Carers

An informal/unpaid carer is:

“someone who provides unpaid help to a friend or family member needing support, perhaps due to illness, older age, disability, a mental health condition or an addiction”, “so long as they are not employed to do so.”

(Source: “How can we improve support for carers”,  The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC))

Census 2021 data report 4.7 million unpaid carers over 5 years old in England with 2.8% (131,000) of unpaid carers providing 50 or more hours of unpaid care a week (Source: ONS). 

Across England, 10.3% of the population are female unpaid carers, 7.6% male (Source: ONS). However, male caregivers are four times more likely than their female counterparts to experience social isolation, and young carers face an even greater risk of becoming isolated (Source: Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)).   Additionally, deprivation plays a significant role, with 10.1% of people in the most deprived areas providing unpaid care, compared to just 8.1% in the least deprived areas (Source: ONS).

There is a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of a person in a caring role. Burdens intensify as hours of caring increase, and with the extent of the caring role over time. (Source: Carers UK State of Caring 2023).

Mental health concerns are acute, with carers feeling stressed, anxious, depressed and lonely.  Over a third (36%) of those with poor mental health report thoughts of self-harm or suicide. 69% of carers report finding it difficult to get a good night’s sleep and half (54%) report a deterioration of physical health. This alongside the fact that 44% of carers said they had put off health treatment because of their caring role (missed opportunities for care, increasing waiting lists, delays in diagnoses, compound health problems) (Source: Carers UK State of Caring 2023).

A considerable number of carers give up employment in duty to their cared for. This often leads to foregoing Further or Higher Education, with direct impacts on short and long-term financial wellbeing due to loss of earnings, pensions contributions, etc. 

80% of carers have feelings of loneliness or isolation. There are often difficulties finding replacement care, social attitudes to caring and those cared for, changing relationships between carer and cared for, and poor mental health (Source: Carers UK).

Financially, a third (32%) of carers in receipt of Universal Credit with Carer Element are in debt because of caring compared with 14% of all carers. (Source: Carers UK)

To support unpaid carers requires identification at the earliest opportunity, clear recognition by health and care professionals, employers, and education. Increased access to information, advice, practical help, financial support and emotional support. We achieve this by making every carer eligible for a formal carer’s assessment. 

NICE Guideline: Supporting adult carers [NG150], January 2020. Support for adults that provide unpaid care (aged 16 and over) with health or social care needs. Guidance for health and social care practitioners to identify carers then provide information and support. It covers carers assessments; practical, emotional and social support; training, and support for carers providing end of life care.  

The 2022 Adult Social Care reform white paper: People at the Heart of Care: adult social care reform white paper. A 10-year vision for adult social care, and a range of policies to be developed, including those which will help ‘empower those who draw on care, unpaid carers and families’.

The Care Act 2014 (effective April 2015) outlines how local authorities should carry out a carer’s assessment and how to determine eligibility. The Care Act relates mainly to adults in need of care and support, and their adult carer. There are some provisions for the transition of children in need of care and support, parent carers of children in need of care and support, and young carers. The main provisions for pre-transition groups are outlined in the Children and Families Act 2014.

The Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy for Lincolnshire highlights Carers as a priority area of the strategy and outlines key objectives to address related issues.

Lincolnshire hosts 70,391 unpaid carers, 24,206 of which (3.3%) provide “50 or more hours unpaid care a week”.

Information about Lincolnshire carers is obtained from the Survey of Adult Carers in England (SACE), Adult Social Care Client Level Data (Adult Social Care CLD), the Personal Social Services Survey of Adult Carers and the National Census.

In Lincolnshire, the highest proportion of unpaid carers reside in East Lindsey, the lowest in South Kesteven. There is a correlation with high levels of deprivation and an older age profile in the east of the county. (Source: ONS)

Adult Social Care CLD data show almost three quarters of Lincolnshire’s unpaid carers are white-British, although some respondents choose not to record their ethnicity so the actual figure may be higher.

A caring role can significantly impact a carer’s own health and wellbeing.  A significant number of Lincolnshire carers have a long-standing illness, physical impairment, or disability of their own. Only around half of Lincolnshire carers say that they look after themselves well in terms of sleep and eating, with almost a quarter developing a new health condition or experiencing worsening of an existing condition. A high proportion of carers report feeling tired, depressed or stressed, yet less than a fifth had visited a GP. It is vital to have effective pathways and services to provide support and prevent carer breakdown.

We must regard data as likely underestimates. There are many reasons, such as many carers do not understand themselves to be carers, and men are less likely to identify as a carer or seek help, there are those already in isolation and depression that have not found services, or services have not found them (Greenwood and Smith).

Support for Carers in Lincolnshire

Carers are a key priority for the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS) . A Carers Steering Group oversees implementation of a Delivery Plan, with clear governance and accountability to the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB).

