If you want to know more about services for carers in your area, search our directory of local carers' services (see “Services near you”, right).
Type in your postcode or the name of the area you live in and click "search". This will give you a list of your nearest services. Alternatively, call the free Carers Direct helpline on 0808 802 0202 and we'll tell you what help is available closest to you.
The directory will always give you your local authority carers' contacts (displayed top right on the results screen) for children, adults and older people. Local authorities provide services for you and the person you care for, including arranging a carers' assessment for you, and other kinds of assessment for the person you look after. You can see more information by clicking the name of your council under 'services for adults', 'services for children', or 'services for older people' as appropriate.
The directory also includes your local carers' centres and other carer or health-related organisations that may offer practical support, advice, advocacy or drop-in sessions.
It will give you the address and phone number of the service, and includes internet links to the local services’ websites, where you should be able to find more information, including named contacts, if they're available.
Thousands of services are listed in the directory.
To make your online search simpler, you can filter the results of your search. At the top of your results screen, you’ll see a list of the types of services you can choose from. Click the tick boxes to select the types of services you'd like to see. You may need to untick the boxes of the services you don't want to see. Then click 'Update results' to refine the search.
You can make your results more relevant by choosing the categories of services in the drop-down lists beneath the main types of services.
The types of services you can filter your search by are:
Carers’ centres and services
- advocacy for carers
- carers’ influencing services
- carers’ information and advice
- language, translation and interpretation
- local carers’ centres
- national organisations (select 'any distance')
- peer support
- recognition as an expert carer
Respite and breaks
- direct payments for carers
- emergency schemes
- holidays
- leisure
- respite
Work, training and education for carers
- employment rights
- mixing education and caring
- mixing work and caring
- training to re-skill
Housing
- adaptations to a property
- independent living and supported accommodation
- moving home
- telecare
Money, benefits and legal
- cared-for person's benefits
- carers' benefits
- financial assistance and grants
- help filling out forms
- help with health costs
- household finance
- housing benefits and Council Tax
- legal advice
- pensions
- Tax Credits
- welfare rights
Health and wellbeing for carers
- bereavement support
- complementary therapies
- emotional support
- hospital support
- pharmacy support
- relationships
- support from GPs
- support from dentists
- support from opticians
Services for the cared-for person
- advocacy for the cared-for person
- aids and adaptations
- day centres and alternatives
- end-of-life care
- home care
- hospice care
- incontinence
- learning disability partnership boards
- nursing and care homes
- peer support
- Power of Attorney
- social care assessment
- special educational needs
Transport
- accessible private transport
- accessible public transport
- Blue Badge scheme
- community transport schemes
- congestion charge
- road tax exemption
- subsidised public transport
- travelling abroad
- travelling within the UK
Support for specific groups
- black and ethnic minority carers
- carers of older people
- female carers
- lesbian, gay and bisexual carers
- male carers
- older carers
- parent carers
- refugees and asylum seekers
- transition from young carer to adult carer
- young carers
Support for specific conditions
- alcohol misuse
- Alzheimer’s disease
- arthritis
- autistic spectrum disorders
- cancer
- chronic bronchitis and emphysema
- chronic kidney disease
- Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
- dementia
- diabetes
- drug misuse
- eating disorder
- genetic conditions
- hearing impairment or deafness
- heart disease
- HIV
- injury
- learning disability
- mental health conditions
- metabolic conditions
- multiple sclerosis
- neurological conditions
- Parkinson’s disease
- physical disability
- stroke
- visual impairment or blindness
- other conditions
The organisations will be listed alongside letters that correspond to the location of the organisation on the map view. To see the map view, simply click on ‘Show results on map’. If the organisation has an exclamation mark next to it, this indicates that it isn’t shown on the map view. This is usually because the organisation has asked for its location not to be shown on the map, as it don’t offer drop-in services.
Please note that if you wish to search for national organisations, you need to select ‘Any distance’ from the distance dropdown near the top of the results page. The national organisations will be listed alphabetically.
If you need other health services, such as pharmacies, GPs or hospital services, you can search for them on the main NHS Choices services directory.
If you work for a service that helps carers but you're not on the directory, email Carers Direct to be included.