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Would a Volunteer ID badge be useful in your Volunteer role? please email admin@credu.cymru with a Photo, the name you want to use and whether you have a current DBS for children and/or vulnerable adults

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Young Carers Champions Packs for WCD, Ceredigion and Powys (Cymraeg)

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Young Carers Champions Packs for WCD, Ceredigion and Powys (Cymraeg)

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Young Carers Champions Packs for WCD, Ceredigion and Powys

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Young Carers Champions Packs for WCD, Ceredigion and Powys

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Powys County Councillors Carers Champion pack

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Powys County Councillors Carers Champion pack

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examplar Young Carers in schools policy in Cymraeg

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examplar Young Carers in schools policy in Cymraeg

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Exemplar of a letter to Car Insurance company as a Volunteer driver

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Exemplar of a letter to Car Insurance company as a Volunteer driver

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If you are Volunteering as a Volunteer driver you will need a DBS Check if you are transporting children. You will need either Business insurance or acknowledgement by your insurance company that they understand you are driving as a Volunteer.

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examplar Young Carers in schools policy in English

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examplar Young Carers in schools policy in English

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A safeguarding pocket guide. These are available in a wallet sized waterproof version. Please ask admin@credu.cymru to post one out.

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Credu hosted an internship through the Rank Foundation as a Community Developer. This was her learning

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Credu hosted an internship through the Rank Foundation as a Community Developer. This was her learning

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An introduction to 'what matters' conversations by Rhoda Emlyn Jones

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An introduction to 'what matters' conversations by Rhoda Emlyn Jones

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The What Matters conversations are part of the Collaborative Communication training that is at the heart of all the work we do in Credu. We hope you can find time to watch all the videos.

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Local authorities have made their training available on-line for anyone in Wales to access.

Social Care Wales (in partnership with other organisations) has developed a quick guide to basic skills for supporting someone living with dementia. The guide is aimed at people new to care or redeployed from other areas. It can be used for induction or for workers to read in their own time.

Social Care Wales, in partnership with Rhoda Emlyn-Jones from Achieving Sustainable Change, has developed video resources to help you have good 'what matters' conversations with people who may need care and support. The videos are aimed at social care workers, volunteers, or people who have been redeployed.

Having a 'what matters' conversation is a skilled way of working with an individual to establish their situation, their current well-being and what can be done to help them maximise their well-being and build resilience.

When we have a 'what matters' conversation, it helps us to focus on what provides the most benefit to a person and supports them to live a life that is meaningful and fulfilling for them.

The first video called Good Beginnings helps us think about the structure of our first conversation with someone. This early interaction sets the scene for how we work with people and build positive relationships.

The second video called Working with People helps us to think about the style and approach of the on-going conversations we have with people we support.

The third video called Good Endings helps us to plan for when people no longer need our support, and how we ensure that when we end our interactions, we leave people in a better place.

The fourth video called Why we have Strengths-based Conversations provides an overview of why we focus on 'what matters' to people. It explains the emphasis in legislation in Wales on improving people's wellbeing by focusing on their personal outcomes.

Cardiff University has developed a module on Dealing with loss, death and dying as part of their Becoming a Caring & Compassionate Practitioner in Health and Social Care course. The module is available underneath the Resilient Practitioner section.

Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) has launched an online medication awareness training module which can be accessed from their website.

New short online medication administration training is now available on the HEIW Pharmacy website.

This training has been specifically designed for domiciliary care workers who may be asked to administer medication due to the pressures of Covid19, or who are now administering from original packaging rather than blister packs. An administration checklist is also available to prompt safe administration by care workers and should be used by managers to assure themselves of individual competence. Pharmacists are able to issue Medication Administration Records (MAR) sheets when dispensing medication in original packaging to encourage and support care workers to maintain complete and accurate records.

