Category Archives: Aimed at Carers

Blog posts aimed at non paid carers caring for someone unwell.

Supporting someone with psychosis? Share your experience through the OSMOSIS study

Welcome to another update from A Caring Mind. I am sharing a research opportunity for unpaid carers who support someone with psychosis and live in Hackney, Tower Hamlets or East Sussex.

As someone with lived experience of caring, I know how much attention can focus on the person receiving care, while the support needs of family members and friends remain less visible. Listening to carers can help us understand what happens when we reach out for support ourselves.

The OSMOSIS project is exploring carers’ experiences of support to inform the development of resources and actions to support carers.

Whose voices are needed?

The research team would particularly welcome interest from carers from minoritised communities, who are currently underrepresented in the study.

This matters to me because carers’ experiences can differ across communities. Creating opportunities for people to share those experiences can help bring overlooked needs and barriers into view.

The study is only recruiting carers who live in Hackney, Tower Hamlets or East Sussex. Within these areas, the team would like to hear from people who meet all the criteria below.

Who can take part?

You may be eligible if you:

  • Provide unpaid support for a family member or friend with psychosis.
  • Are aged 18 or over.
  • Live in Hackney, Tower Hamlets or East Sussex.
  • Have tried to seek out, or have received, support for yourself.

You do not have to use the word “carer” to describe yourself. You might simply see yourself as a brother, sister, parent, partner, relative or friend who provides unpaid support.

What does taking part involve?

Taking part involves a 90-minute interview, either online through Microsoft Teams, over the phone or in person, depending on your preference.

Participants will receive a £20 voucher of their choice.

The study flyer states that your information will be kept private and you will not be identified in any outputs.

How to find out more

If you are interested in participating, or would like to ask questions before deciding, please contact:

Dr Evelyn Callahan
Email: evelyn.callahan@citystgeorges.ac.uk
Phone: 07341 492068

The study flyer accompanies this post with further details.

Please share this opportunity with eligible carers and local networks in Hackney, Tower Hamlets and East Sussex, particularly networks reaching carers from minoritised communities.

Carers’ experiences deserve to be heard—including our experiences of seeking support for ourselves.

Southwark Adult Safeguarding Review: Carers’ Survey and Online Workshop

By Matthew McKenzie – Member of Southwark Carers Strategy Working Group

Southwark Council is inviting unpaid carers from Southwark to share their experiences and help shape its review of adult safeguarding services.

The council’s Health, Adult Social Care and Community Safety Scrutiny Commission is examining how safeguarding services can better support adults and their carers while promoting independence, dignity, choice and wellbeing.

The Commission would particularly like to hear carers’ experiences of:

  • Working with safeguarding and other professionals
  • Accessing information and support
  • Being included in safeguarding decisions
  • Preventing abuse, neglect and other forms of harm
  • Balancing personal safety with independence and choice
  • Self-neglect and hoarding
  • The use of technology
  • Communication with carers
  • Supporting someone living with dementia or mental ill health
  • Caring for an adult child or sibling with a disability

Your experiences could help the Commission identify what is working well, where improvements are needed and how carers can be more effectively recognised and involved.

Complete the carers’ survey

Unpaid carers can share their experiences through Southwark Council’s online Adult Safeguarding Review Carers’ Survey:

The survey is anonymous and will remain open until Friday 11 September 2026.

Join the online carers’ workshop

Southwark Council is also holding an online workshop where carers can discuss their experiences in greater detail.

Join the online carers’ workshop

Southwark Council is also holding an online workshop where carers can discuss their experiences in greater detail.

Date: Thursday 20 August 2026
Time: 12:30 pm
Location: Online via Microsoft Teams

To request the Microsoft Teams joining details, please contact Julie Timbrell, Scrutiny Project Manager, at:

julie.timbrell@southwark.gov.uk

Please include “Adult Safeguarding Carers’ Workshop” in the subject line.

For safeguarding and meeting security, the direct Teams link and passcode are not being published on this website.

If you cannot attend the workshop, you can still contribute to the review by completing the anonymous survey.

Confidentiality and use of information

Taking part in the survey or workshop is voluntary.

Notes will be taken during the workshop, but participants’ comments will be anonymised before they are included in reports or presented to councillors. Individual participants will not be identified without their explicit consent.

Survey responses will also be analysed and reported anonymously. Southwark Council is interested in identifying common themes and experiences rather than identifying individual carers.

