Cheshire East Carers Forum

What is a Carer

Carers of all ages play a very significant and important role within the communities of Cheshire East and estimates indicate that in Cheshire East, there are approximately 42,000 Carers.

There are many definitions to describe Carers and the caring role. Carers Trust defines a Carer as “anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support.”

Young Carers

Under the Children and Families Act 2014, a young carer is defined as:

A person under 18 who provides, or intends to provide, care for another person. The concept of 'care' includes practical or emotional support, and 'another person' means anyone within the same family, be they adult or child

Young Adult Carers are young people aged between 16 and 25 who are caring for another child or young person, or an adult.

More information can be found on the Carers UK website

Cheshire East Carers forum guidance

Our coproduction guide sets out how we will work together as equal partners to improve, develop and deliver services towards a common goal for all of our children, young people, families and adults.

Our Together guide has been coproduced together with children, young people, families and adults living in Cheshire East. 

What we aim to do 

The Cheshire East Carers Forum aims to be a voice to inform service providers of the needs of carers and their families.

With the delivery of health and social care services focussing on how they achieve integrated ways of delivering services, it is more important than ever to have a clear offer and vision for carers’ services, which builds on the aspirations and statutory framework of The Care Act (2014) and Under Children and families Act 2014.

The Cheshire East Carers Forum will facilitate two–way communication between carers and services used by all carers and their families in Cheshire East. The forum will work to provide feedback on services, offer constructive challenge to current services and input into decision making and planning for future service provision.

What we aim to achieve

By working co-operatively and collaboratively with local service providers carers can contribute to improvements in the services delivered for carers

• Through regular communication with carers ensuring they can decide whether to be involved in a piece of work/consultation.
• Ensuring a diverse forum membership and representation of diverse views from carers from all backgrounds and sectors of the community.
• Promoting a reputation and image of the Cheshire East Carers Forum which reflects its aims and values.

By establishing a Cheshire East Carers Forum it will help facilitate health and social care commissioners to work in partnership with Carers to develop and evaluate innovative new ways in supporting Carers and their cared for.

How to get involved

If you are interested in being part of the Cheshire East Carers forum, please contact

Senior Commissioning Manager - Jill.Stenton@cheshireeast.gov.uk