Learning@Wales is a NHS Wales national learning platform offering a wide range of free courses available to support staff, particularly during the Covid outbreak. The key courses that are available inculde:

Basic Observations (eg, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturations)

Infection and Prevention Control

Safeguarding Adults and Children

Verification of Death

To access these resources you will need to create an account for guidance on how to do this contact the Digital Learning Helpdesk on elearning@wales.nhs.uk.

UNISON Cymru Wales has a Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) project that works in partnership with its UNISON branches, employers and other trade unions in workplaces across Wales. Together they organise and fund online and face-to-face courses, workshops and other learning activities. Social care workers can access these learning opportunities here.

The Open University has over 100 free courses covering a range of areas. Topics relevant to both social workers and social care workers can be found in the Health, Sports and Psychology section and include children and young people, mental health, learning disabilities, and dementia.

The use of digital technology has never been as important as it is today - Covid-19 has driven the use of different ways of communicating faster than any of us could have imagined possible. The range of options available can be confusing for us all, but in particular those who are unfamiliar with digital technology; WhatsApp, Zoom, Skype and Facebook are just a few of the many platforms that are being used.

Digital Communities Wales is providing a range of support through digital 'drop in' sessions and a 'one stop shop' for online resources during Covid-19. These include easy to follow 'how to' guides for using digital technology and links to a wealth of free educational resources and support.

City and Guilds has published learning resources as part of the new qualifications for Health and Social Care Level 2 and 3 (launched in 2019). Some modules might be suitable for induction and ongoing CPD during the Covid-19 crisis.

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Training modules and courses for care workers

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Local authorities have made their training available on-line for anyone in Wales to access. Social Care Wales (in partnership with other organisations) has developed a quick guide to basic skills for supporting someone living with dementia. The guide is aimed at people new to care or redeployed from other areas.

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A PowerPoint training showing Young Carers attainment and attendance data from England

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A PowerPoint training showing Young Carers attainment and attendance data from England

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WCD training-30mins intro School focussed

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Management Information system guide for schools

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Management Information system guide for schools

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Results from the Carers Trust's annual survey of Young Carers and Young Adult Carers
summary of results from Scotland Summary of results from Wales [English] Summary of results from Wales [Welsh] full report [English]
Carers Trust has conducted its latest annual survey of 1,109 young carers and young adult carers from across the UK.

The survey findings make for alarming reading. Young carers and young adult carers have been experiencing an intensification of their caring role for some years, with many having to spend more time on their caring role as well as having to care for more people.
Read the press release for UK media Read the press release for scotland media Read the press release for Wales media
But this year's findings show the stress experienced by many young carers and young adult carers as a result of their caring role is now being exacerbated by widespread anxieties about household finances as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.

Headline survey findings

56% of respondents to Carers Trust survey say the cost-of-living crisis is always or usually hitting them and their family

32% say they always or usually face additional costs because they are a carer

56% say the time they spend caring has increased in the past year

47% are now caring for more people than they used to

40% either 'never' or 'not often' get help in school, college or university to balance caring and education work

The findings suggest these pressures are having a devastating effect on mental health. Many struggle with emotional wellbeing and feel stressed, overwhelmed or drained. The survey revealed that 44% 'always' or 'usually' feel stressed.

These pressures are reflected in many of the answers left by young carers and young adult carers who completed the survey.
"I'd love to have kid problems. Instead, I'm saving up to try and pay our rent and to see if I can squeeze in some food at the end of it." "Caring never stops. Especially when it's time to sleep, your brain constantly worries about how tomorrow will be, hospital appointments, money etc. It's in overdrive." "There is a lot of pressure on me, to the detriment of my own health, wellbeing, success, happiness and future." "You don't get to have bad days. If you have a bad day, the whole house can fall into disarray. It's exhausting and traumatic."
Voices from the survey

What Carers Trust is calling for from the UK Government

These survey findings show young carers - and the local carer organisations supporting them - need urgent and radical support from the UK Government.

Carers Trust is therefore recommending:

The UK Government to publish a national strategy and action plan for unpaid carers in 2023.

