Target audience

The Parent Carer Specialist Advisor Service is designed for parent carers living in Cornwall who support a child, young person, or adult with care and support needs.

The primary target group includes parent carers of young people with SEND transitioning into adulthood and parent carers of adult children who remain dependent on ongoing support. The service prioritises early identification and preventative support, including outreach to hidden and underserved carers, ensuring timely access to information, advice, assessments, community resources, and coordinated support that promotes wellbeing, resilience, and continued caring capacity.

Programme overview

Why Seek Support?

Many parent carers do not identify themselves as carers and may not realise support is available. Looking after someone can be rewarding, but it can also be challenging. You don’t need to wait until you are struggling to ask for help. We can support you to access information, services, and practical assistance that can make a difference to you and your family.

What We Can Help With

Here’s an example list of what we can provide –

• Information and advice about caring responsibilities
• Emotional support and someone to talk to
• Carers Needs Assessments
• Support planning and reviews
• Help navigating health, education, and social care services
• Support during key transitions, including moving into adulthood
• Access to local services, groups, and community resources
• Emergency planning and crisis support
• Training and learning opportunities for carers

Who We Work With

Caring for a child or adult with additional needs often means working with lots of different services. We work closely with schools and colleges, health and social care services, Family Hubs, community groups, and other organisations across Cornwall to help make accessing support easier.

Our aim is to make sure you get the right help at the right time. By working together with local services and specialist carers organisations, we can connect you to the support available, help you navigate different systems, and make sure your voice is heard.

More information

How to Access the Service

You can access the Parent Carer Specialist Advisor Service in a number of ways:

• Refer yourself if you are a parent carer and would like support.
• A family member can refer you on your behalf.
• Professionals such as teachers, healthcare staff, social workers, or voluntary sector organisations can make a referral.
• Community support workers, including Carer Advisors, Family Hub staff, and Social Prescribers, can also help you access the service.

What to Expect

1. Contact us or submit a referral.
2. We will discuss your situation and support needs.
3. If appropriate, we will complete a Carers Needs Assessment.
4. Together, we will develop a plan to help you access the right support and resources.