What do we do?
Solihull Carers Centre provides emotional support, information, advice, advocacy and assistance to those providing unpaid care for a relative, friend or other person who has a disability, is frail or has a long term illness.
We work towards increasing awareness of the role played by carers in maintaining the care of others within the community, towards increasing recognition of the real expertise they have to offer and the valuable contribution they make to society.
What is a Carer ?
A carer is someone who, without payment, provides help and support to a friend, neighbour or relative who could not manage otherwise because of illness, disability or frailty.
Most carers would still not recognise themselves as a ’carer’. They are just people trying to cope as best they can while helping to look after, for example, an elderly relative who has developed Alzheimer’s, a partner with Multiple Sclerosis or a child with a learning disability.
Carers may juggle paid work with their unpaid caring responsibilities at home.
In total there are 5.7 million adult carers across the UK, of whom almost one million are looking after somebody for more than 50 hours each week. There are also estimated to be 50,000 young carers in the UK – young people under the age of 18 who might, for example, be helping to look after a parent with physical disabilities or mental health problems, or who may be caring for a brother or sister with learning disabilities.
