Investors in Carers

Unpaid and Young Carers Support

Pembrokeshire Learning Centre is proud to have achieved the bronze award in the Investors In Carers Scheme.

Delivered by Hywel Dda University Health Board, and supported by its local authority and third sector partners in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, the Investors in Carers scheme is designed to help health, social care, and other institutions to focus on their carer awareness and to improve the help and support that they can offer to carers.

Originally designed to help health facilities such as GP practices, areas within hospitals and other organisations to focus on and improve their carer awareness and enhance the help and support they give unpaid carers of all ages, the Scheme has been expanded to education settings including secondary schools and colleges. It is a scheme that provides a foundation for helping to identify and support unpaid carers of all ages.

There are approximately 30,000 carers under the age of 25 in Wales with a carer being defined as someone who provides care to an adult or disabled child.

Pembrokeshire Learning Centre is committed to actively seeking to identify and support young carers and to provide the best resources and support possible to ensure that they can continue to study alongside their caring responsibilities.

An unpaid carer is someone, of any age, who provides unpaid support to family or friends who could not manage without this help. This could be caring for a relative, partner or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems. Anyone can become a carer; in most cases becoming a carer is not out of choice, it just happens.

For more information about the Investors in Carers scheme or for useful advice for carers, visit Hywel Dda University Health Board's website: Carers Information or email carersteam.hdd@wales.nhs.uk

In the PLC, the Investors in Carers Officers are Jo Thomas and Annie Moss, they can signpost families and individuals towards a Carers Assessment of Needs and give advice on how to register as a carer through their GP.