All schools, colleges and universities to appoint a Young Carers Lead with strategic responsibility and oversight for identifying and implementing appropriate support.

Governments across the UK to introduce a fully resourced right to short breaks for unpaid carers with dedicated funding.

Improved access to financial support for young carers and young adult carers, including increasing Carer's Allowance and extending Carer's Allowance eligibility to unpaid carers in full-time education.

Sign our Open Letter to the Prime Minister Sign our Open Letter to the First Minister
How you can get involved and support young carers and young adult carers!

You can also sign our pledge to show your support and visit our social media resources page to download social media graphics to publicise our survey findings on your social media pages.

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Results from the Carers Trust's annual survey of Young Carers and Young Adult Carers summary of results from Scotland Summary of results from Wales [English] Summary of results from Wales [Welsh] full report [English] Carers Trust has conducted its latest annual survey of 1,109 young carers and young adult carers from across the UK.

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An introduction powerpoint to Volunteering with Credu

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An introduction powerpoint to Volunteering with Credu

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A powerpoint introduction to Child Protection

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A powerpoint introduction to Child Protection

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On Census Day 2021 (21 March 2021) there were approximately 4.7 million unpaid carers in England and approximately 310,000 unpaid carers in Wales; when age-standardised this equates to 8.9% and 10.5% of the usual resident population, aged 5 years and over, in each country respectively.

In both England and Wales, the percentage of people providing unpaid care was higher in females than males; in England 10.3% of females provided unpaid care compared with 7.6% of males, in Wales 12.0% of females compared with 9.0% of males provided unpaid care.

In England, the region with the highest percentage of people providing unpaid care was the North East (10.1%) and the region with the lowest percentage was London (7.8%).

There were approximately 120,000 young unpaid carers (aged between 5 and 17 years) in England (1.4% of 5- to 17-year-olds) and 8,200 in Wales (1.8% of 5- to 17-year-olds).

There was a higher percentage of people providing unpaid care in the most deprived areas in England and Wales (10.1% and 11.5% respectively) compared with the least deprived areas, which had the lowest percentage of people providing unpaid care in both England and Wales (8.1% and 9.7%, respectively).

Back to table of contents

Census 2021 asked "Do you look after, or give any help or support to, anyone because they have long-term physical or mental health conditions or illnesses, or problems related to old age?". People were asked to exclude anything they did as part of their paid employment. This is different from the 2011 Census question, which began "Do you look after, or give any help or support to family members, friends, neighbours or others". Further information about changes to the unpaid care question between 2011 and 2021 can be found in Section 5: Comparing unpaid care in 2021, 2011 and 2001.

Age-standardised and age-specific percentages are used within this article. Age-standardised percentages account for different age structures in populations and are more appropriate than crude percentages when drawing comparisons over time and across areas. The numbers being reported here are the actual number who responded in each category. You can download both age-standardised and non-age-standardised data in the accompanying datasets for England, England and Wales and Wales. For further information on age-standardised percentages, see our Age standardising data: What does this mean and why does it matter? blog.

We have already published data in our Unpaid care, England and Wales: Census 2021 bulletin. This article builds on this by also analysing age-specific and age-standardised unpaid care percentages split by sex, age, and Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).

In England and Wales combined, an estimated 5.0 million usual residents aged 5 years and over provided unpaid care in 2021 (9.0%), a statistically significant decrease from 11.4% in 2011. Potential contributing factors for this change could include:

coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance on reducing travel and limiting visits to people from other households

unpaid carers who previously shared caring responsibilities may have taken on all aspects of unpaid care because of rules on household mixing during the pandemic

there has been an increase in the percentage of people reporting very good health and a decrease in the percentage of people that were disabled in 2021 compared with 2011, which could have led to a reduction in the need for unpaid care

excess deaths were highest in the older population and peaked at the beginning of 2021, which could have led to a reduction in the need for unpaid care

changes in the question wording between 2011 and 2021 may have had an impact on the number of people who self-reported as unpaid carers

These differences should be considered when comparing previous Census data (both 2011 and 2001) used within this release.
Back to table of contents

3. Unpaid care by age, sex and geography, 2021

In England and Wales there were approximately 3.0 million female unpaid carers (10.4% of the usual resident population aged 5 years and over, age-standardised) and approximately 2.0 million male unpaid carers (7.6% of the usual resident population aged 5 years and over, age-standardised).

