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.
Watch our self advocacy tips
General information purposes only. Correct at time of recording (October 2023).
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.
Updated in November 2022, the guides are packed with new information on carers’ rights, as well as how to speak up and look after your wellbeing. For useful accompanying resources, such as a complaints letter template, see the links below.
Main guide
Click the relevant link below to download the Being Heard guide:
You can order printed copies from our online shop.
Other useful resources
The guide also features extra resources to download:
- Complaints letter template
- Mindfulness
- Reflecting on events
- Watch our animated film about self-advocacy
Watch the following video about self-advocacy:
Latest updates
Carers UK encourages contributions for the Carers Challenge: One week left to submit evidence of good practice in supporting carers
Five years on: Celebrating an important milestone for Chief Executive Helen Walker
Unpaid carers saving NI’s health service £5.8 billion per year, research shows
New research uncovers the staggering amount of money unpaid carers are saving Northern Ireland's health service each year.
Stress of juggling work and unpaid care for relatives causes thousands of unpaid carers to leave the workplace / Mae straen jyglo gwaith a gofal di-dâl i berthnasau yn achosi i filoedd o ofalwyr di-dâl adael y gweithle
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