Behind every person receiving care in North Tyneside, someone else needs support 

We know that across North Tyneside, thousands of people provide unpaid care for someone they love.

The 2021 Census identified nearly 20,000 unpaid carers in the borough – and more than half were providing 20 hours or more of care every week. That number will have grown.

However, there is still an issue with people not thinking of themselves as carers. A lot of people would say they are “doing what needs to be done” for someone else.

Professionals across North Tyneside can help change that.

If you work in health or social care, a GP practice, a pharmacy, school, community organisation or another role supporting local people, you may be coming into contact with unpaid carers every day.

Identifying a carer can begin with a simple question:

Ask the person you are supporting:

“Is there someone who helps to look after you or provides support for you?”

If someone is identified, take the opportunity to speak with them and ask:

“Do you have support for yourself?”

The reason this is so important is that caring can take its toll and if someone isn’t being supported, it can lead to burnout. The earlier someone recognises they are a carer, the earlier they can find out about the advice and support available to them.

As professionals, we don’t need to have the solution. But the most important thing is recognising when someone is providing unpaid care, having a conversation with them and helping connect them to support.

A referral might feel like one small action during a busy working day.

But for the person caring, it could be the first time somebody has recognised everything they are doing – and asked what they need.

So, when you’re supporting someone in North Tyneside who receives care, remember to look at the person beside them too.

Because behind every person receiving care, there’s often someone else who needs support too.

By working together to identify and refer unpaid carers earlier, we can help more people across North Tyneside get the support they need, when they need it.

North Tyneside Carers’ Centre supports unpaid carers through one-to-one support, counselling, information and advice, advocacy, and learning opportunities. We help carers to look after their own mental and physical wellbeing, access available financial support, and navigate the services and resources that can make their caring role more manageable.

Call us on 0191 2496480 or email enquiries@ntcarers.co.uk or fill in our self-referral form.