Unpaid Carers: Unlocking Better Outcomes with Better Tools

This article is part of our Digital Blueprint for Adult Social Care, a series exploring how technology and cultural change can come together to transform services.

In this piece, we focus on unpaid carers – exploring how digital tools can be used to help our valuable unpaid carers live a good life, despite the everyday difficulties they face.??

The Challenge

Around 5 million people across the UK are providing unpaid care for an ill, older, or disabled family member or friend, and this number is rising. Every day, 12,000 people become unpaid carers, with 62% feeling they had no choice but to take on the role due to a lack of alternative care options.

At a time when they may be feeling overwhelmed and isolated, we know that many unpaid carers struggle to find the information, advice and guidance they need, with the result that many only seek help when they’ve reached crisis point. They can also struggle to navigate our fragmented health and care system, particularly at crucial transition points like hospital discharge, leaving them feeling confused and unsure of the support available to them.

Without the right advice and support in place, informal care arrangements are at risk of breaking down; research led by Carers UK has found that 63% of current and former unpaid carers report that caring has negatively impacted their mental health.

It is therefore concerning that recent CQC assessments have consistently found that local authorities have considerable work to do to improve their support offer for unpaid carers.?

Better Tools, Better Practice

Our experience in delivering digitally-led service transformation in local government has shown us that digital tools can help local authorities reimagine how they support unpaid carers. A digitally enabled future would mean carers can easily identify themselves, access information and advice on their terms, receive early support to maintain their health and well-being, and use technology to monitor their loved ones remotely—allowing them to take a break when needed.

Solutions such as care coordination apps, e-learning platforms, and digital contingency planning tools, combined with AI, predictive analytics, and technology-enabled care, are making this a reality.

The momentum behind these innovations continues to build, with organisations like Mobilise piloting a digital carers assessment aimed at supporting the 76% of unpaid carers who primarily need signposting and information. By streamlining access to resources, these advancements help free up social care staff to focus on those with more complex needs.

The Impact

Digital tools and solutions can offer significant benefits to unpaid carers, improving their quality of life and enabling them to access more effective, efficient, and personalised support. Some examples of this in practice are:?

Increasing Access to Support:

Digital platforms like the Carers UK Digital Resource for Carers have enabled 60% of carers to access information and support that they otherwise would not have found. This includes advice on financial support, health, and well-being.??

Early Intervention:

Predictive analytics and data-driven insights have enabled local authorities to identify carers in need of support earlier, reducing the risk of carer breakdown by 30%. In a pilot project with Dudley Council, Mobilise helped identify over 3,000 unpaid carers in the Dudley borough. Early intervention helps prevent crises and ensures carers receive timely assistance.?

Improved Wellbeing:

A study by Carers UK found that 72% of carers who used digital tools reported an improvement in their well-being. These tools helped them manage their caregiving responsibilities more effectively and reduced stress.3 One example is the Jointly App which enables the person’s circle of care to communicate and coordinate their care at home – it can even connect to health and care devices to share information easily.?

Enhanced Communication:

Remote monitoring and telecare services allow carers to feel more connected to the person they care for, even when they are not physically present. This can provide peace of mind, reduce the need for constant supervision and enable the carer to continue working or take a break when they need it. The increase in hybrid-care models also enable virtual check-ins on how carers are feeling and can identify emerging issues before it escalates to crisis point.??

Reduced Isolation:

Online support groups and communities, such as those provided by Ask Bridgit and Mobilise have helped 58% of carers feel less isolated. These platforms provide a space for carers to share experiences, seek advice, and receive emotional support from peers.?

Making It Work

Digital innovation in this space isn’t really about the technology itself. Simply purchasing and implementing a digital tool or product won’t ever fully unlock the transformation outlined in the examples above. Consideration of the cultural, process and technical barriers are critical components of a successful digital transformation.

To unlock the full potential of better tools, organisations need to:

1.?????????? Co-produce solutions: Ensure that unpaid carers are involved in designing digital solutions – ensuring that these meet their varied and diverse needs. Gathering ongoing feedback is also important to ensure these can be refined based on ‘real world’ experience.

2.?????????? Develop new ways of working: Digital tools should be a catalyst for wider change, rather than just continuing to do more of the same – this means reviewing approaches and processes based on new capabilities.

3.?????????? Track the impact: Use data to measure the effect of digital tools on outcomes for unpaid carers, demand and workforce capacity.

The Opportunity Ahead

Unpaid carers are not only essential to the wellbeing of those they support but also to the stability of our health and social care system, which would collapse without them. Yet all too often, they struggle to access the support they need. There is broad recognition across the sector that local authorities must do more to help ensure carers receive timely, effective help when they need it.

By embracing digital in a meaningful, targeted way, councils can shift from a reactive, crisis-driven approach to a proactive and preventative model—one that improves carers’ quality of life by giving them greater choice, control, and access to the right support at the right time.

To find out more about how you can unlock a step change in support for carers in your region, get in touch with Dr. Emma Garland at [email protected].

To read or download our Digital Blueprint for Social Care, click here.

Follow Channel 3 Consulting for more in this series.

Next, we will be looking at the levers for prevention and how the latest digital innovations can help people stay healthy and independent at home for longer.

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