The information collected will only be used to inform the Adult Safeguarding Review and its recommendations. A report containing the Commission’s findings and recommendations will be published after the review has been completed.

Further information

If you have any questions, please contact:

Julie Timbrell
Scrutiny Project Manager
Southwark Council
julie.timbrell@southwark.gov.uk

Shaping the Future of Care: Why the New NHS AHP Strategy Matters to Ethnic Mental Health Carers

By Matthew McKenzie – NHS England involvement, Chair of National ethnic mental health carer forum

As carers, your voices are the most powerful tools we have to change how healthcare is delivered. Every day, you navigate complex systems to support your loved ones, seeing firsthand what works and crucially where the gaps are.

Right now, NHS England’s Office of the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (CAHPO) is developing its next big strategy: The AHP Framework for System Impact for England (2027–2032). Because this strategy is built on the core values of anti-racism, co-production, and sustainability, it is absolutely vital that ethnic minority mental health carers are at the center of this conversation.

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A Milestone for Carers: The Launch of the First-Ever Cross-Government Action Plan

By Matthew McKenzie – Carer and Carers UK Ambassador

As unpaid carers, many of us know what it feels like to operate in the background. We juggle complex health systems, care for our loved ones, and manage our own lives, all too often feeling invisible.

That is why I am excited to share a major milestone for our community.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), alongside the Departments for Education, Business and Trade, and Work and Pensions has officially launched the Unpaid Carers Action Plan: Recognize, Refer, Reach.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unpaid-carers-action-plan-recognise-refer-reach/unpaid-carers-action-plan-recognise-refer-reach

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-unpaid-carers-to-get-recognition-and-earlier-support

This is England’s first-ever cross-government action plan dedicated entirely to supporting unpaid carers.

I was honored to attend the official launch event to represent our community, meet with Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock MP, and participate in the official DHSC launch video.

Watch the DHSC Launch Video:

What Does This Plan Mean for unpaid carers?

This isn’t just another policy document; it is a commitment across multiple government sectors to drive real, practical change.

The plan is built around three core pillars:

1. Recognise

Carers must be identified early. One of the most exciting digital updates is a new “MyCarer” section being introduced on the NHS App, allowing us to easily register our caring role so healthcare staff know who we are from the start.

2. Refer

No carer should have to navigate the system alone. This pillar focuses on making sure we are directed to local carer centres, financial advice, and emotional support early on. Crucially, it aims to ensure we are formally included in major healthcare decisions, like hospital discharge planning.

3. Reach

Caring shouldn’t mean giving up on your own future. For working carers, the plan explores paid carer’s leave and will require large employers (250+ staff) to publish carer support plans from spring 2027. For young carers, it means stronger support within schools so their education doesn’t suffer.

A Message to My Fellow Carers and Carer Centres

For years, we have argued that caring is not just a “health” issue, it impacts our jobs, our education, our finances, and our mental health. Seeing four government departments finally come together to address I feel is a massive step forward.

  • To my fellow unpaid carers: Please know that using your voice gives you a chance at being heard. It is important to get carers “on the map” to be recognised, and this plan is a direct result of carers sharing their lived experiences.
  • To Carer Centres and Forums: This action plan is a powerful tool for us. It gives us a framework to hold local services accountable and ensure the “Recognise, Refer, Reach” goals are delivered on the ground.

Of course change doesn’t happen overnight, but this plan gives us a vital foundation to build on. Let’s keep pushing, keep connecting, and make sure every single unpaid carer gets the recognition and support they deserve.

Universal Care Plans and Carer Contingency Plans: A New Way to Support Unpaid Carers

By Matthew McKenzie – member of UCP Lived experience group

Many unpaid carers worry about one question: “What would happen if I suddenly became ill or was unable to provide care?” It is a concern that often sits in the background but can cause enormous anxiety.

A new approach being developed across London aims to provide reassurance and practical support. Through the Universal Care Plan (UCP) and the Carer Contingency Plan (CCP), unpaid carers can record important information and make plans so that the people they care for continue to receive support if circumstances change.

What is a Universal Care Plan?

The Universal Care Plan (UCP) is a secure digital care record used across London. It allows important information to be shared with health and care professionals involved in a person’s care.

The plan records information that matters most to the individual, including:

  • Health conditions and medical information.
  • Personal wishes and preferences.
  • Details about family members and carers.
  • Important contacts.
  • Information that can help professionals provide better care.

The UCP can help reduce the need to repeat information and ensures that health and care staff have access to information when it matters most.

