The county council is launching an online tool to help the thousands of unpaid carers across Devon.

The new tool will be called ‘Bridgit” will help unpaid carers find health support, guidance, services and self-help resources at the click of a button.

Councillor Richard Keeling, the Cabinet member for adult services, said:

“Many won’t even think of themselves as being carers, because the person they are looking after is a relative; but caring can bring a whole host of responsibilities and stresses.

“Given that many have other responsibilities such as caring for their children or they are also working, it can mean that they have limited time to spend on researching what help and support is available, to organise suitable activities or to find health advice, and this can have a real impact on a carer’s health and wellbeing.

“Bridgit has been developed with input from other carers and brings this all together in one place to help with everything from accessing benefits, your rights as a carer and to tips on looking after yourself and putting you in touch with other carers to help support you.”

Approximately nine per cent of people in Devon are unpaid carers; that’s at least 75,000 people who care for a loved one or a friend.

Just under half of these unpaid carers spend at least 20 hours per week carrying out their responsibilities, and that’s often alongside working, their role within their family and even going to school or college.

Bridgit follows £332,000 of funding from the Department of Health and Social Care’s Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF) and will help carers find health advice, local events and services tailored to their specific needs.

It will also be able provide health support to enable carers to better understand the conditions and medications of the person that they care for.