Council outlines support for unpaid carers in new strategyBetter supporting unpaid carers

Date Added: 15/06/2022

Following a 14-week consultation, we have launched our Adult Carers Strategy for the next five years; from 2022 – 2027.

The strategy recognises the role that carers have in providing unpaid care and support to friends, family, and neighbours, and contains five priorities that we hope to put in place over the next five years to better support unpaid carers.

As a result of the consultation, the fifth priority of ‘A Life After Caring’ was added to reflect the needs of those carers whose caring role changes or ends. It was also adapted to include information on the voluntary and community sector services that we commission which are available to support carers and those they care for.

The strategy was developed with Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group (BLMK CCG), and coproduced with carers and voluntary and community organisations that deliver services and help represent the views of people they support.

As of 2020, Carers UK estimated that there were around 13.6 million people in the UK caring for someone else, with another 6,000 people taking on a caring responsibility every day. Locally it is estimated that 10 per cent of the population in Central Bedfordshire are unpaid carers.

Over 130 people took part in the consultation. The results are available at: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/consultation-results