People of all ages can have a Universal Care Plan, including both carers and the people they support.

26May2026-Final-UCP-Engagement-Leaflets-Carers (1)Download

Introducing the Carer Contingency Plan

For unpaid carers, one of the most valuable developments is the Carer Contingency Plan (CCP).

The CCP allows carers to record what should happen if they are suddenly unable to continue caring because of illness, an emergency or another unexpected event.

The plan can include:

  • Emergency contacts.
  • Information about daily routines.
  • Medication arrangements.
  • Communication needs.
  • Important preferences and wishes.
  • Details about replacement support or family members who could help.

Having this information available means professionals and family members can respond more quickly and with greater confidence during a crisis.

Why is this important for unpaid carers?

Many carers provide support around the clock and often put their own needs last. Yet emergencies can happen to anyone.

A Carer Contingency Plan can:

  • Provide peace of mind.
  • Help avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
  • Ensure continuity of care.
  • Reduce stress during emergencies.
  • Make carers more visible to health and care services.
  • Improve communication between professionals and families.

Most importantly, it recognises the crucial role unpaid carers play and helps ensure they are not overlooked.

Accessible and Easy to Use

Universal Care Plans and Carer Contingency Plans are designed to be practical and accessible.

Plans can be created:

  • In hospitals.
  • In community services.
  • Through voluntary sector organisations.
  • By individuals themselves using the NHS App and NHS digital services.

Support materials and guidance are continuing to expand, making it easier for both professionals and carers to understand and use the system.

Working Together Across Health and Care

The UCP and CCP are being used across hospital, community and voluntary sector settings. Their purpose is simple but powerful: to improve communication, support carers and ensure that important information is available when it is needed most.

For unpaid carers, this represents a positive step forward. Carers have long spoken about wanting greater recognition and reassurance that there is a plan in place should something happen to them. The Carer Contingency Plan helps answer that concern.

A Message to Carers

If you support a family member, partner, friend or neighbour, you are not alone. Your role matters, and planning ahead is not about expecting the worst—it is about providing reassurance and protecting the person you care for.

The Universal Care Plan and Carer Contingency Plan offer a practical way to make your wishes known, improve communication with professionals and ensure that support can continue when it is needed most.

If you would like to know more, speak to your hospital’s carers service, community team, GP practice, local carers organisation or ask a member of your health and care team about the Universal Care Plan and Carer Contingency Plan.

Planning ahead today can bring peace of mind tomorrow for both carers and the people they care for.

Carers Week 2026 Round-Up

By Matthew McKenzie – Carer, Campaigner, Author and Speaker

5 June 2026 – Supporting Kent County Council’s Carer Awareness Campaign

Although not officially part of Carers Week, my activities with Kent County Council formed an important part of my ongoing commitment to raising awareness of unpaid carers. I supported the county’s long-term carer awareness campaign by taking part in filming designed to help train council staff to better recognise and support carers.

I also discussed future opportunities to speak at Kent County Council carer groups and continued promoting my own support groups across the county. It was encouraging to see local government investing in carer awareness and recognising the importance of ensuring carers are identified, valued and supported within their communities.

9 June 2026 – Developed Video promotion for Carers Week 2026

I did my bit to raise awareness of Carers Week 2026 via a video I developed, which you can see below.

8 June 2026 – Carers Week Stall at St George’s University Hospital

Carers Week officially began with a rewarding day at St George’s University Hospital, where I hosted a Carers UK information stall. The event provided an opportunity to engage directly with unpaid carers, patients, hospital staff and visitors, sharing information about the support available to carers both locally and nationally.

Continue reading →

Carers Week 2026: Building Carer Friendly Communities and Supporting Unpaid Carers Across the UK

By Matthew McKenzie – Carer Ambassador

For Carers Week 2026, it takes place from 8–14 June and shines a spotlight on the millions of unpaid carers who provide essential care and support to family members, friends and loved ones throughout the UK.

This year’s theme, Building Carer Friendly Communities, highlights the need for workplaces, healthcare services, schools, local authorities and communities to better recognise and support unpaid carers.

Despite contributing billions of pounds worth of care each year, many unpaid carers continue to face challenges including financial hardship, social isolation, poor mental health and difficulties accessing support. So Carers Week aims to raise awareness of these issues while encouraging practical action to create a society where carers are valued, respected and included.

As a carer activist and founder of my site A Caring Mind, I am sure that creating carer-friendly communities starts with understanding the realities of caring. Whether you are caring for an ageing parent, a disabled child, a partner with a long-term condition or someone experiencing mental ill health, carers play a vital role in keeping families and communities together.

