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Resources > Healthy Community
Support for carers
Unpaid carers are people who give informal care to their family or friends on a regular basis. You may help organise care, appointments, help someone with their personal care (like washing), do housework and make sure the person you look after is safe and well.
1 in 10 people living in Havering are carers (2021 census). It’s really important that we work together to find out who these informal carers are so we can support them.
What is a carer?
NHS England describes a carer as “anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid.”
People who get Carers Allowance or Attendance Allowance are also ‘unpaid carers’.
Carers are from all ages and backgrounds. The support they provide is vital.
There are lots of different types of carers, but for Havering’s Carers Strategy, we are focusing on 3 groups. The strategy explains what we want to do to help support each group.
Am I a carer?
If any of the below statements describes your situation, you are a carer:
- You regularly visit your parents to clean, do their shopping, take them to appointments, and help them around the house.
- You help your spouse dress, cut up their food, and get washed. You do the shopping, cleaning, and cooking because they are no longer able.
- You help your parent care for your sibling who has additional needs. You help clean the house, cook, and look after your sibling for several hours each day.
- You take care of your neighbour, get their shopping, do their cleaning and gardening, collect their prescriptions and take them to appointments.
Types of carers
- Adult Carers: anyone aged 18 years or above who cares for another person.
- Young Carers: anyone under the age of 18 who carers for another person, often a parent or sibling.
- Parent Carers: someone aged 18 years or above who is the parent / guardian of a disabled child.
If you relate to any of these descriptions you are a Carer, you may qualify for free support and advice. It’s really important that you get support for your own physical and mental wellbeing. Make sure you register as a carer.
Register as a carer
Register with the Havering Carers’ Hub so that you can access information and advice, support, and a Carers Assessment when you need it.
The carers hub holds a list of carers so they can keep you up to date with news and support in the borough. It also allows them to get feedback on services.
Support for Young Carers
Imago run Havering's Young Carers support service. They can support unpaid carers between the ages of 5 and 18 with activities, workshops, and respite.
They work with school staff and other professionals. They aim to make sure Young Carers have access to the support they need and know they are not alone.
Support for parent carers of children and young people with SEND
If you are the parent or carer of a child or young person with SEND, there are services designed to support you.
Havering SEND Family Voice- an independent group of local SEND parent carers. We form the Parent Carer forum for the London Borough of Havering.
- Romford Autistic Groups Support (RAGS) - support for families with an autistic child / children.
- SENDIASS - provides free, impartial and confidential information, advice and support on matters relating to education, health and social care.
Top tips for carers
Havering's Carers Board, made up of Havering residents who have lived experience of being a carer in the borough, have come up with some top tips for other people caring in Havering.
Tell your GP practice that you're a carer
This will make sure that you are flagged for priority flu and COVID-19 vaccinations to protect the person that you care for.
This will also give you the right to a personal Health Check to make sure that your health and wellbeing is looked after.
Apply for attendance allowance
Attendance Allowance is money you can get from the government to support you with extra costs if you have a disability or health condition that means you need someone to help look after you. This is not means tested and is available if you are over the age of 66.
If you need help applying for attendance allowance, speak to the Havering Carers' Hub or Citizen's Advice.
Apply for attendance allowance on the government website.
Request a one-to-one Carer's Assessment
This assessment will let you know what support you can get. You can get an assessment via the Havering Carers Hub or via Adult Social Care.
Make use of technology
If the person you care for wanders at night, or if you’re worried about them leaving the house alone, make use of technology to keep track of the person you care for.
Telecare & Assistive Technology
You can check out the Council’s Telecare offer, to get access to tools that an alert you if the person you care for falls over or leaves home without you knowing.
If you have less than £20k in savings, you can get Telecare and other assistive technologies for free. You can also pay for these tools yourself if you wish.
Location tracker apps
You can use apps like Life360 (other providers available) which are free ways of tracking someone's location via their mobile phone with their consent.
These apps can notify you when someone leaves a specific location or when they arrive at a specific location so you know they're safe.
It can also tell you how long they've been at a particular location for.
If you are in employment, know your rights
If you are in employment, know your rights, including flexible working and Carers' leave. Visit the Carers UK website to find out more.
Apply for a discount on your council tax
You can apply for a discount on your council tax if your house has been significantly adapted because someone with a disability lives there.
Visit the Havering Council Tax webpage for more information.
Explore getting Power of Attorney
Speak to the Carers Hub about Power of Attorney – this will help you to manage the health and, if needed, financial needs of the person you’re caring for.
Join local carers' support groups
There are many carers support groups across Havering where you can connect with people going through similar experiences:
Support group for male carers
Support group for carers of people with long-term mental health conditions
Thursday lunch club for carers
- Change Grow Live family support group for people affected by addiction
- See support for parent carers section above for support groups for parent carers.
Upcoming Events
Queen’s Theatre Memory Café
The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s Memory Café is a relaxed, informal and free drop-in, providing support for people with dementia and their carers. If you, or someone you know is living...
Sycamore Trust Havering All-Age Autism Support Groups
Join us for a coffee and a chat and to meet other parents and carers for whom autism is a part of their everyday life.
Havering Carers Hub Thursday Lunch Club
Come along and enjoy a cuppa, chat and a biscuit, make new friends, meet other Carers and enjoy some ‘me’ time.
Carers’ Support Group & Workshops
Our Carers Support Groups continues to grow, it’s lovely to see so many existing and new carers, supporting each other, over a cuppa and of course a biscuit or two!You...
Male Carer Support Group
Many men are Carers too and sometimes they get overlooked. Come along to meet with other male Carers for advice, support and general chat. at the Golden Lion Pub, 2...
Mental Health Carers’ Support Group
This support group is for people who care for family or friends who have mental health concerns. We provide a warm welcome in an informal relaxed atmosphere, with positive support...
H.A.D. Monday Social Club
Enjoy a hot drink and socialise with new friends. A safe environment to chat, use computers, play cards, play board games, do puzzles and much more! £5 per session.
Related Services
Alzheimer’s Society Havering Dementia Support Service
Refer yourself/your family members to our service. We are here to help. We provide information and advice for anyone worried about their own or someone else’s memory. Anyone who has a diagnosis of dementia or is a carer/family member of a person who is living with dementia and resides in Havering are welcome to get in touch with us.
Upminster Dementia Choir
A fortnightly choir for those who are living with dementia and their carers with tea and coffee provided. Every other Thursday, 10am – 11:30am. £2 per person.
Romford Autistic Group Support (RAGS)
RAGS provide help and support for families who have a child / children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. We believe that every person with autism has potential to fulfil, and we enable this by supporting the entire family – parents, siblings and the individual with autism.
