Carers still need the freedom to pursue any training, learning, or work opportunities and time to attend events and activities.
There are a number of events and activities aimed specifically at carers that can provide a break from caring and the chance to meet others in a similar situation.
From support groups to coffee mornings, enjoying activities outside your caring role can improve your quality of life. It's also a great opportunity to meet other people who are carers too. You might find it helps you to talk to other carers; mutual support is free and perhaps you can help someone else by lending a listening ear.
It can be hard to keep up with your social life if you have a caring role, so groups like this are important. Carers of Barking and Dagenham organise regular events, from quiz nights to day trips.
Carers Week and Carers' Right Day take place every year all over the country. Activities and events are organised to raise awareness ad celebrate the hard work that carers do. These events are organised annually by the Carers Networking Group.
Combining your caring role with work can be a real challenge. As a carer, you have additional employment rights. It is important to know what support is available if you are having problems juggling responsibilities.
Many carers who are of working age are in paid employment. Trying to manage both work and your caring role can be a real challenge, but the government is trying to find ways to make this easier.
The government has said that carers in paid work have the right to take time off to deal with a family emergency. If you would like advice about problems at work or your caring responsibilities, please refer to the useful links section of the page.
This is a national government campaign to encourage employers and workers to change working patterns. The idea is that our working hours could be more flexible. This would help people who need to manage both their work and out of work responsibilities. You could talk to your employer to see if flexible working is possible.
Remember: you will need to discuss any changes to your working hours or time off with your employer.