Figure 1: In England, the highest percentage of unpaid carers was in individuals aged between 55 and 59 years for females and between 60 and 64 years for males

Age-specific percentages of unpaid carers by age group, sex and number of unpaid care hours provided per week, England, 2021

Notes:

1. Age-specific percentages have been calculated using counts rounded to the nearest 5.

2. Graph represents usual residents aged 5 years and over.

3. All figures are individually rounded; totals may not sum exactly because of this rounding.

Download this chart

In England, females aged between 55 to 59 years provided the most unpaid care (19.9%), while females aged between 5 to 17 years were least likely to provide unpaid care (1.5%). Males aged between 60 and 64 years were most likely to provide unpaid care (13.0%) and, as with females, those aged between 5 to 17 years were least likely to provide unpaid care (1.2%).

Females were statistically significantly more likely to provide unpaid care than males in every age group up to 75 to 79 years; however, from the age of 80 years onwards, males were statistically significantly more likely to provide unpaid care.

In both females and males, the older age groups provide the highest hours of unpaid care per week. In females, those aged between 75 to 79 years and in males, those aged between 85 to 89 years provided the highest percentage of 50 hours or more of care compared with all other age groups (5.6% and 7.4% for females and males respectively). Males in the age groups 80 to 84 years and 90 years and over were also statistically significantly more likely to provide 50 or more hours of unpaid care than females aged between 75 and 79 years (the age group in females with the highest percentage of 50 or more hours of unpaid care).

Figure 2: In Wales, the highest percentage of unpaid carers was in individuals aged between 55 and 59 years for females and between 55 and 64 years for males

Age-specific percentages of unpaid carers by age group, sex and number of unpaid care hours provided per week, Wales, 2021

Notes:

1. Age-specific percentages have been calculated using counts rounded to the nearest 5.

2. Graph represents usual residents aged 5 years and over.

3. All figures are individually rounded; totals may not sum exactly because of this rounding.

Download this chart

In Wales, the pattern in females matches that of England where those aged between 55 and 59 years were most likely to provide unpaid care (21.9%), and those aged between 5 and 17 years were least likely to provide unpaid care (2.0%). For males, those aged between 55 to 59 years and 60 to 64 years provided the highest amount of unpaid care (15.0%), while males aged between 5 and 17 years provided the lowest amounts of unpaid care (1.6%).

Females were statistically significantly more likely to provide unpaid care than males in every age group up to 70 to 74 years. There were no significant differences for those aged 75 to 79 years. However, from the age of 80 years onwards, males were statistically significantly more likely to provide unpaid care.

Similar to England, in Wales, the older age groups provided the highest hours of unpaid care. In females, those aged between 75 and 79 years and in males, those aged between 85 and 89 years provided the highest percentage of 50 or more hours of unpaid care compared with all other age groups (6.9% for females and 8.7% for males). Males aged between 80 and 84 years were also statistically significantly more likely to provide 50 or more hours of unpaid care than females aged between 75 to 79 years (the age group in females with the highest percentage providing 50 or more hours of unpaid care).

In both England and Wales, there was a clear pattern in females where there was an increase in the percentage of people providing unpaid care with age until 59 years, after which there was a steady decline in unpaid care provision with age. However, in males, the percentage of people providing unpaid care did not decrease with age to the same extent.

