Call for carers to complete national survey

National carers surveys were started in 2012 and take place every two years. The survey is nationwide and organised by the Department of Health and Social Care.

There are more than 51,500 carers in Gloucestershire, providing unpaid support to family members or friends who need help due to a variety of reasons, including age, substance misuse, physical or mental illness and disability.

This year’s survey of adult carers in England (SACE) will inform local and national work to find out what support carers need.

The county council and NHS jointly fund and promote a range of services to support carers in Gloucestershire. The purpose of the survey is to find out whether these services are helping carers in their caring roles and in their lives outside of caring.

All councils are gathering their own local responses which then feed back into the national survey.

A random sample of approximately 1000 carers in Gloucestershire will be sent the survey from early October.

Cllr Stephan Fifield, cabinet member for adult social care delivery at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “Carers across the county do a fantastic job selflessly providing support for friends and family day in day out, keeping some of our most vulnerable people safe.

“Caring can be isolating and it has a significant impact on an individual’s life. We want to make sure that our county’s carers are aware of the support and services available locally, so that they can receive the right support when they need it.

“I would encourage carers who are selected to take part in this national survey to make sure they have their say, as we really want to hear their views.”

The survey will be posted out next week and responses need to be received by Friday 30 November.

Not all carers will receive a survey, but the Carers Hub will be holding a virtual feedback session on 24 November from 11.30 to 12.30 on zoom to give carers who do not receive the survey the opportunity to share their views.