Carers annual survey feedback 2021

During February and March 2021, we asked carers in East Sussex to complete our annual survey. We asked you to share your opinions and experiences about your caring role, how Care for the Carers supports you, and how we can plan our services to support you better.  The survey received 63 responses, including 41 online responses and 22 responses with our printed questionnaire.

Survey results summary

Overall, the survey responses from carers show a positive picture of the support provided by Care for the Carers. The survey highlighted carers’ needs for services as well as demonstrating the significant impacts of caring and providing useful insights to inform our future service planning.

What carers said

• 96.6% reported that, overall, you are satisfied with Care for the Carers
• 85.7% carers said that, at the time of the survey, you continue to feel the negative impacts of the pandemic on your caring role
• 95.1% of you agree that the information, advice and guidance from Care for the Carers is helpful and 93.1% that it has informed you about carers rights and the support available.
• 91.2% say that the information, advice and guidance has helped you to make informed decisions.
• 91.4% carers feel that your own health and wellbeing has improved with our support.

“You do a great job already keeping us supported and informed. I would say just keep doing what you are doing and thank you.”

The survey reflected and highlighted the challenges that carers are experiencing, with 100% of you saying that you feel stressed, 91.2% feel isolated and 85.7% of carers are feeling the negative impacts of COVID-19.

Not surprisingly, we also found that 59.7% of carers have issues with finances and the ability to work has affected 66% of carers.

Respite care provision

We asked you whether you have accessed respite care during the last 12 months to help with taking a break from your caring role. 15% of carers had accessed respite and 25% had not – but would have liked to. Barriers to accessing respite include respite provision stopping because of the pandemic and carers not being aware of the respite provision that is available.

“Due to Covid, my husband hadn’t been to his day centre and I haven’t been able to go to have my respite activities.”

Support needed by carers

Carers said that the support you need the most are emotional support including counselling and non-judgemental listening support, and information, advice and guidance.

Other feedback

Carers also gave feedback and made suggestions for service developments and communications. Specific feedback about our communications was predominantly positive.

“I am happy with the regular bulletins and the effort that has been made to regularly review the services available during the present crisis and to present your work in an easily digestible form. I am looking forward to being able to take advantage of more of the services on offer once this is all over.”

Carers’ views on what else Care for the Carers can develop were around common themes such as carer activities, trips and online courses, communications, and representing carers voices.

Carers have previously had a range of other opportunities to give feedback about Care for the Carers services during the past year, including a survey on carers’ views on our post-pandemic delivery planning, our Annual Carers Voices Conference in July 2020 and a range of Carers Voices Focus Groups.

Next steps

Thank you to all carers for taking part. The feedback from this survey will inform Care for the Carers’ strategic delivery planning and fundraising activities for the year ahead.

We are here for all carers, so if you are experiencing difficulties, need support or would like to connect with other carers, please do contact us.