Research from the Centre for Care has shown that the number of unpaid carers in Britain was risen significantly over the past 10 years.
They have compiled data from the last two censuses that shows:
- There are approximately 5 million unpaid carers nationally
- The care work of these carers has an economic value of £162 billion (essentially a second NHS)
- Unpaid carers are highly likely to not be in employment (48.7% nationally) and to be living with a disability themselves (28% nationally)
The Centre for Care have created a dashboard that allows you to find your local statistics for each local authority area in England and Wales (in two-tier council areas this is provided at district level).
ALDC has worked with the Centre for Care to produce the below template Council Motion that uses these local figures to call for a number of council actions to develop a strategy to support unpaid carers – both in terms of skills, jobs and finances but also to ensure they can access the health and well-being support that they need.
You can copy and adapt the below motion using the dashboard data:
Council notes that:
- Unpaid carers – people who provide care for family members, friends and neighbours with illness, disability or age-related needs – are vital to our health and care system. Census 2021 data suggest around 5 million people in England and Wales are unpaid carers, providing care valued at around £162 billion per year, nearly equivalent to a second NHS.
- Evidence compiled by the Centre for Care, as well as wider research, shows that as hours of unpaid care increase, carers are more likely to experience poor health and to be out of paid work, and that many carers remain “hidden” and miss out on support.
- The Centre for Care has developed an Unpaid Care dashboard, using data from both the 2011 and 2021 census, to accurately show for each local authority area who is providing unpaid care, how many hours they provide care for and the impact on their health, employment as well as the economic value of their care.
- The data shows there are at least [XX,XXX] unpaid carers in [AREA NAME]. Of these unpaid carers [XX%] are not in work, [XX%] themselves are registered as disabled and [XX%] are in poor health. Since the 2011 census the number of unpaid carers in [AREA NAME] has increased by [XXXX].
Council believes that:
- This Council should use the best available evidence to understand unpaid care in [AREA NAME] and to plan services and support, including our Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), Health and Wellbeing Strategy, and Carers Strategy.
- A dashboard-informed local profile of unpaid carers, including comparisons with national averages and with neighbouring or similar councils, is a practical tool to help councillors, officers, the NHS and local carers’ organisations to target support where it is most needed.
- Improving the health and wellbeing of unpaid carers, and supporting carers to remain in good, secure employment where they wish to, are essential to preventing crisis for both carers and the people they care for.
- Understanding and addressing inequalities in who provides unpaid care and who accesses support – including by age, sex, disability, ethnicity and deprivation – should be central to this Council’s approach.
Council therefore resolves to:
- Commission a concise “Unpaid Carers in [AREA NAME]” profile within the next [X] months, to:
- Capture the local unpaid carer population (numbers, hours of care, age, sex, disability, health, education and employment);
- Compare [AREA NAME] with England and Wales as a whole and with appropriate neighbouring or similar areas; and
- Highlight key inequalities and changes since 2011.
- Publish this profile in an accessible format and present it to:
- the Health and Wellbeing Board;
- the relevant scrutiny committee(s); and
- a Carers Partnership or similar forum, including local carers’ organisations and carers with lived experience.
- Use the findings of the profile to refresh the Council’s Carers Strategy and action plan (or equivalent) within 12 months, ensuring that unpaid carers and local carers’ organisations are involved in co-design, and that the strategy includes specific commitments on:
- carers’ health and wellbeing;
- carers’ employment, skills and financial security; and
- better identification and recognition of unpaid carers.
- Ensure that the health and wellbeing of unpaid carers is reflected in the JSNA and Health and Wellbeing Strategy by:
- identifying groups of carers at greater risk of poor health (for example those providing 35+ or 50+ hours of care a week, disabled carers, and young carers);
- working with NHS partners, including the Integrated Care Board and primary care, to improve access to preventative support and breaks for those groups.
- Use dashboard evidence on carers’ employment to:
- identify which groups of carers locally are least likely to be in paid work or in good quality work;
- work with local employers and anchor institutions to promote carer-friendly employment practices (including flexible working and carers’ leave)
- Improve the identification and recognition of unpaid carers by:
- working with GP practices, schools and colleges, social care teams and voluntary/community organisations to develop and promote clear referral and signposting routes into support, informed by dashboard demographics;
- ensuring Council communications and frontline services use inclusive language that helps people recognise themselves as carers and know where to go for advice and support.