As International Stress Awareness Week 2026 draws to a close, I want to highlight the pressures carried by unpaid carers and why their wellbeing must remain part of the conversation throughout the year.
Supporting a relative or friend can mean balancing appointments, employment, financial worries and disrupted sleep. Even during a quiet moment, a carer’s mind may still be on duty, thinking about what might happen next.
In my latest Caring Mind video, I explore these pressures and share some practical ways carers can find support.
Recognising the person behind the caring role
Carers need opportunities to speak honestly about stress without feeling guilty or judged. For some ethnic minority carers, racism, language barriers and having their concerns dismissed can add further pressure.
Taking a short break, enjoying poetry or music, or talking with someone supportive may help. Asking for specific practical assistance such as shopping or help with a caring task can also make space to rest.
However, reducing carer stress requires more than individual coping strategies. Reliable services, understanding employers, accessible information and meaningful involvement in care decisions all matter.
Please watch and share the video, and take a moment to ask an unpaid carer how they are coping. Listen to the answer, and consider what help you could offer.
The awareness week may be ending, but our responsibility to support unpaid carers continues.
By Matthew McKenzie – Facilitator of Cancer Caregiver group
Welcome to the October update from my National Cancer Caregiver Forum, reflecting on our meeting held on 30 September.
I chair this forum to help bring greater attention to the experiences of people supporting someone living with cancer. Cancer care can involve a whirlwind of appointments, investigations, treatment decisions and changes at home. Behind all of this, family members, partners and friends often provide considerable practical and emotional support.
Black Maternal Mental Health Week is a chance to celebrate Black mothers and speak honestly about the inequalities they can face when seeking support. This year’s theme, Joy • Justice • Journey, reminds us that a mother’s mental health matters before, during and long after birth.
For some Black mothers, asking for help can mean overcoming stigma, cultural misunderstanding, racism or the fear that their concerns will be dismissed. Support needs to arrive early, and services need to listen to what mothers say about their own lives.
To mark World Alzheimer’s Day, I have produced a new A Caring Mind video focusing on the unpaid carers supporting relatives and friends living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurological disease rather than a mental illness. However, its emotional and psychological impact can be profound—not only for the person diagnosed, but also for those caring beside them.
The video explores the importance of earlier diagnosis, including carers in decisions, recognising anticipatory grief and connecting families with appropriate support. It also highlights organisations such as Alzheimer’s Society, Dementia UK, Carers UK and Carers Trust.
Carers may manage appointments, medication, personal care, changing behaviour and difficult decisions, often without enough information or support for their own wellbeing.
World Alzheimer’s Day gives us an opportunity to challenge stigma, listen to people affected by dementia and recognise the contribution of unpaid carers.
Neither the person living with dementia nor the carer walking beside them should be forgotten.
Black unpaid carers can face significant barriers when trying to access mental health support for themselves or the person they care for.
These difficulties may include long waiting times, financial pressure, cultural stigma, fear of statutory services and a shortage of professionals who understand the effects of racism, racial trauma and culturally specific caring experiences.
In my new video, I examine how misdiagnosis, over-policing and expectations that Black families should simply remain “strong” can create mistrust and discourage carers from asking for help.
Drawing on my perspective as a Black lived-experience carer, I also consider what mental health services can do differently. Genuine improvement requires culturally responsive support, greater representation, safe spaces for carers, accessible community-led services and meaningful partnership with Black carers and families.
PCREF provides an important opportunity to challenge racial inequalities, but its success will depend on whether services listen to lived experience and turn commitments into visible action.
By Matthew McKenzie – Triangle of Care – Community group chair
Putting Carers at the Centre of Care
The latest Triangle of Care Community Group brought together carers, professionals and partner organisations from across England to share learning, celebrate progress and identify where further improvements are needed. The meeting highlighted the growing influence of the Triangle of Care across mental health and acute services, whilst reinforcing that there is still much work to do to ensure carers are consistently recognised, valued and supported.
One of the most powerful aspects of the meeting was hearing directly from carers about their experiences. Whilst many spoke positively about the progress that has been made over recent years, there was a shared view that carer involvement remains inconsistent across services.
This week (6–12 July) marks Alcohol Awareness Week 2026, organised by Alcohol Change UK. This year’s theme, “Alcohol and Me,” encourages us to take a moment to reflect on our own relationship with alcohol and the impact it can have on our health, mental wellbeing, relationships and everyday lives.
For many unpaid carers supporting someone with a mental health condition, life can be emotionally demanding. While we often focus on the person we care for, it’s just as important to look after our own wellbeing. This campaign reminds us that seeking support, talking openly and making small positive changes can make a real difference.
To support this important awareness week, I’ve created a new video on my YouTube channel, A Caring Mind, exploring why Alcohol Awareness Week matters, particularly for carers and families affected by mental ill health.
If this post resonates with you, please share the video to help raise awareness, reduce stigma and remind carers that their wellbeing matters too.
If you weren’t able to join our June South London Mental Health Carers Group meeting, here’s a summary of the main discussions and updates. As always, the meeting brought together unpaid carers from across Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and Croydon to share experiences, raise concerns and keep each other informed about developments affecting mental health carers.
Why these meetings matter
One of the strongest themes throughout the meeting was the importance of carers staying connected. Many carers cannot attend every committee or involvement meeting due to their caring responsibilities, work or other commitments. By sharing updates, we can help ensure everyone remains informed about changes that may affect them and the people they support.
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.
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.
The FOCUS Project, an international research study exploring the experiences of South Asian families who have a family member with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Researchers are seeking to hear from:
South Asian parents and family carers
Adult brothers and sisters of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Professionals who work with South Asian families and children with disabilities
Families interested in sharing their experiences through surveys and discussion groups
The study aims to improve understanding of the challenges, strengths, and support needs of South Asian families, helping to inform future services and policies.
Ways to Get Involved
Work Package 1 – Family Survey Take part in an anonymous online survey exploring family experiences. Each section takes approximately 10–15 minutes, and participants can complete one, two, or all three parts.
Work Package 2 – Professional Survey Professionals working with children and young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities from South Asian backgrounds are invited to share their views on family-oriented partnership practices.
Work Package 3 – Online Discussion Groups South Asian parents and adult siblings are invited to join a small online discussion group lasting around one hour to share their experiences in more depth.
Your Voice Matters
Every family’s experience is unique. By taking part, you can help researchers better understand the realities of caring for a loved one with intellectual and developmental disabilities and contribute to improving support for future generations.
For more information about the FOCUS Project, please visit the study website or contact the research team at focus.project@uea.ac.uk.
To hear more about the project, they will present at my National ethnic mental health carers forum for the 26th of June. Book via my forum page.
