Carers Trust supports a network of 130 local carer services right across the UK. These carer services are a lifeline to many unpaid carers, offering services in almost 90% of local authority areas in the UK.
Last year these services collectively reached 1.1 million carers, providing them with grants, funded respite breaks, peer support groups and programme support.
Without these services, many carers would not be able to go on caring for family members and friends.
So it’s essential we regularly monitor the health of the network to understand the pressures and challenges local carer services are facing.
The Carers Trust Network Data Exchange – and what it tells us about local carer services
Every year, Carers Trust surveys the local carer organisations that make up our UK-wide network of support for unpaid carers. We call this survey the ‘Network Data Exchange (NDE)’. Our latest NDE survey covers the period from 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024.
See the key findings in our infographic
This year’s NDE survey lays bare how many local carer services are struggling to cope with soaring demand from carers for their services while their resources to provide support are shrinking.
Put simply, more carers require ever more complex support. But many carer services have insufficient staffing and funding to cope with the increased demand. These pressures are unsustainable and are pushing local carers organisations to the limit.
Our survey findings reveal how this funding and resources mismatch is driving the closure of specialist services. Many local carer services are increasingly struggling to recruit and retain skilled support workers.
Key findings (UK)
Demand from carers for support services and overall reach increased in 2023/24 (up 4%), but capacity to provide services fell (down 3%).
Local carer organisations are struggling due to increased financial pressures:
- 13% real terms reductions in the value of contracts for local carer services to support carers since 2021/22;
- Local carer organisations are only getting an average of £91 statutory funding a year to support each carer on their books.
- The terms of statutory core contracts being offered to local carer services have become increasingly difficult to meet. Half of all contracts have either been cut in value, or have not been increased in 2023/24.
- Difficulties recruiting and retaining staff.
- As a result of these worsening pressures, the vast majority (80%) of local carer services have seen a growth in the needs of carers going either unsupported or not being met at all.
We believe every carer should have help readily accessible to them, whoever and wherever they are. So we will always work hard to support local carer services to thrive.
As this report shows all too clearly, however, these services are facing an ever more uncertain future. Unless national and local decision-makers take urgent action now, the pressures outlined above could result in the permanent loss of many existing support services for carers.
This would be a tragedy at a time when more, not less, support for carers is needed to meet soaring demand.