All-Age Carers

This page provides an overview of the support available to unpaid carers of all ages who live in the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

Who Are Carers?

As defined by the NHS, a carer is "anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid”.

The Carers Trust definition of a carer is "anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support”.

This page will focus on three core groups of carers and our universal offer. However, this will not exclude other groups of carers, such as:

• Working carers: people caring who juggle this with work
• Former carers: people who were carers, but where caring has come to an end
• Older carers: people who are older adults with caring roles.

All-Age Carers strategy

Our first All-Age Carers Strategy (2019 to 2022)  was ratified by the London Borough of Waltham Forest Cabinet in March 2019 and came into effect in April 2019.

The strategy focused on three core groups of carers, plus our universal offer: Universal Offer, Young Carers, Adults Carers, and Parent Carers. Each cohort had a lead service(s) who are responsible for delivering support, and working towards achieving the commitments made. The same will apply to the new commitments we make in this strategy.

We know that there are other groups of carers such as carers who juggle caring with work, carers who are older, and carers where caring has come to an end, who also can access support through our named stakeholders and providers.

The most recent Council’s All-Age Carers Strategy and Action Plan was ratified by cabinet in April 2023.

All-Age Carers Strategy (2023 – 2026) (PDF)

All-Age Carers Strategy (summarised version) (PDF)

All-Age Carers Action Plan (2023 – 2026) (PDF)