Are you an unpaid carer or do you know someone who is?
It is more than likely that you fall into either one of those categories, as at least 5.7 million people in the UK are considered to be unpaid carers (according to the 2021 census; Carers UK reckons the actual figure is closer to 10 million). Now, here’s the startling thing – if we as a nation had to pay for the care that unpaid carers provide, it would cost £162 billion per annum – (yes, billion; 2021 figure). That is equivalent to paying for a second NHS (the NHS 2021 budget was £164 billion). It is a staggering amount – admit it, you didn’t know that, did you? That’s because unpaid carers are rarely spoken about. We know they are there, but unless we have firsthand, day-to-day knowledge of their contribution, as a nation, we aren’t really interested. 47 % of that 5.7 million carers provide more than 20 hrs a week of care – for no reward and often at great sacrifice and cost to their own pocket (many leave jobs to provide round-the-clock care) and cost to their mental and physical health.
Away from my day job (that includes being an editor for Inspire the Mind), I am honoured to be Chair of the Board of Trustees for Kingston Carers’ Network (KCN) – a support organisation for carers from the age of 5 years upwards. The organisation is run by an incredibly dedicated and compassionate staff team (led by Rachael Stokes, our CEO), who put the welfare of others before themselves. The team provides advice, advocacy and support to people who care for someone living in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (over 4000 adult carers and around 800 young carers). Essentially, KCN exists to help carers live their best lives and remove some of the stress of navigating the benefits system and challenging DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) rules. We also provide respite activities and operate a dedicated young carers programme. It is estimated there are around 1 million young carers (5-18yrs) in the UK, some of whom need to spend 50 hrs a week or more looking after family members with illness, disability or addiction. In addition, this leads to an impact on their schooling.
Last weekend, we held a Young Carers Conference at Chessington World of Adventures on the theme of “Dream big”. It was an amazing event – young carers had the opportunity to showcase their talents, including singing, dancing, poetry and creative arts. They shared their dreams for the future with the Rt. Hon. Sir Ed Davey (Leader of the Liberal Democrats), which included becoming a fashion designer, web content creator, baker, teacher, footballer for England, and singer. Ed also met Ana Graça (opposite) , who has written 2 books about young carers. Below are the lyrics from wannabe singer Lena, whose song was played at the conference and received a tremendous reception..
VERSE 1
I had a hope, an ambition to achieve
Where I was bigger, better, with something to believe
I’ll never stop, I’ll stand up tall
And I rise each time I fall.
PRE-CHORUS
Singing is my passion
It’s all I want to do,
It’ll always be in fashion
So, I sing this song to you
CHORUS
My dream is a joy to bring
For my dream I’d do anything,
I want to be on stage to dance and sing!
VERSE 2
It’s like it’s got a life of its own,
When I sing, I’m never alone,
Every day, I work so hard,
This is just the beginning – just the start!
PRE-CHORUS
Oh, my heart needs it,
Nothing is more true,
Life would be weird without it,
So, I sing this song to you
CHORUS
My dream is a joy to bring
For my dream I’d do anything,
I want to be on stage to dance and sing!
KCN’s Young Carers Project (YCP) is designed to support our young carers and help create the conditions that will allow them to achieve their goals through our mentoring and activities programme. Sadly, young carers are disadvantaged when it comes to education – on average, they miss 23 school days per year and are substantially (38%) less likely to achieve a university degree than their peers. These disadvantages worsened during the pandemic. When schools finally did re-open, many young carers couldn’t return to school for fear of bringing COVID-19 home to their vulnerable mums, dads, siblings, and grandparents. You can find out more about the lives of young carers through this BBC news piece from last year featuring Narges, one of our young carers.
Of course, all this support costs money, and KCN is no different from many massively underfunded charities that are struggling to keep going. The funding for our YCP has recently taken a hit. Our ‘go to’ funders now think that although young carers are a worthy cause, we are located in a ‘wealthy area’, so we no longer deserve support. It seems the young carers of Kingston are also disadvantaged by geography.
Next week we have Carers Rights Day 2024 (21 Nov). This year’s theme of ‘Recognising your Rights’ encourages empowerment. Surely all carers, young and old, deserve better? Don’t they have a right to have the same opportunities in life and the same chance of succeeding? Unpaid carers are a group we neglect at our peril. We need to ensure they are both mentally and physically fit; otherwise, society will have to pay for the care, and we know how expensive that is. We need some long-term thinking here, including investing in unpaid carers and supporting them better to do their caring.
I have one suggestion – invest in creative health programmes for carers. Creative health, or arts in health, uses creative activities (such as music, visual arts, dance and storytelling) to improve health outcomes. Studies demonstrate its effectiveness for people with anxiety, depression, and social isolation – a particular problem among those with long-term caregiving responsibilities. For more information about creative health, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPGAHW) reported in 2017 that arts interventions could reduce demand on health services and improve population health cost-effectively.
At KCN, we have seen firsthand the positive impact of creative arts on our adult carers, including when we took part in the HeArt of Care project. HeArt of Care is an international alliance of organisations that are working together to raise awareness of the role of carers in our societies. We joined forces with an arts organisations, Rosetta Life, Helix Arts, Tyneside, and Bristol Black Carers. The project involved the choreography of care, alongside poetry and journaling, and aimed to widen the understanding of caregiving. The project culminated in a series of public projections in 2024. The first was in Kingston Market Square, Jan 19th, 2024.
Despite the funding shortfall, we will somehow continue supporting unpaid carers. It is too important a cause to abandon, and our compassionate staff and 90+ volunteers would carry on regardless. Yes, carers deserve our thanks and admiration, but they also deserve help from society and our politicians. Remember, any one of us could need their help at any time, or you could become a carer at any time. After all, 12,000 people become unpaid carers for a partner, family member or friend every day. It could be you.
Dr. Tony Woods
Chair, Kingston Carers Network