Unpaid care by English regions and Wales

Figure 3: The North East was the English region with the highest percentage of both unpaid carers, and unpaid carers providing 50 or more hours of care per week

Age-standardised percentage of people providing unpaid care by hours of care provided, England and Wales, 2021

Notes:

1. Age-standardised percentages have been calculated using counts rounded to the nearest 5.

2. Graph represents usual residents aged 5 years and over.

3. All figures are individually rounded; totals may not sum exactly because of this rounding.

4. For the total age-standardised percentage of unpaid carers in each area, each hour-breakdown percentage can be summed.

Download this chart

In Wales, there was a higher percentage of unpaid care provision than in all English regions (10.5%). There was also a higher percentage of unpaid carers providing 35 hours or more of care per week (4.8%), which is approximately equivalent to a typical full-time job. This was closely followed in England by the North East where unpaid care provision was 10.1%, and 4.7% were providing 35 hours of care or more per week. London had the lowest percentage of unpaid care provision (7.8%), and both London and the South East had the lowest percentage of unpaid carers providing 35 hours or more of care per week (3.2%).

Unpaid care by local authority

Figure 4: Across local authorities, St Helens had the highest percentage of people providing unpaid care in England, and Neath Port Talbot had the highest percentage of people providing unpaid care in Wales

Interactive map showing the age-standardised percentage of people providing unpaid care by care hours and sex across local authorities in England and Wales, 2021

Notes:

1. A darker colour indicates a higher percentage of people providing unpaid care.

2. Age-standardised percentages have been calculated using counts rounded to the nearest 5.

3. Numbers represent usual residents aged 5 years and over.

4. All figures are individually rounded; totals may not sum exactly because of this rounding.

5. For the total age-standardised percentage of unpaid carers in each local authority, each hour-breakdown percentage can be summed.

Download this chart
Back to table of contents

4. Unpaid care and deprivation, 2021

The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) is a measure of relative deprivation at a local level (see Section 7: Glossary for further explanation).

Figure 5: In England, there was a higher percentage of people providing unpaid care in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived areas

Age-standardised percentage of unpaid carers broken down by hours of unpaid care provided by Index of Multiple Deprivation, England, 2021

Notes:

1. Age-standardised percentages have been calculated using counts rounded to the nearest 5.

2. Graph represents usual residents aged 5 years and over.

3. All figures are individually rounded; totals may not sum exactly because of this rounding.

4. These groupings are based on the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) for England, ranging from 1 (most deprived) to 10 (least deprived).

Download this chart

In England, there was a higher percentage of unpaid carers in the most deprived areas (decile 1, 10.1%) compared with the least deprived areas (decile 10, 8.1%), a statistically significant difference. People living in the most deprived areas also showed a higher percentage of 50 or more hours per week of unpaid care (4.0%) compared with those living in the least deprived areas (1.9%), which was also statistically significant. People living in the least deprived areas showed a significantly higher percentage of people providing less than 9 hours of care (3.9%) compared with those living in the most deprived areas (2.1%).

Figure 6: In Wales, there was a higher percentage of people providing unpaid care in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived areas

Age-standardised percentage of unpaid carers broken down by hours of unpaid care provided by Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation, Wales, 2021

Notes:

1. Age-standardised percentages have been calculated using counts rounded to the nearest 5.

2. Graph represents usual residents aged 5 years and over.

3. All figures are individually rounded; totals may not sum exactly because of this rounding.

4. These groupings are based on the 2019 Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) for Wales, ranging from 1 (most deprived) to 5 (least deprived), WIMD deciles are available in the accompanying dataset.

Download this chart

Similar to England, there was a higher percentage of people providing unpaid care in the most deprived areas (quintile 1, 11.5%) compared with the least deprived areas (quintile 5, 9.7%) in Wales, a statistically significant difference. In the most deprived areas, there was a higher percentage of people providing 50 or more hours per week of unpaid care (4.8%) compared with those living in the least deprived areas (2.7%), which was also statistically significant. In the least deprived areas, there was a significantly higher percentage of people providing less than 9 hours of care (3.9%) compared with those living in the most deprived areas (2.4%).

