A carer is someone of any age who provides unpaid support to family or friends who could not manage without this help. This could be caring for a relative, partner or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems.

Carers may even be juggling paid work with their unpaid caring responsibilities at home. The term carer should not be confused with a care worker, or care assistant, who receives payment for looking after someone.

If you are a carer, your local Carers’ Centre may be able to help make things easier for you. Each centre delivers a wide range of local support services to meet the needs of carers in its community. These range from support services catered to the carer, the needs of the person you care for and the services your council may provide.