July 30, 2026

One of our Community Co-researchers, Andrew, discusses his background and motivation, and explains his research topic – understanding unpaid carers and their digital inclusion needs.

 

Background and Motivation

My background is in youth and community work, health development and social care, where I have coordinated and delivered projects focused on areas around social inclusion, community engagement and ensuring people’s voices are heard. Alongside this, I have always had a keen interest in technology and the opportunities it offers to improve people’s lives.

After spending some time away from the kinds of work I used to do, I was drawn to the Community Co-Researcher role because it brings together my professional experience and training, personal background and interest in digital inclusion. It offers an opportunity to contribute to improving digital support for unpaid carers in a meaningful and evidence-based way.

 

Understanding Unpaid Carers

As a former unpaid carer myself, I have an understanding as to how demanding and complex the role can be, while recognising that every caring experience is different.

Many people do not identify themselves as unpaid carers. They see what they do simply as part of being a partner, parent, family member or friend. However, recognising yourself as an unpaid carer can be an important first step towards accessing the support and resources that are available.

 

Learning from Digital Support Work

In the past, I volunteered with a carers’ support organisation, helping people to use digital devices, connect online and access essential digital services.

That experience taught me how difficult it can be to ask for help and how much trust it takes to allow someone into your home. For carers providing substantial support or balancing multiple responsibilities, attending centre-based training is often unrealistic. Home visits proved particularly effective because support could be tailored to each person, using their own equipment and responding to their everyday experiences and needs.

People often became much more relaxed once they realised I had been a carer myself and understood some of the challenges they faced. There was no judgement—just practical support. A simple question about one digital task often led to wider conversations about people’s digital needs. It was a privilege to see how small, practical improvements could make such a meaningful difference to someone’s confidence and independence.

Helping people develop new skills and seeing the positive difference—even in small ways—was incredibly rewarding.

 

Looking at Digital Inclusion More Broadly

I bring that same sense of purpose and enthusiasm to my role as a Community Co-Researcher, while taking a broader view of digital inclusion and the systems that support it on the journey from digital confusion to inclusion.

I want to understand what kinds of support help unpaid carers feel more confident using services such as the NHS App, Mobilise and other digital resources. This project is not about trying to steer everyone to move online. Rather, it seeks to identify the right support for those who want to build their digital skills and access online services with confidence.

The right support, delivered by the right person at the right time, can make a significant difference. This is especially true when people’s concerns, anxieties and past experiences are acknowledged and addressed. My experience has shown that working at someone’s own pace is particularly effective for those who lack confidence or feel apprehensive about the digital world.

 

Progress So Far

What has been especially encouraging is the opportunity to connect, through support from the HDRC team and CVS, with a wide range of people involved with digital inclusion, unpaid carers’ support, or both.

These connections have already led to positive conversations and helped me access the right networks, where I can ask informed questions that support and shape my research. The response from other organisations has been extremely helpful and insightful.

For example, I have discussed the carers assessment and highlighted the value of asking about digital skills and confidence as part of that process, particularly as more services become ‘digital by default’.

There is widespread recognition of the importance of digital inclusion for unpaid carers. My role now is to build on this awareness and develop the research using the learning gathered along the way.

 

My Hopes for the Project

I am looking forward to speaking with unpaid carers about their experiences and hearing, in their own words, what support they believe would work best. Research that is grounded in lived experience is far more likely to lead to meaningful and sustainable improvements.

Ultimately, I hope this project will contribute to developing digital support that enables unpaid carers to feel more confident navigating the digital world—not only in their caring role, but in all areas of their lives.

Having walked in those shoes myself, I understand some of the challenges first hand. I feel privileged to be able to play a small part in helping to create a future where carers are better supported, more digitally confident, and less likely to be left behind.

 

Community Co-Researchers (CCRs) are hosted by Cumbria CVS and work as part of Cumberland Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) to design and deliver research focused on tackling health inequalities in Cumberland. Cumberland HDRC is part of the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) and hosted by Cumberland Council.

 

NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaborations enable local authorities to become more research-active, embedding a culture of evidence-based decision making. The NIHR has awarded £150 million to 30 HDRCs across the UK, to provide the capacity and capability for local authorities to undertake public health research to address the wider determinants of health and health inequalities.