In approving funding of up to £7million for the new service over five years, which will replace the two separate support service contracts currently in place, Councillor Liz Fairhurst, the County Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Adult Services and Public Health, said: “Carers are an extremely important group of people. They provide essential support, compassion and care for loved ones and friends, enhancing their quality of life while at the same time helping to ease the burden on healthcare systems and social services. Recognising and supporting them is an absolute priority as our population ages and a growing number of children with complex disabilities live into adulthood. Timely support for carers is very much about ensuring they are able to take on and sustain their caring role, while maintaining their own health and wellbeing.”
The 2021 Census identified 111,739 unpaid carers in Hampshire, although according to the Office for National Statistics the numbers are likely to be much higher than the Census figures indicate.
Further information about the local support available for the county’s carers is available on Connect to Support Hampshire, the online resource for adults in Hampshire to support independent living.