However, there are still many people do not identify themselves as carers and therefore miss out on important support, benefits and services. Carers Week 2026 provides an opportunity for individuals, organisations and policymakers to listen to carers’ experiences, champion carers’ rights and improve access to support for unpaid carers across the UK.

Watch my Carers Week 2026 video below to learn more about the campaign, this year’s theme and how you can get involved in supporting unpaid carers. Please share the video to help raise awareness and encourage more people to recognise the invaluable contribution that carers make every single day.

Together, we can build stronger, more inclusive and more carer-friendly communities

Speaking on BBC Radio 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave: Caring, Community and Hope

By Matthew McKenzie – Carer advocate

I recently had the privilege of appearing on BBC Radio 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave to discuss my experiences as a Black mental health carer and long-standing volunteer at Carers UK, plus my groups supporting unpaid mental health carers.

My long standaing friend and carer peer Jo Lambert who specialises in hope and mental health accompanied me to the BBC studios

The programme focused on the realities of caring, the challenges many families face, and the importance of community support.

As someone who has supported family members with severe mental health needs and autism, I spoke about how I never initially saw myself as a carer. Like many people, I simply did what I felt was my duty as a son and brother. It was only later that I learned about the term “unpaid carer” and the support available through carers organisations and local carers centres.

During the discussion, I reflected on some of the challenges faced by Black carers, particularly Black male carers, who may feel pressure to remain strong and avoid speaking openly about their own mental health struggles. I shared how peer support groups, creativity and poetry helped me manage difficult emotions and find hope during challenging times.

I also spoke about the importance of identifying as a carer and seeking support early. Many people provide care out of love and responsibility without realising that help is available. Through my volunteering with Carers UK and work within hospitals and community settings, I continue to encourage carers to access support, connect with others and recognise that looking after themselves is just as important as caring for others.

I also read a poem from one of my books “Telling your story as a mental health carer”, you can view the poem below.

One of the strongest messages from the programme was that caring is about community. Whether through carers centres, voluntary organisations, healthcare services or local networks, nobody should have to face caring responsibilities alone.

I would like to thank Richie Brave and the BBC Radio 1Xtra team for creating space for these important conversations and for highlighting the voices and experiences of unpaid carers.

You can listen to the programme here:

BBC Radio 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave – Caring Matters

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002wtcr?

A New Study Giving Voice to Carers Experiencing Domestic Abuse

Caring for a loved one at the end of life is often described as an act of compassion and dedication. But for some carers, this role comes with a hidden and deeply challenging reality, experiencing domestic abuse from the very person they are supporting.

A new research project led by the University of Southampton is shining a light on this often overlooked issue. The study aims to understand what it is like to experience domestic abuse in a caring relationship, particularly when the person receiving care is seriously ill or nearing the end of life. It also seeks to explore what kinds of support carers need, and how health and social care services can respond more effectively.

This project brings together carers, professionals, and experts to share experiences and co-design practical guidance that could improve support systems and overall wellbeing for carers. By listening directly to those affected, researchers hope to create meaningful change in how services identify and respond to abuse in caregiving situations .

If you are a carer who has experienced domestic abuse or a professional working in health or social care, your insights could make a real difference. Taking part in the study is an opportunity to help shape better support for others facing similar challenges.

To learn more or get involved, you can contact the research team at ceda@soton.ac.uk or call 023 8059 7581.

Your voice matters. By sharing your experience, you can help build safer, more supportive care environments for everyone.

Stress Awareness Month 2026 – Tips for Unpaid Carers

By Matthew McKenzie – Carer activist

April is Stress Awareness Month 2026 in the UK, and this year’s theme is #BeTheChange – Small Actions, Big Impact. In the video below, Matthew McKenzie, carer activist, shares practical stress management tips specifically for unpaid carers who are supporting loved ones while managing their own wellbeing.

Learn how small, consistent actions can reduce stress, improve mental health, and make a real difference in your daily life. I also highlight trusted organisations that provide resources and support for carers.

Whether you’re an unpaid carer, a family member, or someone interested in improving mental health awareness, this video provides easy-to-implement strategies and guidance to help you manage stress effectively.

🔗 Useful Links:

#StressAwarenessMonth #BeTheChange #UnpaidCarers #MentalHealth #CarerSupport #StressManagement #UKCarers #SelfCareTips