Do you care?

There is no age limit, racial partiality or gender bias involved in caring. Illness does not discriminate.

Carers can be created in the blink of an eye or over a lengthy period of time. You can plan carefully for the role or it can arrive suddenly out of the blue. It can strengthen relationship and it can stretch them to breaking point. But however it happens, whenever it happens and whoever it happens to… we are here to help. While no two carers’ roles are the same, there are a few categories that carers can fall into, which helps us initially tailor our support.

Many do not recognise themselves as carers.

They are parents, grandparents, children, partners, friends or neighbours doing what needs to be done to maintain a quality of life for those they are looking after.

Sunderland Carers Centre is here to help you. Whether you are caring for young children, parents, grandparents, extended family members or friends, we adopt a “whole family” approach.

Each member of a family will experience different caring roles and our aim is to identify and support every need.

A Caring Role

The responsibilities and duties of a carer can arrive at any time, to anyone in any community – you may be looking after your spouse, friend, relative or co-worker.

We would urge anyone who thinks they are or may know a carer to contact the Carers Centre directly.

To self-refer to Sunderland Carers Centre click here to register with us.

For many multi-cultural communities, lack of self-identification as “a carer” places barriers on accessing information, advice and support.

To break down these barriers, our website can be translated into many languages and we offer an interpretation service for carers to access one to one support (in partnership with the North East Refugee Service)

Young Carers

Parent Carers

Caring in later life

Adult Carers

Young Carers

Are you under 25yrs old and look after or help with a loved one? That makes you a Young Carer and we can help you.

Whether it’s help with school, college or work, respite from your caring duties or simply providing the opportunity for you to meet and gain support from people who have gone through or are going through similar issues, we can help you.

Caring in later life

There is no age limit to love, and if you’re advanced in years and caring for a friend or loved one, we can help you.

From organising groups and activities with other people who have similar caring responsibilities to organising trips away or from discovering new pastimes to learning about what support you’re entitled to, we can help you.

Parent Carers

Are you the parent or guardian of a child or young person who requires care? That makes you a Parent Carer and we can help you.

From accessing support organisations, helping with benefits advice, providing information about home aids or simply helping organise a little time away from your duties, we can help you.

Adult Carers

If you are over 18 and caring for an adult who is ill, disabled, elderly frail, has a learning disability, mental health issue or substance misuse problems – you are an adult carer.

The support you offer may be emotional or include cooking, helping with medication, shopping or attending appointments with the person you care for. It doesn’t matter if the person lives with you, on their own or in residential care, you fulfil a caring role.