Support for Pakistani carers through social prescribing

Informal care is described as care, which is unpaid, and provided by a family member, partner or friend. Most informal care in the UK currently falls to women regardless of ethnicity. The experiences of informal carers from ethnic minority groups are not only different but can be more challenging than White British carers due to language barriers, the accessibility of mainstream support services, family expectations and cultural and/or religious values.

The Pakistani ethnic group has one of the highest prevalences of informal carers across England and Wales. Despite this, Pakistani carers are less likely to engage with support outside of their family networks. It is likely that the Covid-19 pandemic has created further challenges for accessing support as well as increased social isolation. It is also typical in Pakistani households for women to have sole responsibility for the home which includes all domestic chores and caring responsibilities of children and elders.

Informal care can have a significant impact on the physical and mental health of carers across all ethnic groups, but higher levels of social isolation exist among Pakistani carers. Social prescribing programmes can help reduce isolation and improve mental health by enabling carers to access support and activities in their area, usually provided through the voluntary and community sector. For ethnic minority female carers, previous examples of social prescribing include one-to-one emotional and practical support in the home and health and wellbeing sessions. However, the role that social prescribing can play in supporting Pakistani carers in general needs more exploration and research in this area is limited, particularly in relation to the cultural and religious challenges around accessing support.

We are conducting a study to speak with up to 20 30 Pakistani men and women who have current or recent experience of being a family carer. Carers will be identified as those who are providing unpaid care to a direct or extended family member, who needs help because of a long-term health condition. We will also speak with up to 10 social prescribing stakeholders, including health professionals (e.g., GPs), social prescribing link workers and voluntary and community sector providers.

Through these interviews we will explore how support for carer health and wellbeing can be improved and how culturally sensitive support services can be implemented to address existing needs, including mechanisms for early intervention. This will help us to better understand and identify, how culturally sensitive social prescribing programmes can address the unmet health and wellbeing needs of Pakistani family carers.

Amount Awarded: £91,771