Many Sandwell residents support a relative, friend or neighbour every day without calling themselves a carer. If the help you give is unpaid and the person would struggle to manage without you, Sandwell Council is likely to treat you as an unpaid carer and you may be entitled to support in your own right.
Who counts as a carer in Sandwell
Sandwell describes a carer as an adult who provides unpaid emotional or physical support to a family member, partner, neighbour or friend who needs help because of age, illness, disability, addiction or mental health needs. The person you care for does not have to live with you, and they may be an older person, an adult with a physical disability, someone with learning disabilities, someone with mental ill health, or someone affected by drugs or alcohol.
Local support from Sandwell Carers
Sandwell Council commissions Sandwell Carers as the main borough-wide carer support service. It offers registration, advice, information, training, community outreach and a free Carer Friendly ID card. The service is led by Forward Carers with regional partners including Age Concern Birmingham, Age UK Birmingham, St Albans Community Centre and Midland Mencap.
- Sandwell Carers Hub: St Albans Road, Smethwick, B67 7NL
- Telephone: 0121 798 2372
- Email: info@sandwellcarers.org.uk
- Website: sandwellcarers.org.uk
Sandwell’s own carers pages also signpost residents to the Bridgit Care website for online guidance, practical planning tools and emergency back-up planning outside normal office hours.
Your statutory carer’s assessment
If caring is affecting your health, work, finances, social life or ability to keep going, you can ask Sandwell Council for a carer’s assessment. This is separate from the cared-for person’s assessment, and you can request one even if the person you support refuses help themselves.
Sandwell says the assessment should look at issues such as whether you are willing and able to continue caring, whether your health has been affected, whether you can work or study, whether you get any time for yourself, how emergencies would be managed, and what would make life easier. If you have eligible needs, the council should agree a support plan with you.
- Ask for a carer’s assessment via Sandwell Enquiry on 0121 569 2266
- Or email sandwell_enquiry@sandwell.gov.uk
Emergency planning and the Carer’s Emergency Card
One of the most useful Sandwell-specific offers is the Carer’s Emergency Card scheme. The scheme is designed for situations where something happens to you unexpectedly and the person you care for would be left at risk on their own. The card carries a unique ID number and a 24-hour contact number so that emergency services can trigger the agreed back-up plan.
Sandwell says the service is free. The person you care for must live in Sandwell, but the carer can live outside the borough. The council recommends preparing key information in advance, including medication details, keys, security codes, likes and dislikes, and the names of people who can step in if needed.
- Emergency Card information and forms: Sandwell Community Alarms on 0121 569 6800 or 0121 569 6802
- Email: community_alarms@sandwell.gov.uk
Young carers in Sandwell
Sandwell recognises that young carers need a different kind of support. The council says young carers are usually aged 5 to 18 and may support someone who is ill, disabled, affected by mental ill health, or affected by alcohol or substance misuse. Local support is provided through Sandwell Young Carers and advocacy services.
- Sandwell Young Carers: The Old Vicarage, 44 Bratt Street, West Bromwich, B70 8SB
- Telephone: 0121 525 7667
- Email: contact@sandwellyc.org.uk
Useful Sandwell links
- Are you a carer?
- Information, advice and support for carers
- Carer’s assessment
- Emergency support for carers
- Support for Carers hub
- Sandwell Carers – Contact Us
- Young carers
- Sandwell Young Carers directory entry
Last reviewed: 30 March 2026. Opening times, charges, referral routes, eligibility rules and commissioned services can change, so always use the linked Sandwell or NHS service before you travel, apply or rely on a phone number.
