Penrith: 01768 890280 Carlisle: 01228 580214

1. What it means to be an unpaid Carer

A Carer (often referred to as unpaid, informal or family carer) is someone who helps out someone else (usually a friend or relative) in their day-to-day life.

A Carer is anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid.

The Care Act 2014 identifies a Carer as 'an adult who provides or intends to provide care for another adult'. Additionally, the Children and Families Act 2014 recognises 'persons under 18 who provide or intend to provide care for another person of any age (except where that care is provided for payment, pursuant to a contract or as voluntary work)'.

Types Of Carers

Adult Carers

Adult Carers care for other adults over the age of 18. This includes adults caring for their adult children.

Young Carers

Young Cares are 18 or under. They can care for their parent, their own child, a sibling, another family member, a friend or someone who does not necessarily live in the same house as them. We support Young Carers from the age of 5.

Parent Carers

Parent Carers are those caring for a disabled child or young person under the age of 18. Parents will often see themselves primarily as parents, however their child will have additional care needs and may be entitled to additional services.

Working Carers

Working Carers are people in full or part-time employment, who also provide care for another person. Supporting Carers to remain in work can bring considerable benefits to Carers themselves, employers and the wider economy.

Sandwich Carers

Sandwich Carers have more than one caring responsibility; for example, Carers could be caring for two family members, such as an elderly relative and a dependent child or a spouse (Carers UK 2012).

The Office, Mardale Road, Penrith, CA11 9EH Telephone: 01768 890280 Moorhouse Courtyard, Warwick–on-Eden, CA4 8PA Telephone: 01228 580214

When we support a Carer we will hold information. To view our Policy Statement about what data we collect & how it is stored please read our Privacy Policy. For information on how we collect personal information about you, how we use it and how you can interact with us about it please read our Data Protection Notice.

Support