What Carers Federation does

Carers Federation (legal entity: The Carers Federation Limited) is a UK charitable organisation registered as a company limited by guarantee (Company No. 3123142, Charity No. 1050779), founded in 1992 and headquartered at Christopher Cargill House, 21–23 Pelham Road, Nottingham. It supports unpaid carers across all age groups, delivers accredited advocacy training, and runs a proprietary accreditation framework (QSCS) for institutions. Operationally, the firm runs three regional direct-service contracts — the Carers Hub Service (Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County, jointly funded by two councils and the Integrated Care Board since October 2023 on a four-year term), Caregivers Connected Gateshead, and the North East ICA Service (NHS complaints and statutory advocacy across five North East localities). It also operates a proprietary QSCS accreditation programme (valid 3 years) for universities, further-education colleges, multi-academy trusts, and healthcare organisations, delivered nationally through the Driving Change in Higher Education project in partnership with Learning and Work Institute and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.

The business model combines public-sector commissioned service delivery, training income, and accreditation fees. Revenue streams include: (1) multi-year public sector contracts (Carers Hub four-year deal; NE ICA consolidated through October 2024); (2) City & Guilds accredited qualifications, notably Level 4 Independent Advocacy at £1,295 and single units at £750–£850, plus a new Step into Advocacy entry-point course at £180 launched in 2025; (3) short online training courses (Adult Safeguarding £35, Introduction to Mentoring £35, NHS Complaints Training £90, Effective Mentoring Programme £150) delivered through a Moodle-based Virtual Learning Environment that supports global self-serve access; and (4) QSCS accreditation fees with profits reinvested into carer-support services. Distribution is contract-led (direct relationships with local authorities and the ICB) plus event-driven community outreach and GP surgery referrals (151 GP Carer Champion surgeries). Operational footprint during 2024/25 included 1,938 new referrals, 2,136 support plans, 2,815 monthly newsletter subscribers, 144 in-person and 36 online monthly support groups, and 810 Caregivers Connected Gateshead referrals.

Notable intangible assets include the Advocacy Quality Performance Mark (QPM), described as the only Quality Mark for organisations offering Independent Advocacy, City & Guilds approved centre status since January 2010, and a 2024 Social Care Award for the Carers in Hucknall Self Help group. A five-year Corporate Plan with a full review of income generation strategy was initiated in 2024/25. Leadership consists of CEO Jayne Bell and a Board of Trustees; no investor, parent, or external equity ownership is disclosed.

Name

Carers Federation

Legal name

The Carers Federation Limited

Website

https://carersfederation.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carers Federation is a UK charitable organisation that supports unpaid carers through regional public-sector commissioned services in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Gateshead, and the North East, and operates the national QSCS accreditation framework plus City & Guilds advocacy training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Care and Carer Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Caregiver Support, Training & Coaching (HLADAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Caregiver Support, Coaching & Training (HLADALAG)

Keywords

• Carer support services
• Independent advocacy training
• Carer accreditation programme
• NHS complaints advocacy
• Charitable social care

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Sector Contracts: Four-year contract for Carers Hub Service jointly funded by Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, and the Integrated Care Board (ICB), awarded in October 2023
2. Advocacy Training Qualifications: City & Guilds accredited Level 4 and Level 2 Independent Advocacy qualifications, plus new Step into Advocacy course for those beginning advocacy journey
3. QSCS Accreditation: Quality Standard in Carer Support accreditation for educational institutions and organizations; profits reinvested into Carers Federation's carer support services
4. Short Training Courses: Online training courses including Adult Safeguarding, Introduction to Mentoring, NHS Complaints Training, and Setting up an Effective Mentoring Programme delivered through VLE

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Carers Federation provides free, confidential carer support services (Carers Hub Service, Caregivers Connected Gateshead, North East ICA Service) to unpaid carers across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Gateshead and the North East of England. It also operates the Quality Standard in Carer Support (QSCS) accreditation programme for educational institutions, employers and healthcare providers, and delivers accredited advocacy training (City & Guilds Level 4 in Independent Advocacy) plus short online courses through its Moodle-based Virtual Learning Environment.

Product overview

Carers Federation is a charitable organisation providing a portfolio of carer support services, training programmes, and accreditation services primarily in the Nottingham and Gateshead regions of England. The core offerings include the Carers Hub Service (Nottingham/Nottinghamshire), Caregivers Connected Gateshead, and the North East ICA Service providing NHS complaints advocacy. The organisation operates the Quality Standard in Carer Support (QSCS) accreditation programme for educational institutions, businesses, and healthcare settings, delivered through the Driving Change Programme. Training services include City & Guilds accredited qualifications (Level 4 Independent Advocacy) and short online courses (Adult Safeguarding, Mentoring, NHS Complaints Training) delivered via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) powered by Moodle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Quality Standard in Carer Support (QSCS): An accreditation programme for organisations to raise awareness, remove barriers, develop policies and improve support for carers in education, employment, and healthcare settings.
• Driving Change in Higher Education

