Our figures show there could be as many as 243,440 unpaid carers in Nottinghamshire and Nottingham City. Each of these carers plays a vital role and I am incredibly grateful for everything they do. This week is Carers’ Week and we want carers to feel visible, valued and supported in Nottinghamshire.

We are working with carers to find out how we can meet their needs better over the next five years. A group of carers recently helped develop our Carers’ Strategy and told us what was important to them, which will help us to ensure we are offering the right support at the right time. This included things like providing short breaks or replacement care so they could have a break from caring and supporting the carer’s health and wellbeing. One of the carers who was involved in the process told us it was ‘really refreshing’ to be involved from the beginning and have her views and experiences as a carer listened to and understood.

We want to continue involving carers and making sure they have an equal voice in shaping policies and services, so we have launched CarersSpaceNotts, together with our partners Nottinghamshire Carer’s Association, the NHS and carers themselves. Any carer can get involved, so visit the website to find out more.

If you are a carer, the Nottinghamshire Carers Hub can offer you personalised information and support to meet your individual needs. It provides free, confidential and personalised information, advice and support for carers of all ages including telephone and online support.

If you know someone who is a carer, you could help by offering emotional support. For example, why not invite them round to your home, as a change of environment can make a huge difference. One way of helping would be by offering or seeking respite for the carer. A couple of hours a week gives the carer some normality, something to look forward to and some time away from their caring role.

We shouldn’t underestimate the value of simply asking carers how they are and encourage them to get support from places such as their GP, the Carers’ Hub or condition-specific organisations. Carers are naturally selfless people who put themselves last, so it’s important that they remember look after their own health and wellbeing as well as others. Sometimes we can help a carer just by running a few errands for them.

Caring for someone can feel like an incredibly lonely experience, but there is support available so please get in touch. You can contact the Carers Hub on 0115 824 8824 or visit www.carerstrustem.org/hub

Councillor Matt Barney

Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health

Nottinghamshire County Council