Norfolk County Council has launched an All-Age Carers Strategy designed to improve how it identifies and supports unpaid carers across the county, including people who may not think of themselves as carers at all.

The strategy was presented to the Adult Social Care and Public Health Select Committee on 11 March 2026 by Marie Smith, the council's Business Lead for Carers.

The council's offer to carers currently includes commissioned services, the Carers Matter Norfolk service, individual assessments and support planning for more complex needs, respite care, and community information events. The strategy was co-produced with carers and shaped by feedback gathered through Carers Voice, a network for people with caring responsibilities.

Smith told the committee that a community-based approach was making it easier to reach people who do not identify as carers. Those individuals are told they do not need to label themselves but can still access support if they need it.

On young carers, Smith explained that the council works with schools and children's social care to identify young people with caring responsibilities and creates transition action plans to address their individual needs and ambitions.

In response to a question about Carers Matter Norfolk, Smith acknowledged the organisation is highly data-driven, but said the council is working with them to take a more human-centred approach — including a check-in call at the 12-month mark of membership and regular quality audits.

A member of the committee asked whether the council follows up with carers when a resident receives a Disabled Facilities Grant. Smith explained that follow-up support at that stage sits with district councils, each of which holds its own carers register. She noted that upcoming local government reorganisation could provide an opportunity to combine those registers.

The Harwood Care Charter was also raised by a committee member, who asked whether it was still in use. Officers confirmed that the ethos of the charter is embedded in the terms and conditions of all care contracts, meaning providers must demonstrate certain behaviours. Members asked whether the charter could be reinstated on the council's website.

The committee also discussed findings from a recent Care Quality Commission inspection, which recognised Norfolk's emerging learning culture. Director of Communities Nicholas Clinch pointed to reflective practice — where practitioners meet to share and act on their own observations — as a concrete example of that culture producing measurable change.

The committee noted the progress made and agreed to look at the CQC report in greater detail at its July 2026 meeting.