There are approximately 45,000 carers in Kirklees. Carers are those who provide unpaid care for relatives, neighbours, friends or people in the community who are ill, frail, disabled, or who have mental ill-health and/or drug or alcohol dependency.

Many people may not see themselves as a carer, often feeling they are simply helping out friends or family. But if you provide any unpaid support to a loved one – whether it’s around the clock or just a few hours each week – you are, in fact, a carer. This might mean helping someone with daily tasks like getting washed and dressed, picking up groceries, preparing meals, or simply ensuring they are safe and comfortable.

A parent carer is a parent who cares for a child under 18 with additional needs. For example, the child may be autistic, have a physical disability, learning difficulties, or mental ill-health. You don’t have to live with the child to be considered a parent carer.

No. There is a difference between being a carer and being employed by an organisation in a job role such as Care Worker, Support Worker, or Healthcare Assistant, etc. The term ‘carer’ should always refer to a person caring for someone on an unpaid basis or claiming benefits like Carer’s Allowance.

No, we are not a healthcare provider. Our team provides advice, information, advocacy, support groups, and activities to support carers.

Any adult who is caring for another person in Kirklees can access the service, whether you are caring for someone over the age of 18 or for a child. It is a free, independent support service. Our Mental Health Service also supports cared for people in certain circumstances. If Carers Count can’t help, we will try to find a service that can.

We offer a wide range of support for your caring role. This includes emotional support, such as 1:1 advice, group sessions, and opportunities to connect with other carers in similar situations, and practical assistance, including:

• Guidance on where and how to get help
• Information about entitlements for you and the person you care for
• Carer’s Assessments
• Help with Personal Budgets and Direct Payments
• Support with welfare benefits
• Advice on balancing employment and/or education

Additionally, we offer carer breaks through our Mental Health Service, and we have an advocacy service specifically for carers.

A Carer’s Assessment is completed by the local council to help you look at what support you need in your role as a carer. The assessment is a chance for you to discuss how your caring responsibilities affect you. It will look at:

• Whether you’re willing and able to carry on providing care
• Whether your caring responsibilities have any impact on your wellbeing
• Whether you need any support and what that support is
• What you’d like to achieve in your day-to-day life – for example, you might want more time to take part in activities you enjoy.

For more information about completing a Carer’s Assessment, please see our information and advice section. Alternatively, you can contact the Community Health & Social Care Hub directly on 0300 304 5555 and ask for a Carer’s Assessment.

We run various groups for carers, including support for managing stress and anxiety, bereavement, creative and activity-based groups, and more. Regular sessions include coffee chats, meditation and Tai Chi, men’s groups, and ladies’ Himmat groups. To learn more, visit our What’s On page.

If you have ideas for new groups, please contact us! We’d love to hear from you and provide the best possible service.

We work alongside other organisations across Kirklees to provide training for carers on a range of topics, including:

• Mental health awareness
• Moving and handling
• Understanding the Care Act
• Caring for someone with memory deterioration
• Building resilience
• Meditation
• Speaking up for yourself
• Skills for work or volunteering

Advocacy is about helping carers to have a voice and be listened to. Often carers struggle to ask for help, know where to turn, or feel they are not being consulted when decisions are made about the person they care for. An Advocate will work with you to help you find information, work out what you want to say and help you to communicate that to others (for example, at appointments, assessments or review meetings), so that you are fully involved in what is happening.

Carers Count relies heavily on grant funding, but with cuts to the public sector, we now need help more than ever. Your generosity could make a real difference for carers – helping them take a much-needed break from their responsibilities, recharge, and look after their own health and wellbeing. This support enables them to continue their caring role or even learn a new skill, improving the quality of life for both themselves and those they care for:

• £2 buys a carer a cup of coffee or tea at our wellbeing groups, offering a brief but essential respite from their caring responsibilities.
• £5 covers materials and supplies for our weekly groups, easing financial pressures on carers and providing a relaxing, mindful space to enhance their mental health through creative practices.
• £10 allows two carers to attend a wellbeing session, supporting them in staying healthy so they can continue caring for their loved ones.

To donate, click the ‘Donate’ button on our homepage or visit: Help support unpaid carers in Kirklees!

If you would like to run a fundraising event, contact us – we’d love to hear from you!

We welcome all feedback to help us ensure we are running the best possible service for carers. You can leave feedback via our feedback form on the website, email, or call, text, or WhatsApp us. Find out more on our feedback page.

You can use the Contact Us section of this website, give us a call on 0300 012 0231, email us at info@carerscount.org.uk, or write to us at: Carers Count, 4th Floor, Empire House, Wakefield Old Road, Dewsbury, WF12 8DJ.

Carers Count sits under the Cloverleaf umbrella. We are a service facilitated by Cloverleaf Advocacy, a charitable organisation that has been delivering advocacy services for more than 30 years.