A new way to talk about unpaid care
Read our report here Read our framing guide here
There are well over five million people in the UK providing unpaid care for a family member or friend. This number will only increase as people continue to live longer, increasing the number of people needing care.
Eight out of ten people believe that providing unpaid care is as valuable as paid work, but this societal value does not translate into wider public support, action or investment. Only 55% believe they are getting the support they need from the Government for their caring role.
That leaves millions of carers suffering from a lack of support for their caring role – a role that will affect the vast majority of us over our lifetimes, either as a carer or as a person being cared for.
Our opportunity to increase Government investment and public support for carers
Baroness Casey’s Commission is due to report in 2028. The Commission will provide recommendations for the long-term transformation of adult social care in England, including how to deliver a National Care Service that’s fair and affordable.
We need to ensure this reform includes greater support for both unpaid carers and the local carer services that support unpaid carers across the UK.
To have the best possible chance of building greater support for carers, we need to transform the way we talk about carers.
Our research and guide will help change the way we talk about carers
This is why Carers Trust has undertaken research into existing public perceptions of carers, and how we can change, or reframe, the way we as a society talk about carers. This work was led by Carers Trust and supported by the Health Foundation and Oxfam GB.
Changing the narrative is the vital first step towards changing public perceptions of caring as an issue that affects all of us, just like health. We want society to see caring as a universal experience. And once we understand that caring affects all of us, that’s when we as a society will demand greater Government support for all carers.
Because good care is supported care.
Join sector leaders, researchers and carers for this webinar exploring why the way we talk about unpaid care needs to change, and how new evidence-based framing can help shift public understanding and drive real impact.
Find out more:
Read our report and accompanying guide that make the case for reframing the way we talk about care.
Read our blog ‘It’s time to talk differently about unpaid care’, written by Rohati Chapman, Executive Director for Programmes, Policy and Impact at Carers Trust.
This work was led by Carers Trust and supported by the Health Foundation and Oxfam GB.