Unpaid carers - header image

Are you an unpaid carer?

Do you look after a family member, neighbour or friend who relies on you and needs your support?

If you provide emotional, physical, or practical support, whatever your age and whoever you look after, this could mean that you’re an unpaid carer. 

As an unpaid carer, you have a right to information, advice and assistance to help you in your caring role. There is support available to you.

Support for unpaid carers across the region includes the following: 

  • Providing welfare benefit advice 
  • Access to grants which can support you in your caring role 
  • Counselling services 
  • Specialist support dedicated to unpaid young carers, male carers, parent carers, and carers of people living with dementia 
  • Advice on accessing respite services and taking a break from your caring role 
  • Assistance with applying for Carers Assessments and Direct Payments (for more information on Carers Assessments and Direct Payments and how they can support you in your unpaid caring role, click the link below to your local Council’s web page). 

For information, advice and assistance if you are an unpaid carer aged 18+, please contact your local carers service:

If you are a young unpaid carer, you can receive tailored support from the following organisations in your area:

Across the region there are a number of opportunities for you to receive a break from caring. Find a short break – Carers Short Breaks Wales (shortbreaksscheme.wales) 

You can also find information and receive support from your local Councils:

Mental Health and Emotional Well-being support is also available via the following online resources:

  • SortedSupported: This is a new website designed to signpost adults to support services within our region and beyond – www.sortedsupported.org.uk
  • tidyMinds: This is the equivalent of SortedSupported for children and young people living in Neath Port Talbot or Swansea – www.tidyminds.org.uk

The following national resources are also helpful to unpaid carers:

Carers Trust also produced this video for Carers Rights Day 2024 – Carers Quiz Each Other on Their Rights | Carers Rights Day 2024

Unpaid Carers: Turning Vision into Action

On 17th September 2024, we hosted an event at Swansea.com Stadium, Unpaid Carers: Turning Vision Into Action, bringing together unpaid carers from across Neath Port Talbot and Swansea. The day provided a valuable forum for carers to discuss the key issues they face and learn about the range of support services available in the region. Joined by officials from local councils and the health board, the event highlighted the vital role of unpaid carers and underscored our commitment to supporting their needs. We’ve created a digital story documenting the day’s discussions and insights, capturing the voices of carers and showcasing the impact of this collaborative event.

West Glamorgan Carers Liaison Forum

If you would like to help shape and influence services and support for unpaid carers, you may be interested in joining the West Glamorgan Carers Liaison Forum.
 
Our Carers Liaison Forum brings unpaid carers and people who work with unpaid carers together to support the work of the West Glamorgan Regional Partnership. 

The vision is ‘To create a Forum where unpaid carers can create a collective voice, be heard and help make positive change to health and care services in the West Glamorgan Regional Partnership’.  

Specifically, the Forum aims to: 

  • recognise unpaid carers as the critical third support of the health and social care system
  • recognise unpaid carers as experts by experience
  • ensure it is representative of all types of unpaid carer
  • connect people and networks to one another
  • be an influential and valued voice in the West Glamorgan Regional Partnership, and be a critical friend
  • be a safe space where issues can be discussed and solutions found
  • inspire change for the benefit of all unpaid carers
  • be able to ask big questions and help find the answers
  • support more unpaid carers to participate and take on ‘Unpaid Carer Representative’ roles. 

How to get involved…

We have ‘Unpaid Carer Representative’ roles and opportunities for people to co-produce and co-design services. If you’d like to get involved, please get in touch…

Email Us!