Market overview: support for carers
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Overview
A carer is anyone, child or adult, who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, mental health or substance use and cannot cope without their support. They do not get a wage for the care they give, although they may get welfare benefits for caring.
There are more than 45,000 adult carers, 9% of whom are working, and 2,000 young carers in Bradford District and Craven. Carers in Bradford District and Craven are estimated to contribute the equivalent of nearly £162bn annually to the local health and social care economy.
We have Carers Strategy which sets out the changes and improvements in support for carers’ we and our partners hope to bring about over the five years between 2024 and 2029. You can find it on our website Carers Strategy 2024 – 2029.
We have a newly established Carers’ Partnership Board that covers all carers (aged 18+) supporting adults with care and support needs or who are parent carers. The Board provides oversight and leadership and has carer representation to ensure carers voices inform the design and delivery of services.
Current situation
Bradford Council commissions a comprehensive carer support service, provided by Carers’ Resource which runs until April 2028, with options to extend by up to two years. The service includes:
- Raising carer awareness of unpaid carers
- One-to-one advice and guidance
- Support groups and social activities
- Wellbeing grants to relieve stress and support carers’ health
- Help with employment, training and education
- Help with complex cases, planning for emergencies and accessing breaks
- Linking with the Neighbourhood Connecter Teams promoting a whole family person centred approach.
- A Care Navigator team based in Bradford Royal Infirmary and Airedale Hospital who work with carers during hospital discharge, to make sure the right support is in place and carers know what help is available.
- Digital inclusion support to help unpaid carers build confidence using technology.
- An Emotional Resilience and Wellbeing call service to provide emotional support to carers.
We also support carers through access to respite and breaks.
- Alternatives to Respite – this is a service that helps carers to plan respite through holidays, activities and day trips. This is under contract until 2027.
- West Yorkshire Carers Break Service – (“The Caring Kind Project”) this service works hospitality, tourism, culture and leisure businesses to identify break opportunities that they will offer free of charge to carers, connecting carers to breaks through a digital platform. This is funded through the national Accelerating Reform Fund.
Future demand
The Carers Strategy 2024–2029 highlights that many carers do not identify themselves as carers, so improving awareness and early identification; especially among working carers, parent carers, and carers from ethnically diverse communities, is a key priority.
The strategy outlines our other key priorities which includes ensuring our service are culturally appropriate, reaching out to carers who are isolated, respite provision, listening to carers, ensuring good information is available to carers and ensuring professionals and services are working together.
A Carers delivery plan is in place to support the Council to meet the priorities set out in the Carers Strategy, covering areas including raising carer awareness, culturally appropriate support, digital inclusion, and access to respite.
It is important that all our providers play a role in supporting carers in the District. This includes:
- Helping carers to recognise the role they are playing in someone’s life and sharing information on where to go to get support.
- Listening to carers of people they support, valuing their views and recognising their expertise.
- As an employer there is an opportunity to support carers. Organisations need to become carer aware and adopt carer aware approaches as a way to retain experienced staff.
Commissioning intentions
A full sector review of respite services for carers has now taken place, with a programme of work being planned over the next two years. This will look at
- Short-breaks
- Befriending
- Sitting Services
- Care Home Access
- Supporting Carers through better use of equipment and technology
Contact details
For more information and support, or for providers who would like to informally discuss the service and opportunities available, please contact commissioninginbox@bradford.gov.uk
The Service Manager for Joint Commissioning for this area is Alexandra Lorrison.