New Report Reveals Mounting Pressure on Family Carers in Barking and Dagenham
Many carers are forced to step away from paid work entirely, while others try to juggle employment alongside demanding responsibilities at home. For a significant number, the pressure takes a toll on their health. Experiences of stress, anxiety, and loneliness are common, with many describing exhaustion and a lack of time to care for their own well-being.
Despite their critical role, carers say they are rarely asked a simple but vital question: how are you coping? The report highlights a widespread sense of invisibility, with many feeling overlooked by professionals and unsupported by local services. Awareness of key support mechanisms, such as Carer’s Assessments, remains limited, and even those who seek help often encounter delays, confusion, or silence.
Barriers to support run deep. Long waiting times, financial concerns, and a lack of clear information make it difficult for carers to access services designed to help them. For some, cultural expectations and language barriers add another layer of complexity, leaving them to rely on informal networks or navigate systems alone.
The findings also point to a fragmented system where carers are left to fill the gaps. Rather than being supported as partners in care, many find themselves acting as coordinators, advocates, and round-the-clock providers—often without recognition or relief.
Yet the report is not without hope. It calls for practical, achievable changes, including clearer communication, better access to mental health and respite services, and a stronger commitment from professionals to recognise and involve carers in decisions. Central to this is a cultural shift: moving from crisis-driven responses to proactive, consistent support.
Ultimately, the message is clear. Family carers are not just supporting the system—they are sustaining it. Without meaningful action to support their well-being, the impact will be felt far beyond individual households. As one carer put it: “The country would collapse if all the carers stopped.”
The findings from this research are already helping to shape local priorities and decision-making. Evidence gathered through the project has informed the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) Deep Dive into carers’ experiences and needs across Barking and Dagenham, ensuring that the voices of unpaid carers are reflected in future planning and service development. The report has also prompted responses from key health and care partners, including Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, North East London NHS Foundation Trust, and local Primary Care Networks, demonstrating growing recognition across the system of the need to strengthen support for family carers and improve coordination between services.