YEP says: Vital army of working carers need support

CARING for someone in the family, or a friend, is emotionally and physically demanding.

Highlighting the challenges of juggling a full-time (or even part-time) job whilst being responsible for someone else’s welfare is long overdue and the YEP welcomes the latest call from charity Carers Leeds.

Individual carers within families are an invisible army in the UK, and Leeds is no different.

Without their selfless unpaid work, there would be even bigger strain on the already overburdened NHS and social care systems.

There is nothing new in people caring at home for family members, neighbours and friends, but what Carers Leeds has discovered is a shift from older carers to working-age carers.

Today marks the start of Carers’ Week, an opportunity to look at all angles of caring and highlight the important role carers have in society.

Simple things like helping someone attend an appointment can be extremely challenging when people are in paid work - it’s not always possible to slip out of work, even in an emergency.

The call is on employers to be more aware, and highlights ways they could be more flexible. It’s not going to be easy but it’s something we need to talk about and it’s a start.