Commissioned Support Services

Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) commissions a range of support services for carers. These services include:

• Information and advice
• Support for emergency care planning
• Carers assessments

LCC and Carers UK partner to provide free Digital Resources for Carers, with guidance on health and wellbeing, working while caring, nutrition and technology.

Online Support and Peer Networks

The Connect to Support Lincolnshire platform features dedicated carers information comprising links to respite care, financial support, and the carer’s assessment. A variety of digital resources are supported by trained carer volunteers who offer peer-to-peer assistance.

Lincolnshire Carers Service

Lincolnshire Carers Service promotes the health and wellbeing of unpaid carers aged 16 and over. With aims to prevent, reduce, or delay the need for formal care services for the person being cared for. The service is commissioned by LCC and delivered in partnership with the Care & Wellbeing Hub and Carers First.

Carers Assessments and Financial Support

The Lincolnshire Carers Service carry out statutory carers assessments. Assessments identify support that a carer may need. This assessment is not a ‘needs assessment’, which would relate to the needs of the ‘cared for’. Eligible carers may receive a Carer Personal Budget and guidance for this is available at GOV website.  The Lincolnshire Carers Service works to identify and support ‘hidden carers’ – those who may not recognise themselves as carers or understand the help available.

Mental Health

The Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) provides resources for carers supporting someone with mental health issues or substance misuse problems. These include:

• Information on identifying as a carer
• Newsletters and leaflets
• Carers’ rights and advocacy
• Self-care guidance and local support groups
• Details about the orange lanyard scheme for carers visiting hospital wards

Beacon works with individuals and families who are affected by substance use.  They offer one-to-one sessions, support groups or activities and bespoke support. They aim to help create resilience, gain a wider understanding of substance use and give practical, proven methods to help carers to cope.

Support for Working Carers

Employers for Carers, managed by Carers UK, helps employers support staff with caring responsibilities. LCC is an umbrella member of this initiative, and the Lincolnshire Carers Service leads on the Lincolnshire Employment Programme for Carers, working with local organisations to raise awareness, support working carers, and help employers establish carer-friendly workplace policies and networks.

State of Caring 2023 is an independent Carers UK survey where a total of 11,667 carers and former carers took part. Many carers had not received treatment for their own health conditions due to their caring role, with a large percentage of carers stating that they continued to provide care even though they felt at breaking point.

Despite significant communications and information sharing with carers, a high proportion do not ‘reach out for support’ until they are struggling to cope. Some carers have told the Lincolnshire Carers Service that reaching out for help represents a failure to cope and is not something they want to even consider. Others may not recognise themselves as carers but consider caring their ‘duty’ to a loved one. 

The members of the Carers Steering Group have collaborated to produce the Carers Delivery Plan which sets out the actions for each organisation and monitors the progress made.

Identification – We need to be able to help people to identify themselves as a carer earlier in their caring role.  Recent co-production work in Lincolnshire showed that carers want professionals to be better educated on the impact of the caring role.

Financial Support – Carers need support to understand the benefits that are available to them along with financial advice.

Employment – Carers often do not know their rights in the workplace.

Physical activity – Carers face social isolation and less physical activity outside of their caring. 

A local carers strategy – Lincolnshire County Council are in the process of developing a carers strategy.

Lincolnshire remains dedicated to enhancing support for unpaid carers, working collaboratively across various communication platforms to ensure that essential information reaches everyone—not just those with digital access to organisations or social media.

It is also recognised that professionals are a key person in helping people to identify themselves as carers.  It is equally important to make sure that all professionals are aware of who could be an unpaid carer, their importance to looking after the cared for person, and the information that person might need to support them with their caring role to better look after themselves. 

To support an integrated approach to the identification and support of Carer’s health and wellbeing needs in Lincolnshire, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by key organisations within Lincolnshire who have all committed to making Lincolnshire a place where carers are recognised, supported and valued as individuals with their own health and wellbeing needs, and are treated as equal and respected partners in their caring role.  Together, the members of the ‘Carers Steering Group’ have committed for 2025-2026 to a number of actions which will be monitored and reviewed throughout the year to meet the objectives of the Lincolnshire Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Carers. 

Key areas of work include:

• A communications plan to reach greater numbers of carers and help with self-identification, including Young Carers.
• To continue to work in partnership to identify unpaid carers at the earliest opportunity, including the education of professionals in the support available to unpaid carers.
• The continued development of the ‘Information and Advice’ to carers about available support.
• Co-production work to review the language used by organisations to ensure it is user friendly and consistent throughout.
• To promote the use of digital opportunities to support unpaid carers with their caring role.
• For the Lincolnshire Carers Service to continue to support unpaid carers within Lincolnshire.