A carer is anyone who provides regular and ongoing support to another person. This may be someone in your family, i.e. a spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling or other relative, who needs looking after because they have a physical disability, a mental health condition, a learning disability, a drug or alcohol related illness, a sensory impairment or any long-term illness or condition.

Some of the roles undertaken by a carer include:

• Helping a person get washed and dressed

• Helping with housework, cooking or shopping

• Helping someone with their medication

• Providing emotional support

Being a carer is not easy and often taking on these extra responsibilities can affect friendships and relationships, learning and development, and health and wellbeing.

Caring for someone can be daunting, especially if you are new to it. We have spoken to many carers over the years and these are the things they wish they had known early on.

Scroll down to find some really useful advice and resources.