Although IMD in England and Wales is based on the same concept and general methodology, there are some differences which mean the indices are not directly comparable (see Section 7: Glossary).
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5. Comparing unpaid care in 2021, 2011 and 2001

The unpaid care question was first asked in the 2001 Census. This section looks at trends in unpaid care in 2001, 2011 and 2021.

In Census 2021 we asked:

"Do you look after, or give any help or support to, anyone because they have long-term physical or mental health conditions or illnesses, or problems related to old age?

Exclude anything you do as part of your paid employment."

People answered the 2021 question by selecting one of six categories:

1. No

2. Yes, 9 hours a week or less

3. Yes, 10 to 19 hours a week

4. Yes, 20 to 34 hours a week

5. Yes, 35 to 49 hours a week

6. Yes, 50 or more hours a week

In the 2001 and 2011 Census we asked:

"Do you look after, or give any help or support to family members, friends, neighbours or others because of either:

long-term physical or mental ill-health/disability?

problems related to old age?

Do not count anything you do as part of your paid employment."

People answered the 2001 and 2011 question by selecting one of four categories:

1. No

2. Yes, 1 to 19 hours a week

3. Yes, 20 to 49 hours a week

4. Yes, 50 or more hours a week

The question change in 2021 was based on research and testing, see our Health and unpaid care question development for Census 2021 report. To make comparisons between 2001, 2011 and 2021 data, some of the answer categories for 2021 have been grouped to match to the four answer categories for 2001 and 2011. It should be noted that when the "provides 9 hours or less" and "provides 10 to 19 hours" of unpaid care is combined in 2021, this creates a slightly different category ("provides 19 hours or less") to the category this is compared with in 2011 ("provides 1 to 19 hours of unpaid care").

Figure 7: In England, most age groups showed a decrease in the percentage of unpaid carers in 2021 compared with 2011

Age-specific percentages of unpaid carers by age and sex, England, 2001, 2011, 2021

Notes:

1. Age-specific percentages have been calculated using counts rounded to the nearest 5.

2. Graph represents usual residents aged 5 years and over.

3. All figures are individually rounded; totals may not sum exactly because of this rounding.

Download this chart

In England, between 2001 and 2011 there was an increase in the percentage of unpaid carers for both males (9.9% in 2001, 10.0% in 2011) and females (12.5% in 2001, 12.8% 2011). In 2021 there was a decrease in the percentage for both males (7.6%) and females (10.3%) when compared with 2001 and 2011.

There was a decrease in the percentage of people providing unpaid care in 2021 compared with the 2011 Census in England across most age groups (Figure 7). This is not apparent in females aged 85 years and over, where there has been an increase from 2011 in the percentage of females providing unpaid care. In 2021, the largest fall in the percentage of people providing unpaid care between 2021 and 2011 was in the age groups that were more likely to provide unpaid care (those aged between 35 to 79 years).

Figure 8: In Wales, most age groups showed a decrease in the percentage of unpaid carers in 2021 compared with 2011

Age-specific percentages of unpaid carers by age and sex, Wales, 2001, 2011, 2021

Notes:

1. Age-specific percentages have been calculated using counts rounded to the nearest 5.

2. Graph represents usual residents aged 5 years and over.

3. All figures are individually rounded; totals may not sum exactly because of this rounding.

Download this chart

In Wales, the percentage of unpaid carers for males was 11.5% in both 2001 and 2011, and for females it increased between 2001 and 2011 from 14.4% to 14.6%. In 2021, there was a decrease in the percentage of both male (9.0%) and female (12.0%) unpaid carers when compared with 2001 and 2011.

There was a decrease in the percentage of people providing unpaid care in 2021 compared with the 2011 Census in Wales across most age groups. This is not apparent in females aged 85 years and over, where there has been an increase from 2011 in the percentage of females providing unpaid care. Similar to England, the largest fall in the percentage of people providing unpaid care in 2021 was in the age groups that showed the highest percentages of unpaid care in females and males.