Products and services

• Carers Hub Service Free and confidential support service for unpaid carers in Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County, providing dedicated support workers, support groups, respite referrals, assessments and carer ID cards. Jointly funded by local councils and the ICB.
• Caregivers Connected Gateshead Dedicated service for all-age caregivers in Gateshead, providing support, raising awareness and connecting caregivers to health and wellbeing resources under joint contract between Gateshead Council and the North East ICB.
• North East ICA Service Independent Advocacy Service in the North East of England covering County Durham, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Darlington, Newcastle and Stockton, providing NHS complaints advocacy and statutory advocacy services.
• Quality Standard in Carer Support (QSCS) Accreditation programme for educational institutions, employers and healthcare organisations to raise awareness of carers, remove barriers, develop policies and improve access to and quality of support for carers. Accreditations are valid for 3 years.
• Driving Change Programme Programme supporting educational institutions (universities and FE colleges) to better support young adult carers through the QSCS accreditation process, delivered in partnership with Learning and Work Institute and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.
• City & Guilds Level 4 in Independent Advocacy Nationally recognised qualification developed by City & Guilds in collaboration with the Department of Health, enabling practising Independent Advocates to formally validate their skills. Includes mandatory units and specialist optional units covering IMCA, IMHA and other advocacy specialisations. Full qualification £1,295, single units £750-£850, with assessor support, workplace visits and materials.
• Step into Advocacy Session Introductory course designed as the ideal starting point for individuals beginning their advocacy journey or with an interest in advocacy, priced at £180 per session and delivered via the Virtual Learning Environment.
• NHS Complaints Training Online training course covering NHS complaints procedures and advocacy, priced at £90, delivered through Carers Federation's Virtual Learning Environment.
• Adult Safeguarding Competency Training Online training course delivered through the Virtual Learning Environment covering adult safeguarding competencies, priced at £35.
• Introduction to Mentoring Short online course (approximately 60 minutes) for those starting in a mentoring role or interested in becoming a mentor, with certificate of completion, priced at £35.
• Setting up an Effective Mentoring Programme Training course developed by experienced mentors, mentor trainers and service managers for recruiting, training and supporting volunteer and peer mentors, priced at £150.

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Learning and Work InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership to deliver the Driving Change in Higher Education project. Funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, the project supports universities across the UK to strengthen support for young adult carers. Carers Federation delivers the QSCS accreditation through this partnership.
• Age UK GatesheadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership working arrangement for Caregivers Connected Gateshead service to provide comprehensive support to caregivers in Gateshead
• Citizens Advice GatesheadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership working arrangement supporting caregivers through referral pathways and information sharing
• Archway Learning TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with 10 schools (8 secondary, 2 primary) - the first multi-academy trust in the country to undertake trust-wide QSCS accreditation

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• VoiceAbility: UK advocacy charity delivering statutory and NHS complaints advocacy alongside related services. Highly comparable as a competing advocacy provider with multi-region commissioning footprint similar to the North East ICA contract.
• Crossroads Care: UK charity providing carer respite breaks and support to unpaid carers and people with care needs. Comparable in delivering direct carer support services and competing for similar local authority commissioning contracts.
• Carers UK: National UK charity advocating for and supporting unpaid carers, offering advice, information, and policy influence. Most directly comparable to Carers Federation in mission focus on unpaid carer support and policy advocacy.
• POhWER: UK charity providing independent advocacy services including NHS complaints advocacy across multiple regions. Directly comparable to Carers Federation's North East ICA Service and advocacy training proposition.
• Carers Trust: UK charity operating a network of local carer support services. Closely comparable in operating a hub-based carer support model with regional/local delivery and carer identification pathways, similar to Carers Federation's Carers Hub Service.

Others

• Rethink Mental Illness: UK mental health charity providing advocacy, support, and training. Comparable to Carers Federation as a provider of independent advocacy services (a core overlapping capability), though focused on mental health rather than carer support.
• Mind (UK): Major UK mental health charity providing advocacy, information, and training services. Comparable in offering statutory advocacy services (including NHS complaints advocacy in some regions) and paid training programmes via a similar operational model.

Broad incumbents

• Age UK: Large national UK charity supporting older people, including many of whom are carers. Overlaps with Carers Federation's elderly carer work and competes for some of the same local authority/ICB contracts, but operates at significantly broader scale and scope.

Emerging players

• Independent Age: UK charity providing advice, advocacy, and support to older people. Comparable in offering advocacy services and information/advice for older adults, overlapping with Carers Federation's elderly carer support work but focused on older people themselves.

Regional players

• Together for Short Lives: UK charity supporting families of children with life-limiting conditions. Partially comparable as a family support and advocacy charity, but focused on a specific population that does not directly overlap with Carers Federation's all-age carer remit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CarersFedNews
• Facebookfacebook.com/carersfed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-carers-federation

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carers Federation