Carers Week 2025.

At Bettal we spend a lot of time talking about care and social care providers, but perhaps not enough time considering the hard work, dedication and love that many unpaid carers in the UK put in day in and day out. Carers week, 9-15 June 2025, is a good opportunity to put this right.

In the words of the carers week website:

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. It also helps people who don’t think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support.

Who is a carer?

While in social care settings a carer is an individual paid to provide physical, mental and social support to an individual, the meaning of the term carer, as used during carers week is a little different.

According to the UK government, , a carer is… someone who provides unpaid care for another person, usually a relative or friend, who is older, disabled, or seriously ill. This care is not provided professionally or through a voluntary organization.

Understanding the Contribution

It is hard to imagine the scale of unpaid care in the UK until you look at the figures. The Office for National Statistics released this data after the last census in 2021, which highlights the levels of unpaid care being provided at that time.

They identify how:

• 1.8 million people who provided 9 hours or less of unpaid care a week

• 678,000 people who provided 10 to 19 hours of unpaid care a week

• 483,000 people who provided 20 to 34 hours of unpaid care a week

• 552,000 people who provided 35 to 49 hours of unpaid care a week

• 1.5 million people who provided 50 or more hours of unpaid care a week

That is 5 million people of whom at least 2 million undertake unpaid care roles which are equivalent to, or longer than, a standard working week. It will, perhaps, come as no surprise that up until the age of 80 years old, females provide the majority of unpaid care.

The Kings Fund, identify that it is parents who are the main recipients of unpaid care accounting for about 40%, with partners and spouses making up a further 21%.

They also identify how just over half of the people in receipt of care from unpaid carers have a physical disability as well as that dementia, sight or hearing loss and chronic disease affect many care recipients.

Caring about Equality

The theme of this year’s carers week is “Caring About Equality.” Caring about equality shines a light on issues such as the altered life chances which adversely affect many people who are unpaid carers.

Did you know, for example, that unpaid carers often face an increased risk of:
• Poverty.
• Social Isolation.
• Poor Mental Health.
• Poor Physical Health?

As well as these issues their opportunities for things like education, jobs, and even personal relationships, are fewer than those of non-carers.

It does seem to be somewhat unfair and perverse how people who often selflessly give to others are denied some of the opportunities the rest of the population take for granted. This is why, in common with many other care related businesses, Bettal has signed up to the carers week wall to say that we care about equality for carers and how:

At Bettal we believe all forms of care and carers deserve more recognition in society at large and by politicians in particular.

We urge all of you to log on to the carers week website, and leave your own messages of support.

Resources for carers

If you are a carer, or you know someone who is, there are some useful resources available online by searching, using your, or their, home postcode.

It is also worth exploring the carers card, which gives access to support and discounts nationally for all unpaid carers.

Summary

Carers week is a good time to consider the contribution unpaid carers make to the life of the country. This is especially true of carers whose efforts go unnoticed as they care for others behind closed doors often out of sight even from their closest neighbours.

This carers week, Bettal urges you to show your support to any carers you might know through a phone call, or dropping in for a chat and by visiting the carers week website and leaving a message of support.

Bettal Quality Consultancy has a comprehensive and regularly updated suite of policies, procedures and risk assessments, including for recruitment and retention, to support busy registered managers and their teams in the provision of CQC compliant care.

Contact Bettal Quality Consultancy today to learn how our comprehensive and value for money policies and procedures can help you achieve successful care provision and CQC compliance.

To find out more please email us or call us on 01697 741411 to get started!

Peter Ellis MA MSc BSc(Hons) RN
Consultant, Bettal Quality Consultancy