It is important to highlight that the results we have seen may have been influenced by Census 2021 data being collected during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and changes in question wording since 2011. For more detail, please see Section 2: Using the data.

Figure 9: In both England and Wales, there was a decrease in the percentage of people providing 19 hours or less of unpaid care in 2021 compared with 2011 and 2001

Age-standardised percentages of people providing unpaid care by hours of care provided, England and Wales, 2001, 2011, 2021

Notes:

1. Age-standardised percentages have been calculated using counts rounded to the nearest 5.

2. Graph represents usual residents aged 5 years and over.

3. All figures are individually rounded; totals may not sum exactly because of this rounding.

4. For 2001 and 2011 Census data, "19 hours or less" represents between 1 and 19 hours, for 2021 data it includes people who provide less than 1 hour of care.

Download this chart

While there was a lower percentage of people providing unpaid care overall in 2021 compared with previous years, this was mostly seen in those providing 19 hours or less of care (Figure 9). In both England and Wales, there was an increase in the number (approximately 2.4 million in England and 170,000 in Wales) and percentage (4.5% in England and 5.8% in Wales) of people providing 20 or more hours of unpaid care compared with 2011 (approximately 2.0 million and 4.2% in England and 160,000 and 5.6% in Wales). This pattern could be explained by lockdown restrictions in place on Census Day and changes in the question wording (see Section 2: Using the data).

Figure 10: In 2021, there was a larger difference in the percentage of people providing unpaid care between the most and least deprived areas compared with 2011 in England

Age-standardised percentages of people providing unpaid care by hours of care provided and Index of Multiple Deprivation, England, 2011, 2021

Notes:

1. Age-standardised percentages have been calculated using counts rounded to the nearest 5.

2. Graph represents usual residents aged 5 years and over.

3. All figures are individually rounded; totals may not sum exactly because of this rounding.

4. For 2011 Census data, "19 hours or less" represents between 1 and 19 hours, for 2021 data it includes people who provide less than 1 hour of care.

5. These groupings are based on the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) for England, ranging from 1 (most deprived) to 10 (least deprived).

Download this chart

Figure 11: In 2021, there was a larger difference in the percentage of people providing unpaid care between the most and least deprived areas compared with 2011 in Wales

Age-standardised percentages of people providing unpaid care by hours of care provided and Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation, Wales, 2011, 2021

Notes:

1. Age-standardised percentages have been calculated using counts rounded to the nearest 5.

2. Graph represents usual residents aged 5 years and over.

3. All figures are individually rounded; totals may not sum exactly because of this rounding.

4. For 2011 Census data, "19 hours or less" represents between 1 and 19 hours, for 2021 data it includes people who provide less than 1 hour of care.

5. These groupings are based on the 2019 Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) for Wales, ranging from 1 (most deprived) to 5 (least deprived), WIMD deciles are available in the accompanying dataset.

Download this chart

In England, in 2021, 8.1% of people in the least deprived areas provided unpaid care, compared with 10.1% in the most deprived areas, this is a difference of 2.0 percentage points. In 2011, the difference between the percentage of unpaid carers in the most and least deprived areas was just 0.4%.

A similar pattern was seen in Wales, where the percentage of unpaid carers ranged from 9.7% in the least deprived quintile to 11.5% in the most deprived quintile in 2021. This is a 1.8 percentage point difference, compared with a 0.5 percentage point difference between the most and least deprived areas in 2011.

In both 2021 and 2011 there is a general decline in the percentage of people providing 19 hours or less of unpaid care with decreased deprivation and a general increase in those providing 50 or more hours with increased deprivation.
Back to table of contents

6. Unpaid care by age, sex and deprivation, England and Wales data Back to table of contents

Age-specific percentages

Age-specific percentages are used to allow comparisons between specified age groups.

Age-standardised percentage

Age-standardised percentages allow for comparison between populations over time and across geographies, as they account for differences in the population size and age structure. The 2013 European Standard Population is used to standardise proportions. For further information on age-standardised percentages, see our Age standardising data: What does this mean and why does it matter? blog.

