2023-24 Survey of Adult Carers in England FAQ

This survey is being carried out on behalf of NHS England. All local authorities with adult social care responsibilities in England, including Southampton City Council, have to carry out this survey every two years. This is the 6th time we have carried out this survey. 

The results will be used by Southampton City Council and NHS England to monitor how effectively we are supporting carers in their caring role. We will use the results of the survey to inform decisions about how services are supplied to carers so it’s vital that as many carers as possible complete the survey and return it to us.

The survey is part of the national Carers Strategy, introduced in 2008. The key aims of this strategy is that carers will not be forced into financial hardship; carers will be supported to stay mentally and physically well and be treated with dignity; carers will be able to have a life of their own alongside their caring role; and carers will be respected as expert care partners.

The survey has 31 questions relating to the carer and the person or people they care for. The responses will be aggregated and then published by NHS England to monitor satisfaction with the carer’s services we provide and Southampton (but not individual carers) will be identifiable in these results.

This survey will be sent to 1,000 unpaid carers of people who have been assessed or reviewed by the city council or Carers in Southampton or Unpaid Carers Support Southampton during the first week of October. Reminder letters and questionnaires will be sent out to non-respondents in early November.

The survey is targeted at carers who are not paid to provide care. This could be a next of kin, another family member, a neighbour, or a friend. Any carer who received a direct payment for their caring role during the last year, or who were assessed or reviewed, or who just received information / advice / advocacy or signposting to another agency are included in the survey.

The survey has been subject to a Data Protection Impact Assessment by the city council and all personally identifiable information will be held securely and not shared inappropriately with anyone else.  

The information collected about you during this survey will only be used for the purposes of research. We may use it to contact you about this. We will only share your information with other organisations or council departments if we need to. The survey responses will be analysed by Southampton City Council and NHS England. We may also share it to prevent, investigate or prosecute criminal offences, or as the law otherwise allows. Please be aware that any comments given on this form may be published in reports. However, the council will endeavour to remove any references that could identify individuals or organisations. Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle your personal data, and we can provide a copy if you are unable to access the Internet. 

See also: 

• Unpaid Carers Support - Privacy Policy
• Information Commissioner's Office - right to be informed

Carer with a visual impairment will receive a large print version of the questionnaire. People who cannot read English will have the opportunity to fill in a Translation Request Sheet so we can send a version of the questionnaire in their own language.