Wiltshire carers are set to benefit from the launch of a new online support service.

The Carer Friendly Wiltshire service, provided by Forward Carers, is dedicated to anyone regularly supporting friends or family in the county, regardless of whether or not they are officially recognised as a carer.

There is a real-time chat feature available around the clock, and carers can book calls with a personal coach for support throughout their journey.

The service is for carers of all ages, with age-appropriate resources available to those as young as 10 through to adulthood.

Integrated online tools such as a carer ID card, video content, a calendar of events, and confidential benefits calculator are available.

The platform enables carers to complete their online wellbeing check, layout a self-help, and contingency plan.

Councillor Jane Davies, cabinet member for adult social care, said: "We want our unpaid carers to feel supported to be able to enjoy life and achieve their goals and ambitions while they are caring.

"We are ensuring the face-to-face support continues but also there will be online help 24/7 so unpaid carers know they are not alone and they have a network to reach out to."

Carers will continue to receive a carer card, now issued by Forward Carers.

It includes a passport-sized photo of the carer, the council’s emergency contact details, and the carer's own emergency contact.

Both a physical card and digital download are available free of charge to those living in the county.

Simon Fenton, chief executive of Forward Carers, said: "We are thrilled to provide online support to unpaid carers in Wiltshire.

"Carers sometimes care for more than one person and often juggle lots of tasks including work.

"Young Carers also multitask between being a Carer and being at school or some other form of education, leaving little time for themselves or to physically reach out for support.

"As all of our support is online, carers can get support at a time that is convenient for them and have the option of joining an online community of Carers to get valuable peer to peer support.

"Rather than spending time searching for answers, our virtual resources (including toolkits and guides) provide information and advice about caring at the click of a button.

"We hope our support will make a difference and improve the lives of all carers living in Wiltshire.”