Supporting carers: Guidance and case studies

Councils in England receive 1.8 million new requests for adult social care a year – the equivalent of nearly 5,000 a day – and despite some helpful extra funding there is still a £3.5 billion funding gap facing adult social care by 2025 just to maintain existing standards of care. Despite these tremendous pressures this publication demonstrates current examples of how councils support adult and young carers locally in a range of different ways from respite breaks to discount cards to tailored information and advice.

Key statistics

• 1 in 10 people are carers
• 40 per cent increase in carers predicted over next 20 years
• £132 billion worth of care provided by carers
• 1 in 5 carers are aged over 65
• 1.4 million carers provide over 50 hours of care a week
• 7 in 10 have suffered mental ill health and 6 in 10 physical ill health from caring
• 166,363 young carers in England – a fifth higher than a decade previously
• 1 in 12 young carers is caring for more than 15 hours a week
• 1 in 20 misses school because of their caring responsibilities
• young carers are 1.5 times more likely to have a long-term illness, special educational needs or a disability
• there are 670,000 unpaid carers of people with dementia in the UK
• two thirds of people with dementia live at home and most are supported by unpaid carers.

The following case studies show how local authorities are supporting carers across England. It identifies the challenges authorities face and how they address them, often in partnership. It highlights the impact of services and lessons learned that will be of interest to all councils. The case studies were compiled following discussions with the lead officers and members in the areas.