How Businesses Can Celebrate Carers Week in the UK

What is Carers Week UK?

Carers Week is an annual UK campaign held every June with the aim of raising awareness of unpaid carers, highlighting the challenges they face, and recognising their invaluable contributions to families and communities. This week encourages individuals and organisations to participate in events and activities to support and celebrate carers across the UK.

Importance

A carer is anyone who looks after someone, often a disabled person or an elderly. Carers Week is important because it shines a light on the millions of unpaid carers who quietly support loved ones with illness, disability, or age-related needs. These individuals often make immense personal sacrifices, facing emotional, physical, and financial challenges without recognition, all while taking on other jobs in other companies. By highlighting their vital role, Carers Week ensures carers across the UK feel seen, valued, and supported by the wider community.

There’s an estimated 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK who provide an invaluable service to a large portion of the population who needs it. Shining a light on the plight of these workers is great for raising awareness and promoting change throughout the industry. This is why many carers organisations put in the effort to participate in the observance.

Schedule

Carers Week 2025 Schedule

This year’s Carers Week revolves around the theme “Caring About Equality”. Set to be celebrated from June 9 to 15, 2025, this is meant to highlight the various inequalities that carers face in their daily lives. Along with this year’s theme is a schedule wherein every day highlights different aspects of being a carer. Here’s a quick look at the 2025 schedule for Carers Day in the UK:

• Monday: Health and social care

• Tuesday: Financial wellbeing and management

• Wednesday: Work and employment

• Thursday: Younger carers

• Friday: Older carers

• Saturday: Mental health and wellbeing

• Sunday: Reflections on Carers Week

Throughout the week, groups hold various events, workshops, and talks revolving around the different focuses for the day. Companies and organisations looking to participate should pay attention to the schedule and base their activities around it.

Celebrating Carers Week

There are various ways for organisations to participate in Carers Week in the UK. It can be difficult for some teams to decide how to start when planning their activities for the week, so here are a few ideas to keep in mind based on the suggestions set forth by the event organisers:

Organise Awareness Workshops

Companies can host workshops to educate employees about the vital role of caregivers and how to address the challenges they face, helping to foster empathy and understanding in the workplace. These sessions can include talks from guest speakers, carer stories, and interactive discussions, and be supplemented with mobile training or reference materials after. Raising awareness supports a more inclusive and supportive work environment for employees who care for others.

Host Support Groups

Facilitating peer-led or professionally moderated support groups allows employees with caregiving responsibilities to connect, share experiences, and find emotional support. These groups reduce isolation and stress while promoting community care. Support groups also align with safeguarding efforts by creating a safe space for mental and emotional well-being.

Update Internal Policies

Reviewing and updating workplace policies helps companies better support employees who are balancing work and care. Implementing flexible schedules, carer leave, and remote options shows commitment to inclusion. Using a caregiver manager software can help also HR teams track needs and manage accommodations efficiently

Offer Wellness Sessions

Wellness sessions that aim to help with mindfulness, stress relief, and resilience training give employees practical tools to care for their own health while supporting others. These programs recognise the emotional impact of caregiving and encourage self-care. A focus on wellness also boosts morale and retention among staff who are carers.

Offer Online Training and Resources

Providing access to online training helps carers develop skills to manage their dual roles at work and home. Topics might include navigating care systems, managing stress and fatigue, or understanding employee rights. Easy-to-access resources show a company’s ongoing commitment to supporting working carers.

Supporting Carers with Modern Technology

Modern technology has made it easier for businesses and companies to support caregivers. These innovations allow for better tracking, scheduling, and monitoring of carer activities, giving companies a better view of operations. Here are some ways modern technology has improved carer support:

• Mobile Scheduling – Current technology can now help caregivers coordinate appointments, medication times, and daily care routines with ease. Such capabilities reduce stress, minimise scheduling conflicts, and ensure nothing important is missed.

• Digital Checklists – Creating and utilising digital checklists help carers stay organised by tracking daily responsibilities, routines, and safety measures. They improve consistency and quality of care while making it easier to share updates with others involved.

• Remote Monitoring Systems – These systems help caregivers monitor the well-being of care recipients in real time, even from a distance. Alerts for emergencies or unusual activity provide added security and peace of mind.

• Digital Health Records – Digitising health records streamlines access to medical histories, prescriptions, and care instructions in one secure place, such as the cloud. Doing so enables caregivers and healthcare providers to make faster, more informed decisions.

• Asset Tracking – Various digital solutions can now also help carers and relevant organisations keep track of vital medical equipment, vehicles, and assistive devices used in caregiving. Using an asset management tool  reduces loss, improves efficiency, and ensures that carers have the tools they need when they need them.

• Lone Worker Monitoring – Some safety and overall operations apps today now also come with lone working monitoring tools that can help ensure the safety of caregivers working alone in remote or high-risk environments. It offers real-time check-ins, emergency alerts, and GPS tracking to protect staff and respond quickly in case of incidents.