About Us

For over 35 years Suffolk Family Carers have worked together to ensure unpaid family carers of all ages across Suffolk are visible, valued, supported and connected.

Providing information, advice and support to thousands of family carers each year to help them live fuller lives.

Our credible representation of unpaid family carers’ needs, and their valued work, enables them to campaign on issues that affect unpaid family carers and ensure their voices are heard. We will keep driving change across society to enable family carers to have a life of their own alongside their caring role.

We are here to help

There are over 65,000 identified carers living in Suffolk. For thousands more looking after an ill, older or disabled loved one this doesn’t have a name, it is ‘just something they do.’

Loved ones are living longer with illness or disability, and more of us are looking after them. Whether round-the-clock or for a few hours a week, at home or at the other end of a motorway. Caring can have a huge effect on us, our lives and our plans.

Caring is such an important part of life. Unpaid carers are holding families together, enabling loved ones to get the most out of life, making an enormous contribution to society and saving the economy billions of pounds.

Yet many unpaid family carers do not recognise they are carrying out a caring role, and this can be a real barrier to accessing vital support. The Information Hub line handles thousands of calls a year, to provide advice and support in a solution focused way. The advisers complete Carers Assessments in partnership with Suffolk County Council.

For some people becoming an unpaid family carers is sudden: someone you love is taken ill or has an accident or your child is born with a disability. For others, caring creeps up unnoticed: your parents can’t manage on their own any longer, your partner’s health gets gradually worse.

Every day another 6,000 children and adults across the UK will take on a caring responsibility – that equates to over 2 million people each year.

Over 30 years
experience

How we've been supporting family carers like you...

Carer Assessments
carried out

New Family Carers
registered

Adult Family Carers said they would recommend our service

0 %

Incoming calls from Family Carers answered

Young Carers Need Assessments completed

Family Carer's received help from our Mental Health team

Family Carers attendees
at least one of our
workshops

Increase of registered UK Armed Forces associated carers

0 %

What we do

Caring can be extremely complicated. The maze of rights and entitlements can be complicated. Filling in paperwork can be complicated. Trying to organise a break can be complicated. Our feelings about caring can certainly be complicated.

We’re here to make sure that no matter how complicated your query or your experience, you don’t have to care alone.

99% of family carers felt that Suffolk Family Carers listened, and gave them information and advice to empower them to make informed decisions about their caring role.

We provide innovative services, often ahead of the field. Our work with young carers is now long established and well respected in over 90 schools and colleges across Suffolk.

We have support workers in all the main hospitals across Suffolk, and GP surgeries in West & East Suffolk, to identify and support family carers.

Our work within the sphere of mental health and wellbeing is considered exemplary by family carers and practitioners alike. Signposting to relevant agencies and providing positive opportunities to meet others in a similar situation, share viewpoints and discuss different strategies.

If you are a parent carer, or your young person has autism or ADHD our brilliant team is here to help

How we are run

The team of over 90 staff and around 60 volunteers at Suffolk Family Carers is directed by our CEO, Kirsten Alderson, with support from the Senior Management Team.