Westmorland and Furness Carer Support Service

Are You A Carer?

Do you look after a family member or friend who couldn’t manage without your help? Perhaps they have a long-term illness, disability, mental health condition, or issues related to ageing.

Whether you provide care for a few hours a week or around the clock, your role is invaluable. But who’s looking after you?

Are You A Young Carer?

You might be looking after a parent, brother or sister, or relative who needs extra support. If you help at home in ways others your age don’t, you’re not alone – we’re here for you.

If you support someone living in Westmorland and Furness, our dedicated Young Carers Service is here for you.

Westmorland & Furness Carer Support Service

How can we support you?

We’re here to support you in your caring role for as long as you choose, while helping to protect your health and well-being. We understand that being a carer can be both rewarding and challenging, and you don’t have to navigate it alone.

Our team provides expert information, guidance, and a wide range of personalised support to help make life a little easier. We take the time to listen, understand your situation and work with you to create a support plan that’s tailored to your needs because every carer’s journey is unique.

What Can We Offer?

Support for Adult & Parent Carers

Dedicated support
Get personalised one-to-one support to help you in your caring role.
Carers Help and Talk (CHAT) Line
Speak with a friendly volunteer here to provide a listening ear over the phone.
Carers assessment & support plan
Have a simple conversation to explore your needs and create a support plan that works for you.
Pen Pal
Exchange handwritten letters with a caring volunteer here to provide a personal touch.
Information & advice
Receive guidance on topics like benefits, legal rights and more.
Community connections
We’ll help you connect with local services and friendly community groups to support both you and the person you care for.
Carers’ Voice
Tell us what matters to you so we can shape our services, and help other organisations do the same, to better support carers like you.
Time for you & peer support
Support to identify opportunities to take a well-deserved break by accessing community resources, networks and services. You can also enjoy a short break, a night or two away in a UK hotel, through our partnership with Carefree (a small admin fee applies).
Online community
Join our Carers Community Network to share and connect online.
Volunteering Opportunities
Share your time and skills to support others and make a difference.
Online resources
Access a range of helpful information and tools whenever you need them. Carers UK Digital Resource for carers is a website designed just for you to provide help, advice and information to support you in your caring role. Access provided for free here www.carersdigital.org use code NCOMPASS

Support For Young Carers

We know being a young carer can be tough at times, and we’re here for you. We can help you to:

Find solutions together
We’ll talk with you and your family to understand what’s going on and find the support that will make the biggest difference to you.
Get support at school or college
We can help make things a bit easier to balance caring
with your education.
Connect with other young carers
Meet other young people who understand what it’s like to
be a young carer. Make new friends, share experiences, and build new skills together.
Young Carers’ Voice
We’ll help you speak up about what’s important to you, the support you need, and we’ll listen to your ideas about how services for young carers can improve.

Find out More About Support For Young Carers

Statutory carer’s assessments

Have your assessment with one of our experienced and compassionate team members, who will help you explore how your caring role affects your everyday life, understand your needs, and develop a support plan tailored to you.

We’ll share your assessment with the Council so everyone involved in supporting you is working together, ensuring you receive the right help at the right time.

Carer Awareness For Professionals

We work with professionals and organisations across Westmorland and Furness to raise awareness of unpaid carers, helping to identify and support more people in caring roles.

Our flexible, tailored approach is designed to suit your time, setting, and professional needs. Support can include:

Carer Awareness Briefings
Carer Awareness Training
Carer Champion Training
Guidance for organisations and groups working towards our Carer Friendly Mark

If you’re a professional and would like to learn more or get involved, please get in touch.

Who Is A Carer?

A carer is someone who provides unpaid support to a family member, friend or neighbour who would struggle without their help. This might include helping with everyday tasks, offering emotional support, helping with personal care, or managing medication and appointments.

Many people don’t even realise they are carers – they just see it as ‘helping out’ or ‘just what families do.’ But your role matters. What you do makes a real difference, and you deserve support too.