Carer’s Rights Day 2025

This year, Carer's Rights Day is on Thursday 20th November 2025 – and this year’s theme is ‘Know your rights, use your rights’.

A carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, frailty, a mental health problem or an addiction, cannot cope without their support.

A carer may be any age including:

• A young carer under 18 years of age.
• A parent carer caring for a child with additional support needs.
• A friend or neighbour providing support to someone who is vulnerable.
• A husband, wife or partner.
• A person caring for an elderly parent who needs support.
• Caring for someone can take up a few hours each week, or a carer may be caring for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Throughout the UK carers provide critical and invaluable support to a partner, family member or a friend. Many people don’t see themselves as carers, and are often unaware of their rights and what they can get in terms of support and benefits.

Whether you are a new carer or have been caring for a family member, friend or neighbour for some time, you could feel unheard or unsupported, but as an unpaid carer you have rights.

Did you know the rights of an unpaid carer include:

• The right to a Carers Assessment and your identified eligible needs being met.
• Rights at work and the right not to be discriminated against because of your caring role.
• The right to be recognised as a carer.
• The right to be included in hospital discharge planning.
• Carers’ right to a break.
• The right to register with your GP Practice as an unpaid carer to enable you to access health checks and vaccinations.
• The right for unpaid carers to get up to 5 unpaid days off work for their care role needs.

In Flintshire we are proud to support over 11,500 residents who have caring responsibilities both through in-house services and our partner organisations.

Councillor Christine Jones, Cabinet Member for Social Services: 

“Carers and young carers play a vital role in our communities, and it’s essential they’re aware of the support available to them personally. I take great pride in the diverse range of services we offer to carers across Flintshire, and I warmly invite anyone in need of assistance to reach out.”

Craig Macleod, Chief Officer, Social Services: 

“We value the vital role that carers—including young carers—play in supporting their loved ones, and we recognise that they too may need support. Carer well-being is a priority, and we’re committed to ensuring they know that a wide range of help, guidance, and support is available whenever they need it—not just in moments of crisis. This includes community-based support that provides practical and emotional assistance alongside statutory services to safeguard carers’ rights and well-being.”

Our commissioned provider of carers services, NEWCIS, are located on Mold High Street (38–42 High Street, Mold, CH7 1BB) and welcome carers to drop in to see them to understand the range of different services that can support carers with their caring role.

Information is also available on their website.

Claire Sullivan, Chief Executive of NEWCIS: 

“We look forward to welcoming carers to our Carers Centre. We can offer carers a wide range of support including financial support, an award-winning respite scheme, carer needs assessments, counselling, training, peer support groups, hospital support and more. We can help carers to access the information, guidance and support they need to help them in their caring role, as well as informing them about their rights as an unpaid carer. So please pop in and see us.”