Having someone at the end of the phone who could sort out replacement care was the top priority for carers for improving emergency support. This service can be provided by a Carer Emergency Scheme.

What is a Carer Emergency Scheme?

A typical Scheme involves a carer being asked to register.  Skilled workers assist the carer to draw up their emergency plans. The plans are held by the Scheme which provides a 24 hour response service. Carers carry a card with the Scheme telephone number and a unique PIN number to avoid any personal details appearing on the card. If an emergency arises, the carer or someone with them calls the Scheme.  Using the unique PIN number an operator looks up the emergency plan and makes arrangements for replacement care.  This could be as simple as contacting friends or family, or arranging professional help. Plans will have been shared so the individual requirements of the person requiring care, such as medication, will be known by the person providing the replacement care.

How many schemes are there?

Carers UK conducted a snapshot survey of local authorities and found only about 30 such schemes out of 150 local authorities in England. Carers UK believes every carer should be able to register with a 24 hour Carer Emergency Scheme.  

If you know of a Carers Emergency Scheme that is not included on this list email us or phone Carers UK on 0161 953 4233

Birmingham Carers Emergency Response Service [website] [email]
A FREE 24 hour back up support service for all carers in Birmingham. Tel : 0845 468 1338

Blackpool Council Emergency card scheme
Tel : 01253 651 485

Bolton Careline
Emergency social alarm service. Call 01204 335733 (24 hours a day) or email Careline@boltonathome.org.uk [website]

Bournemouth Carers in Crisis
Bournemouth  Borough Council Tel: 01202 458 204

Brighton and Hove Carers Alert card
Carers Centre for Brighton and Hove Tel: 01273 234045

Bristol & South Gloucestershire Emergency Card
Administered by Bristol and South Glos Princess Royal Trust Tel: 0117 939 2562

Calderdale Carers Emergency Card [website]
Administered by NHS Direct & Calderdale Carers Centre Tel : 01422 369101

Central Bedfordshire Carers Helpline [email]
Tel: 0300 300 80 36.

Cheshire Carers Emergency Scheme [email]
Run by Cheshire Carers Centre and Crossroads Cheshire East Tel: 01606 333 125

Cumbria Carers Emergency Alert Scheme, South Lakeland
South Lakeland Carers Association Tel: 01539 742 602

Derbyshire Carer's Emergency Card
Derbyshire County Council Tel: 08546 058 058

Devon
1) Exeter Carers Emergency Response Card Scheme
Exeter Carers Focus Tel :  01392 202055.

2) Torbay Carers Register and Emergency Response Card [download leaflet]
Run by Torbay carers register management group Tel : 01803 522228

3) Teignbridge Carers Emergency Response Card Scheme
Westbank League of Friends/South Devon Carers Consortium Tel : 01392 824752

4) South Hams/West Devon Carers Emergency Response Card Scheme
South Devon Carers Consortium Tel : 01803 862622 ext. 204

Dudley Carer's 'Peace of Mind' Emergency Card [website]
Run by Dudley Directorate of Adults Community and Housing Services. Tel: 01384 818 723

Durham Carers Emergency Contact Card [website]
Run by British Red Cross Tel : the Carers Register on 01388 488993

East Sussex Care for the Carers' Emergency Alert Card
administered by Lifeline and CareLink 24-hour emergency telephone schemes.  All of East Sussex is covered by this service.  For more details ring 01323 738390.

Gateshead Emergency Support Scheme for Carers
Please contact Gateshead Carers Association for further information. Tel: 0191 490 0121

Gloucestershire Carers Emergency Card [website]
Run by Gloucestershire Carers Centre tel: 01452 386 283

Hampshire Emergency Planning for Carers [website]
Run by PRTC for Carers in Hampshire Tel: 0845 604 1577

Herefordshire Carers Emergency Card Scheme
Contact Herefordshire Carers Support 01432 356068

Isle Of Wight Carers Emergency Alert Card
Run by Wightcare services Tel : 01983 533772

Kent Carers Emergency Card [website]
Telephone: check the website for the contact number for your area of Kent . 

Kirklees Carers Emergency Card [website]
Run by Kirklees carephones and Kirklees carers centre Tel : 01484 226050

Lancashire
1) Blackpool, Preston, East and North Lancashire Carers Emergency Card Scheme
Run by British Red Cross Tel : 01772 709555

2) West Lancashire Carers Emergency Card. [website]
Princess Royal Trust West Lancashire Carers Centre Tel : 01695 73 77 77

Leeds Carers Emergency Plan [email]
Run by Claimar Care Tel: 07545 208 740

Liverpool Carers Emergency card [website]
Run by Local solutions and VNC lifeline Tel : Carers’ Project 0151-709 0990

London Borough of Camden Carers Emergency Card Scheme: Contact: Carerline Administrator 0207974 1491/1492/1493 or email careline@camden.gov.uk

London Borough of Enfield Carers Emergency Card Scheme [download leaflet]
Tel : 020 8379 3333 Council run scheme joins up with Community alarm scheme run by housing

