For Professionals

Are you a GP, Social Worker, Teacher, Nurse, Teacher, Charity Worker, or working in the health and social care sector?

Perhaps you are a Solicitor, Accountant, or someone who works in Housing or the Third Sector?

Whatever your professional role may be, we need your help.

There are an estimated 18,000 carers providing unpaid care to friends, family, and neighbours, and we are currently working with around 10% of them. We need your help to reach out to those in the remaining 90% who need our support.

We work with Carers aged 5+ and have four teams that can be referred to:

Adult Carers Team

The Adult Carers Team works with adults in Allerdale and Cumbria who are in a caring role. We are contracted by the Adult Social Care department of Cumbria County Council and the Clinical Commissioning Group to undertake Carers Assessments and develop support plans.

A Carers Assessment provides Carers with an opportunity to identify what could help them with their caring role. All Carers in the UK have a legal right to a Carers Assessment. All professionals working with Carers have a statutory obligation to ensure that Carers are given this opportunity.

We provide information and advice to Carers and have a volunteer programme through which we can provide counselling, transport and respite sitters. We also organise trips and events for Carers to attend. Visit our Events page for examples of the type of activities we offer.

We hold regular Benefits Clinics at various libraries across Allerdale and Copeland to support Carers to apply for benefits. 

We can accept online referrals safely and securely for Adult Carers here.

Young Carers Team and Transitional Carers Team.

The Young Carers Team works with Carers under the age of 18. The Transitional Carers Team works with Carers aged 18-25.

There are an estimated 700,000 Young Carers in the UK, and a Carers Trust survey found that 39% of Young Carers were not known to be Carers by school staff.

We can work with your school or college to help identify Young Carers. We can deliver training presentations to staff on how to identify and work with Young Carers to ensure they can access the support they need whilst in education and training.

We organise trips and social events for carers, as well as provide information and one to one support from our trained Support Workers.

You can make a referral for a Young Carer using the downloadable forms here.

Professional Support

If you are working with Carers and in need of advice, support, or are looking for someone to deliver a presentation or talk, please contact us, and we will try to assist you. We’ve been working with Carers in West Cumbria for over 21 years and have extensive knowledge and experience that we would be happy to share.

If you would like to contact us to discuss this further, you can call us on 01900 821 976 or email us here.