Being Heard is our self-advocacy guide for carers
Self-advocacy is about speaking up for yourself. It’s about getting your voice heard and effectively communicating your own interests. Our guide has been designed to help you communicate your needs with professionals, understand your rights and look after your wellbeing.
Main guides
Caring can be rewarding but also very isolating. You may not know what help to ask for, how to ask, or indeed who to ask.
Being Heard can help you get your voice heard when you care for someone. Self advocacy is also about being able to have your own needs listened to, as well as speaking up for the person you care for.
As well as being a solid source of information on your rights as a carer, the guides offer helpful tips on how to speak up and look after your wellbeing. For useful accompanying resources, such as a complaints letter template, see the links below.
Click the relevant link below to download the Being Heard guide:
We have some printed copies which you can order from our online shop.
Other useful resources
The guide also features extra resources to explore:
- Complaints letter template
- Mindfulness hub
- Reflecting on events
- Watch our animated film about self-advocacy
Watch our video for more self-advocacy tips
This is for general information purposes only. Correct at time of recording (October 2023).
Download for your nation
Being Heard - England
PDF(7614.0MB)
DownloadBeing Heard - Wales
PDF(3249.4MB)
DownloadBeing Heard - NI
PDF(3217.3MB)
DownloadBeing Heard - Scotland
PDF(3419.0MB)
DownloadBeing Heard - Welsh
PDF(3265.7MB)
DownloadLatest updates
Caring About Equality: Why tackling carer poverty must be a national priority
John Perryman, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, writes about the importance of tackling carer poverty.
Carers Week 2025: Why we care about equality for carers
Carers UK Chief Executive Helen Walker shares a message to mark the start of Carers Week 2025.
Unpaid carers in employment need further support to improve their health and wellbeing
44% of carers in employment have had a mental or physical health condition develop or become worse since taking on…
Nearly half of UK adults with caring responsibilities say their health has been impacted since caring, reporting new or worsening conditions
43% of current or former carers have had a mental or physical health condition develop or become worse since taking…
Got a question about caring?
Every day we hear from people who need help with looking after a friend or family member
Become a member for free
Joining Carers UK is free and takes just a few minutes.