Frequently, they don’t even consider themselves to be carers and risk falling under the radar, missing out on the support and services they need and deserve.
We owe carers a particular debt of gratitude, having had to navigate the additional stresses and complications of the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions on public life, which sometimes kept carers and people they were caring for apart or in isolation.
Fittingly, as we find ourselves once more in a largely open and unrestricted society, the theme for this year’s Carers Week (6-12 June) is 'Making caring visible, valued and supported'. It’s an opportunity to pay tribute to unpaid carers for all they are doing to support the loved ones in their lives, but also raise awareness of the networks and resources they can access to stay happy and healthy.
Caring responsibilities can come along unexpectedly and at any age. They also cut across increasingly diverse communities, which is why I am keen to encourage services and support which recognise all needs in the context of all backgrounds. There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to effective support – this is as true for carers as it is for those they care for.
That’s why I want to reaffirm my commitment to making sure all carers are visible and receive the information, support and recognition they need to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives.
As a government, we are investing up to £25 million to kick start a change in unpaid carer support services. We want this funding to identify and test a range of new and existing interventions, which could include respite care and breaks, peer group and wellbeing support, and new ways to combine these resources to maximise their impact.
You can find out more about reforming carer support and our wider plans for the future of social care in our white paper, published earlier this year: ‘People at the heart of care’. It’s a title which encapsulates what we want for anyone working in, with, or receiving support from the care sector. If we don’t put the individual’s needs, hopes and agency at the heart of reforms we fail in our aspirations to create a society where everyone feels visible, valued and supported. I am determined to work with the care sector - indeed, with anyone - to make this ambition a reality.