Census day

In 2021, the census was conducted on 21 March. At this time, most of the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown restrictions were still in place in England and Wales. The coronavirus pandemic may have affected estimates of people providing unpaid care.

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)

National deciles and quintiles of area deprivation are created through ranking small geographical populations known as Lower layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs). LSOAs are based on deprivation scores from most to least deprived and grouped into 10 or 5 divisions based on the subsequent ranking.

The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) is a score based on the area as a whole, and not everyone within a LSOA necessarily experiences the same level or type of deprivation. For example, some unemployed individuals live in less deprived LSOAs, while some higher-income individuals live in more deprived LSOAs. Similarly, deciles are a broad grouping and the levels of deprivation and the underlying factors determining the LSOA-level deprivation score will vary within the decile. Those LSOAs at the higher and lower end of each specific decile may vary considerably from each other.

The 2011 Census analysis used the 2015 IMD and the 2014 WIMD. We have used the 2019 IMD and WIMD for this article because this is the most up to date version at the time of publishing. A consultation to update the English IMD has been completed, and a response published (see the Indices future: Updating the English Indices of Deprivation consultation). There are currently no dates agreed for an update to the IMD or WIMD. The 2019 IMD and WIMD use the 2011 Census geographical boundaries instead of Census 2021 boundaries. To overcome this, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) methodology team mapped Census 2021 LSOAs to their equivalent LSOA based on 2011 boundaries. This was then used to assign a national deprivation decile or quintile, based on 2019 scores.

Statistically significant

The term "significant" refers to statistically significant changes or differences. Significance has been determined using the 95% confidence intervals, where instances of non-overlapping confidence intervals between estimates indicate the difference is unlikely to have arisen from random fluctuation. See our statistical uncertainty page.

Unpaid care

A person is a provider of unpaid care if they look after or give help or support to anyone because of long-term physical or mental health conditions or illnesses, or problems related to old age. This does not include any activities as part of paid employment. No distinction is made about whether any care that a person provides is within their own household or outside the household.

The wording of the question was changed in 2021 and used the Government Statistical Service (GSS) harmonised standard for unpaid care. Information on steps taken to consult on question changes can be found in our Health and unpaid care question development for Census 2021 report.

Usual resident

A usual resident is anyone who on Census Day, 21 March 2021, was in the UK and had stayed or intended to stay in the UK for a period of 12 months or more or had a permanent UK address and was outside the UK and intended to be outside the UK for less than 12 months.
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8. Data sources and quality

The census provides the most detailed picture of the entire population, with the same core questions asked to everybody across England and Wales. Census results can be more reliable than survey results based on a sample of the population, because the whole population is included. The UK Statistics Authority has assigned National Statistics status to Census 2021 outputs, providing assurance that these statistics are of the highest quality and value to users.

Census 2021 achieved a very high response rate of 97%. We ensure the census results reflect the whole population by using statistical methods to estimate the number and characteristics of people who were not recorded on a census response. This means that the census statistics are estimates rather than simple counts of responses, so they have some statistical uncertainty associated with them. We take numerous steps to minimise possible sources of error.

Additionally, we apply statistical disclosure control to protect the confidentiality of census respondents. Differences in the methods used for statistical disclosure control may result in minor differences in data totals between census products. As we round all figures individually, table totals may not sum exactly. Age-standardised and age-specific percentages were calculated based on these rounded numbers.

Quality considerations, along with the strengths and limitations of Census 2021, are more generally provided in our Quality and Methodology Information (QMI) for Census 2021 methodology. For specific quality considerations related to health, disability and unpaid care, refer to our Health, disability and unpaid care quality information for Census 2021. Further information on our quality assurance processes is provided in our  Maximising the quality of Census 2021 population estimates methodology.
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Unpaid care by age, sex and deprivation, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics

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The provision of unpaid care at country, regional and local authority level and analysis on deprivation with comparisons to Census 2001 and 2011.

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