Caring and complexity: social work with (unpaid) carers of older people

Around 8 per cent of the UK population provides unpaid care to a friend or relative. This article presents findings from a study that examined the skilled and often under-recognised work of social workers supporting older people and carers in England. Conducted across two demographically diverse local authority sites – one rural and one urban – the research involved observations of practice and semi-structured interviews with older people ( n = 17), carers ( n = 18) and social workers ( n = 10) who were based in hospital or community teams. Here, data are presented from social workers’ and carers’ interviews only. Three interrelated themes were identified using a framework analysis approach: (1) ‘complexities and crisis’, capturing the dynamic and multifaceted nature of social work with carers; (2) ‘a balancing act’, highlighting the nuanced skills and ethical judgement required to navigate the competing needs and perspectives of older people and carers; and (3) ‘against the odds’, reflecting the systemic and organisational barriers that challenge the delivery of person-centred support to carers. The findings identify points of crisis that routinely trigger social worker engagement with unpaid carers of older people and the need for a ‘co-client’ approach, especially when carers are themselves older people. The article highlights the multidimensional and complex nature of social work support with carers, which remains under-recognised despite its significance, and calls for increased public, policy and professional recognition of the specialised expertise required by social workers supporting carers.