Key Facts
About Carers
How many carers are there?
According to Carers UK there are 6.5 million carers in the UK. That’s 1 in 8 people. With over 1 million of these people caring for more than 1 person. Young people are taking on caring roles too. The Children's Commissioner found in 2018 that amongst a typical classroom of 30 children:
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25% have a parent with mental health problems
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2% live in a household where both parents have serious mental health problems
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2% care for their parent(s) or siblings
The contribution of carers
Our health and social care system relies on carers, and saves the UK economy £132 billion a year according to Carers UK. Despite the huge contribution of carers, many carers feel unvalued.
Here in Lambeth the 2011 census found that there are over 20,000 unpaid carers living in the borough, with 4,270 of these carers supporting people between 20 and 49 hours and a further 3,172 supporting people for 50 hours or more.
The impact of caring on carers
Caring can impact all aspects of carers’ lives. These statistics from Carers UK give a snapshot of the wide variety of issues facing carers.
Managing at home
Carers can feel stretched to the limit when juggling all of their responsibilities. Over a third of carers (38%) are caring 100 hours+ a week.
Managing stress
Over 54% of carers reported suffering depression and 83% of carers experience more stress as a result of caring.
Education and Career
1 in 5 carers have been forced to give up work due to caring.
Relationships
61% of carers report worrying about their relationships with family and friends as a result of caring.
Money worries
30% of carers have seen their household income drop by £20,000 or more annually.
Confidence
47% help the person they care for deal with care services and benefits, which can be tough to navigate.
Having fun
4 in 10 carers said that they hadn't had a full day off from their caring role in over a year.
Poor health
Carers who provide 24/7 care are more than twice as likely to be in bad health.
How we are addressing these needs
At Carers' Hub Lambeth we focus on four key objectives to help us make life better for carers in Lambeth. All of our projects and services are designed to address at least one of these areas. Read below to find out more or get in touch with one of the team.
Improve wellbeing
Caring for a loved one, family member, friend or neighbour, can have a significant impact on all aspects of a carer's life. Through peer support groups and one-to-one appointments, our dedicated and passionate team work with carers aged 5 and up to help overcome a range of challenges, including: managing at home; finances; caring with confidence; education and employment; physical health; and emotional wellbeing.
Increase connections
There’s a lot of support on offer in Lambeth, but these things can be difficult to find. We’re here to fill those gaps. We provide information on training courses, local services and help carers build connections with each other and their community. We also help professionals working with carers to connect with one another, through our Carers Collaborative Network.
Raise awareness
We believe that caring is everybody’s business. We work hard to raise awareness through outreach in the local community, social media and through our partnerships. Our Carers Strategy Development Manager enables carers and our partners working in Lambeth to have a meaningful input to the development of a carers strategy in the borough.
Influence
We believe that the development of local policy, practice and services that affect carers should take carers’ experiences into account. For this reason, we host a range of workshops and forums for carers to make their voices heard throughout the year. Our Carers' Strategy Development Manager plays a key role in the development and delivery of the Lambeth Carers' Strategy.