Module 2: Looking after yourself and building your skills

Module 2: Looking after yourself and building your skills. Video transcript

Full narration with what is on screen, for learners who prefer to read or cannot hear the video.

[00:00] Module 2: Looking after yourself and building your skills

On screen: Coming Home Carer Skills; About 5 minutes. Picture: Evening. Bilal sits at the kitchen table with a mug of tea, rubbing his eyes, a basket of washing waiting beside him. Nasreen sits nearby listening to the radio, her white cane resting against her chair. Calm, not unhappy.

Welcome to Module 2 of Coming Home Carer Skills: Looking after yourself and building your skills. On screen is Bilal. He looks after his mum, Nasreen, and he has not had a proper break for months. We will look at signs that caring is wearing you down, taking breaks, finding support, and learning.

[00:22] Before we start

On screen: Our own free course for family carers.; Topics follow the 16 Care Certificate standards (2025).; Not the Care Certificate. Not a qualification.; Not endorsed by Skills for Care, NHS England or Skills for Health..

First, a short note. Coming Home Carer Skills is our own free course for family carers. Its topics follow the 16 Care Certificate standards (2025) from Skills for Care, NHS England and Skills for Health. It is not the Care Certificate, it is not a qualification, and those organisations have not endorsed it.

[00:47] In this module

On screen: Signs that caring is wearing you down; Taking breaks, big and small; Carers' groups and carers' centres; Learning from places you can trust.

By the end, you should be able to notice when caring is wearing you down, plan regular breaks, find support near you, and keep learning from places you can trust.

[00:59] Your health matters too

On screen: Looking after yourself is part of caring.; Tell your GP practice that you are a carer.; Keep your own appointments.. Picture: Bilal chats with Bea, the receptionist, at the GP surgery desk. He is smiling and pointing to himself, as if saying "I'm a carer".

Caring can take up all your time and energy. It is easy to put yourself last. But your health matters too. When you are well, you are better able to care. Tell your GP practice that you are a carer, so they can think about your needs too. And keep your own appointments.

[01:19] When caring wears you down

On screen: Sleeping badly, or much more than usual; Feeling snappy or low; Not seeing friends any more; Feeling it is all too much. Picture: Late evening. Morag sits on the edge of her bed with a cup of tea, thinking, the bedside lamp on. Through the open door, Alasdair sleeps peacefully in his armchair.

Caring can wear you down slowly, so it helps to know the signs. You might sleep badly, or much more than usual. You might feel snappy or low. You might stop seeing friends, or feel that it is all too much. Noticing this is not a failure. It means you need more support.

[01:41] Struggling?

On screen: Talk to your GP, or call NHS 111.; Northern Ireland: contact your GP out of hours service.; Samaritans: 116 123, free, any time.; If you might harm yourself, call 999..

If you are struggling, talk to your GP. If you need advice quickly, call NHS 111. In Northern Ireland, contact your GP out of hours service. You can also call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time, day or night. If you feel you might harm yourself, or someone is in danger, call 999.

[02:08] Taking a break

On screen: Time for yourself every week; Someone to sit with the person; A day centre, or a paid carer at home; A short stay in a care home. Picture: Rhys sets off for a walk in walking boots, waving from the front door. Inside, his neighbour Errol and his mum Carys are laughing over a game of dominoes at the table.

Everyone needs a break. It might be an hour for a walk, a class, or time with friends. A friend, relative or neighbour might sit with the person for a while. Some charities have volunteers who do this too. Bigger breaks include a day centre, a paid carer at home, or a short stay in a care home. This is sometimes called respite care, or replacement care.

[02:35] Breaks where you live

On screen: England: carer's assessment from your council; Wales: carer's needs assessment, and the Short Breaks Scheme; Scotland: your Adult Carer Support Plan must consider breaks; Northern Ireland: carer's assessment from your Trust. Picture: Four panels, one carer enjoying a break in each: (1) Ravi reads in a café with a coffee (England); (2) Rhys walks on a hillside (Wales); (3) Morag sings in a community choir (Scotland); (4) Ciara has a cup of coffee with a friend on a park bench (Northern Ireland).

To get help with breaks, start with an assessment. In England, ask your council for a carer's assessment, and a needs assessment for the person you care for. The council only pays towards breaks for people it has assessed. In Wales, ask your council for a carer's needs assessment. Carers Trust Wales also runs a Short Breaks Scheme, paid for by the Welsh Government. In Scotland, ask for an Adult Carer Support Plan. The council must think about whether you need short breaks. In Northern Ireland, ask your Health and Social Care Trust for a carer's assessment. Trusts can arrange things like day sitting, night sitting, or a short stay in a care home.

[03:22] You are not alone

On screen: Your local carers' centre; Carers' groups near you; Carers UK online meet-ups; Northern Ireland: your Trust's Carer Coordinator. Picture: A carers' group in a community hall. Helen, in her wheelchair, pours tea for the group. Bilal and Grace laugh together in a circle of chairs with three other carers.

You are not alone. Talking to people who understand can help. Your local carers' centre, or your council, can tell you about support and carers' groups near you. In Northern Ireland, ask your Trust's Carer Coordinator. If it is hard to get out, Carers UK runs online meet-ups, such as Care for a Cuppa.

[03:45] Keep learning

On screen: Use trusted places: the NHS website, Carers UK, Carers Trust and your council.; Ask the nurse or therapist to show you a task.; Hands-on skills need an in-person course.. Picture: Bilal reads on a tablet at the kitchen table (blank screen). Nasreen sits beside him listening to an audiobook with headphones, smiling.

Learn from places you can trust, such as the NHS website, Carers UK, Carers Trust and your council. If you need to help with a task, ask the person's nurse or therapist to show you first. A carer's assessment can also lead to training, such as how to help someone move safely. For first aid, look for an in-person course from the British Red Cross or St John Ambulance.

[04:13] A plan for you

On screen: Write down what helps you.; When someone offers help, say yes.; Plan who could step in if you are ill.. Picture: Ciara writes a list at the kitchen table. Declan sits beside her sorting a pack of cards and grinning.

Small steps help. Write down what helps you feel better, and plan a little time for it each week. When someone offers to help, try saying yes. And think about who could step in if you were ill. Write down what the person you care for needs, so someone else can help.

[04:33] Get help

On screen: Carers UK helpline: 0808 808 7777 (free); Your carers' centre, council, or Trust in Northern Ireland; Samaritans: 116 123, any time; Health worries: GP or NHS 111 (Northern Ireland: GP out of hours service); Emergency: 999.

If you need someone to talk to about caring, Carers UK runs a free helpline on 0808 808 7777. Your local carers' centre, your council, or your Trust in Northern Ireland, can tell you about breaks and support near you. For your own health, talk to your GP. If you need advice quickly, call NHS 111. In Northern Ireland, contact your GP out of hours service. In an emergency, call 999.

[05:06] To sum up

On screen: Your health matters too.; Know the signs, and talk to someone.; Take breaks, big and small.; Find support, and keep learning.; Next: read the pages, then try the quiz.. Picture: Bilal, back from his evening pottery class, hands Nasreen a lopsided clay bowl. She feels its shape with her hands and they both laugh.

To sum up. Your health matters too. Know the signs that caring is wearing you down, and talk to someone when you notice them. Take breaks, big and small, and ask for an assessment to help with them. Find a carers' group near you, and keep learning from places you trust. Now read the pages below, then try the quiz. You can take it as many times as you like.