Prevention with carers
Carers UK predicts the number of unpaid carers needed to support people living in their own homes in the UK will increase from 6.5 million to nine million by 2037 (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2017).
Carers contribute £132 billion a year to the UK economy. They are often key to people being able to maintain their independence and stay living at home or within their family. However, being a carer can have an impact on their employment, personal finances, social life, relationships and their mental and physical wellbeing.
The contribution carers make in the UK was recognised in:
- the Care Act 2014 in England
- the Social Services and Well-Being (Wales) Act 2014 in Wales
Prevention services for carers are aimed at supporting people to continue this role whilst also helping them to access other activities outside their caring role. Support may involve:
- information and signposting carers to access services in other organisations, including advocacy support to enable carers to speak up for themselves effectively
- enabling carers to manage caring alongside paid employment, training or education
- promoting services that enable carers to take part in social, leisure or self-care activities.
Find out more:
Useful resources, research and service examples
Making choices, being informed
- Carers Week and the importance of research
- Supporting carers: the commissioner
- Prevention Matters
- Thurrock Local Area Co-ordination
- Carers Support Service - Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
Promoting independence and wellbeing
- The role of carers and families in reablement
- Reablement: a guide for families and carers; At a Glance 54
- Revitalise Respite Holidays
- Support for carers with mental health in Wales - Hafal (Wales)
Connecting individuals and communities
- The Carers Centre for Brighton and Hove – Male Carers Support Group
- Carers support service - Caerphilly County Borough Council
Support for a life outside the caring role
Work with carers in England
See SCIE's work with Carers in England.
Work with carers in Wales
Before the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 was introduced, no statutory framework in Wales existed to enact preventative social care support for adults.
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is underpinned by a preventative, person-centred approach to improving wellbeing, promoting the prevention of escalating need, and making sure the right support is available at the right time for those who need it.
Social Care Wales rapid review of evidence
Social Care Wales commissioned SCIE to draw on key recent research and reports, and produce a rapid review to identify emerging good practice, new models or innovation in adult carers support, and particularly, support that reflects a preventative approach.
It includes reference to selected examples of services and interventions from Wales and England that have been shown to address identified carer needs, and improve outcomes and carer satisfaction.
The focus is on the range of support for adult carers – people aged 18 years old or above who care on an unpaid basis for disabled, frail or ill family members including children, friends or neighbours.
SCIE has collated different preventative approaches across Wales to demonstrate the variety of support available locally to carers, e.g. the Carer Emergency Scheme, Ceredigion Carers Resilience and Wellbeing programme, and ‘time out’ respite scheme.
