Caring and Safeguarding
Some people are less able to protect themselves from harm and are therefore at risk of abuse and/or neglect. Safeguarding is a communal agreement to protect these more vulnerable people and their carers, so they can live well and independently without fear.
Locally, the safeguarding of vulnerable adults is the concern of the Plymouth Safeguarding Adults Board and its partner agencies (including Police, Social Care and Health Services).
The Plymouth Safeguarding Adults Board recognises the vital role carers have in the adult safeguarding, and that the vast majority of carers strive to always act in the best interests of the person they support.
There are times, however, when carers are themselves experiencing abuse, either from the person to whom they are offering care or those within their local community. Sometimes due to stress, exhaustion, lack of information, or proper support, there is a risk that the carer may be doing unintended harm to the person they are caring for. Sadly, of course, there are also times when the harm is intended.
If you want support raising a safeguarding concern, either for yourself or someone you
know, please reach out and ask for help.
It’s not always easy to identify situations in which safeguarding may be a bigger concern, intentionally or unintentionally. Here are some questions you can ask yourself, or the person in question, to help clarify how urgent a concern feels.
Remember, it is always important to frame these questions compassionately and sensitively to avoid causing further distress:
- Are you vulnerable, or at risk yourself?
- Do you have unmet or unrecognised needs of your own?
- Are you not sure about the cared-for person’s specific needs or condition?
- Have you been forced to significantly change your lifestyle?
- Are you receiving any practical or emotional support from other friends or family members?
- Are you regularly feeling emotionally and socially isolated?
- Are you able to maintain other responsibilities, such as family or work?
- Do you get any personal time?
- Have you asked for help before, but problems haven’t gone away?
- Are you concerned about how the person you care for treats you?
- Do you feel unappreciated or unsupported?
If after these questions you want to talk to someone start by calling 01752 668000 or visit www.plymouth.gov.uk/reportadultabuseorneglect. Feel free to reach out for support or signposting.
Carers Rights
It’s important that you understand your rights as a carer, so that you are aware of the full range of support that is available to you if needed.
Our Carers Rights Information Pack: A full guide covering financial support, employment rights, healthcare entitlements, and legal protections. Whether you need help navigating benefits, workplace flexibility, or hospital discharge procedures, this resource helps empowers you with the knowledge to access the support you deserve.
The links below should also provide you with a lot of useful information.
The Carers UK Looking After Someone Guide: For anyone who cares for family or friends. This guide outlines your rights as a carer and gives an overview of the practical and financial support available.
Being Heard – a Guide to Self-advocacy for Carers: Another Carers UK resource, designed to help carers speak up for themselves and the person they care for.
Our advice service also offers free information and guidance on a range of topics. To speak to someone who will assess your advice needs, please click here.
Caring and Work
Many people take on the role of carer whilst also juggling part-time or full-time work, which can be especially challenging.
The following national websites offer information about finding the balance, alongside a few tips for talking to employers about flexible working, or taking time off when needed:
Free Legal Guidance from Wolferstans
Wolferstans Solicitors offer carers a free 30-minute video or phone legal consultation, 10:30am to 12:30pm on the last Wednesday of every month.
Advice is available on:
- Wills & Probate – writing a will, Lasting Powers of Attorney, grants of probate
- Conveyancing – buying or selling a home, re-mortgaging, transfer of equity
- Family – family law, divorce, children
Employment law, medical negligence, personal injury and business queries can also be discussed.
To book your consultation, call 01752 201890 or get in touch with the Caring for Carers team.
Information for Professionals
Identifying a carer in need of support can be tricky.
Carers often don’t recognise the label carer. Since we primarily define ourselves in terms of the relationships we have, they will often simply consider themselves the partner or child of a person with an illness or disability.
We support people and organisations that work with carers in Plymouth, and are able to provide a range of training, support, and workshops on carer’s issues and interacting with carers. We cover:
- Who carers are, and what they are worried about.
- What services and support are available locally.
- How you can support carers.
- What it means to treat carers as partners in care.
Training is available in a group or 1:1 depending on staff needs.
We have also developed a Carer Awareness PowerPoint Presentation for professionals to download and use with their teams.
You can download a pdf version of the presentation here.
For further information or to book a carers awareness session for you or your team, contact us now.
Useful Websites for Carers
Carers UK
As the UK’s only national membership charity for carers, Carers UK is both a support network and a movement for change. For the past 50 years they have been driven by carers raising their voices together to call for change and seek recognition and support.
Looking after someone can be a rewarding experience but it can also be lonely and bewildering. At these times, carers need people around them who really understand caring.
By becoming a member of Carers UK, you will unlock many features to support you with your caring role. These include quarterly caring members magazine, help and advice and many more useful information. Use this link Carers UK to sign up today and become a member.
Carers Trust
Carers Trust is a charity which was formed by the merger of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Carers Trust Phoenix in April 2012.
Carers Trust works to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems. With their Network Partners, they aim to ensure that information, advice and practical support are available to all carers across the UK.
NHS Support for Carers
NHS Support for Carers is the NHS website’s support and benefits guide for carers. It covers carer’s assessments, benefits and financial help, and taking breaks from caring.
Plymouth Online Directory (POD)
Plymouth Online Directory (POD) is a website that provides welfare, health and social care information for adults and families living in Plymouth.
Contact for families with disabled children
Support families with the best possible guidance and information. Contact bring families together to support each other. And we help families to campaign, volunteer and fundraise to improve life for themselves and others.
Carers Allowance
You could get £86.45 a week if you care for someone at least 35 hours a week and they get certain benefits. You don’t have to be related to, or live with, the person you care for. Please click here for further information.
Advice Plymouth
We work with Citizens Advice Plymouth in a joint contract with Plymouth City Council to provide quality information and advice services across Plymouth. This includes welfare benefits, Employment debt and housing advice. Please click here for further information.
Plymouth All-Age Unpaid Carers Strategy
We are delighted to share details of the Plymouth All-Age Unpaid Carers Strategy, which sets out how the city will support people of all ages who care for others without pay.
Its six main goals
- Make it easier for unpaid carers to get the support they need.
- Give unpaid carers more help with money information and financial advice.
- Improve unpaid carers’ health and wellbeing, including providing emotional support.
- Help identify unpaid carers early and recognise their hard work.
- Provide better information, advice, and communication to carers.
- Offer support when a carer’s role changes.
Parent Carers
A parent carer is a parent who cares for a child or young person aged 18 or under, with any additional need. This might also be any adult with parental responsibility such as a grandparent or guardian. Sometimes the needs of the young person are life-long, and the challenges being faced develop as they grow.
Parent carers often tell us they seldom feel like ‘carers’. They are first and foremost parents. That’s why we advocate for your wellbeing so that you, and others, take your needs into account as well.
Health and social care professionals are sometimes also less likely to view you as a ‘carer’. It is therefore important that you understand the full range of support to which you are entitled, and that help is available should your duties be causing additional practical, emotional or financial worries. We’re here to support you through that process.
If you are over 18 and care for a disabled child or young person you have parental responsibility for, you can ask Plymouth City Council for a parent carer’s needs assessment. This is a chance to talk through what life is like for you and your family, and what support may help.
Full instructions for requesting and navigating a parent carers needs assesmnent are available below.
If you would like to register as a parent carer with Caring for Carers, or simply reach out for an informal chat, please use the links below. We can support you with information and advice, support groups, activities and trainings that are relevant to your caring role.
