

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