London Borough of Greenwich Carers Emergency Back Up Service [website]
Contact Sally Brenchley at Greenwich Carers Centre Tel: 020 8317 9998

London Borough of Haringey Carers Emergency Alert Card Scheme [download leaflet]
Tel : 020 8489 3967

London Borough of Harrow Carers Emergency Support Service [website]
Tel: 020 8861 3242

London Borough of Havering Carers Emergency Alert Card Scheme
Tel: 01708 432 000

London Borough of Kingston Carers Alert Card Scheme [website]
Tel : 020 8547 6124

London Borough of Redbridge Carers Emergency Alert card [website]
Telephone 020 8554 5000 to request a registration form or [download a registration form]

London Borough of Richmond Carers Emergency Card Scheme [website]
Tel : 020 8487 5020

London Borough of Southwark Carers Planning for Emergencies Project [website]
Southwark Carers Tel: 020 7708 4101

Manchester
1) Manchester Carers Emergency Card. Tel: 0161 835 4090

2) Trafford Carers Centre. Tel: 0161 861 0101

North East Lincolnshire Carers Emergency Alert Card
North East Lincolnshire Carelink Tel: 01472 312 318 / North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus Tel: 01472 325 189

North Tyneside Carers Emergency Breaks Service [email]
Administered by North Tyneside Council Tel: 0191 643 2228

Northumberland Carers Emergency Scheme
Carers Northumberland in partnership with the British Red Cross. Tel: Carers Northumberland 0844 800 7354

Nottinghamshire County Emergency Card for Carers
Partnership Unit (Carers), 3 Church Street, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 8FD Tel : 0115 967 1063

Oldham Carers Emergency Support Service [download leaflet]
Tel : Princess Royal Trust Oldham Carers Centre 0161 627 0163

Oxfordshire Emergency Carers Support Service
Administered by A4e. Tel: 01865 374 430

Redcar & Cleveland Carers Emergency Card [website] [email]
Tel: 01642 488 977

Rochdale Carers emergency card scheme
Tel: The Carers Resource 01706 865814

Rotherham Carers' Emergency Scheme
Run by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Tel: 01709 823 653 [email]

Salford Emergency Card Scheme
Tel : Salford Carers Centre 0161 833 0217

Sefton Emergency Card Scheme [website]
Run by Sefton control centre Sefton Carers centre Tel: 0151 476 9000

Slough Emergency Card Scheme
Tel: 01753 635 667

South Gloucestershire & Bristol Emergency Card
Administered by Bristol and South Glos Princess Royal Trust Tel: 0117 939 2562

St Helens Carers Emergency card
Run by St Helens Carers Centre Tel: 01744 675 615 

Stockport Carers Emergency Card (Carecall) [email]
1, Ratcliffe Towers, Bosden Fold, Hillgate, Stockport SK1 3PB Tel : 0500 130 585

Stoke on Trent City Council Carers Emergency Scheme - a 24hr support service for adult carers in Stoke on Trent - Tel 0800 561 0015 for information

Sunderland Carers Emergency Contact Scheme [download leaflet]
Council run Care Alarm Service Tel : 0191 528 2485

Tameside Carers Card Scheme [website]
Tameside Carers Team Tel: 0161 342 3344

Warwickshire  Carers Emergency Card Scheme
Contact South Warwickshire Carers' Support Service Tel 01926 485 486
 
West Sussex Carers Emergency Alert Card [website] [email]
Run by ICIS: information for life Freephone: 0800 859929 (voice and text) or 01903 859929

Wolverhampton Carers Support run an emergency card scheme: [website] This also gives carers access to Council owned leisure facilities in the City with the person they care for they are able to get in for free.

Worcestershire Emergency Alert Card [website]
Tel:  0800 389 2896.

York Carers Emergency Card [website]
Contact City of York Council Carers Emergency Card Office Tel: 01904 656 985

WALES

Carmarthenshire. Emergency Alert Cards [website]

Ceredigion             

Ceredigion Red Cross Emergency Card Scheme – 01874 610462                 

Flintshire 

Care Link Service and the British Red Cross  Carers Emergency Contact Card  01352 717965           

Monmouth / Caerphilly    

British Red Cross Carers Emergency card support

35 Stow Park Circle

Newport NP20 4HF   01633 267 131 / 132

Powys              

Powys Carers Service

01597 823800 or email info@powyscarersservice.org.uk

Rhondda Cynon Taf

Carelink Carers Emergency Card website

Wrexham

British Red Cross run a Carers Emergency Card 01978 725204.

SCOTLAND

Aberdeen – Carers Emergency Card Scheme: info@aberdeen.carers.net 01224 646677

Angus - Emergency Card scheme: 01575 574192 or 574071

Perth and Kinross - Community Alarm Scheme: 01738 476 775

Card only schemes

These areas offer a card for carers to write their details on but they are not backed up with telephone support

1. Bradford
2. Hampshire
3. Knowsley’s
4. LB Islington
5. LB Waltham Forest
6. North Staffs
7. Somerset
8. Warrington
9. West Lothian
10. Wokingham