Carers Week 2026 (8-15 June) throws the spotlight on unpaid carers with a focus on building carer-friendly communities - calling for better recognition and support for unpaid carers.
At Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust (DCHS) we are hosting a celebratory event on Wednesday (10 June) to share our progress in shaping a carer-friendly workplace for our 4,000-plus colleagues.
It will highlight the support offered to employees who balance their professional roles with caring responsibilities. It is being organised by our Carers’ Staff Network, which was launched just a year ago in June 2025 and in the past 12 months has been pivotal in the introduction of a number of initiatives to enhance the recognition of, and support for, unpaid carers in our workplace.
Jemma Walker, chair of the Carers’ Staff Network, said: “A recent NHS survey revealed that nearly 50% of staff at DCHS are unpaid carers. That’s half our workforce caring for someone outside of work. It’s vital we get this right.” Jemma has shared her own caring experiences of looking after her son George. You can read that here.
A recent DCHS survey highlighted the impact caring can have on staff wellbeing, with 99% of respondents reporting stress linked to their caring role. Some of the initiatives introduced in the past few months for DCHS employees include:
- A carer’s passport to help identify carers and ensure they can access appropriate support.
- Up to five days of paid, pre-bookable carers leave each year.
- Dedicated training sessions for managers to improve understanding of carers’ experiences and the support available.
- A growing carers’ network that provides peer support and a platform for sharing experiences.
- A network of 20 trained carer champions who help raise awareness and signpost colleagues to support.
We have also worked closely with Derbyshire Carers Association to achieve the Carer Friendly Employer Quality Mark, for creating a workplace where carers feel recognised, valued and supported, which will be presented to us at the celebratory event on Wednesday.
Nationally, the week is being led by Carers UK in association with supporting charities. There are 5.8 million people in the UK caring for a family member, friend or neighbour who is ill, older or disabled and many find the impact of caring on their health, finances and employment opportunities a challenge.
Unpaid carers save the UK economy an estimated £184 billion each year – the equivalent of a second NHS – but not everyone gets the support they need. Carers UK research shows that more than half (57%) of carers feel overwhelmed ‘often’ or ‘always’.
A carer friendly community is a place, space or organisation that values carers and does something practical to support them by identifying carers, listening and responding to their experiences so that they are not left to cope alone.