Across Calderdale, unpaid carers are juggling medication, appointments, benefits, and the everyday realities of supporting someone they love. More and more, these responsibilities depend on apps, online forms, and digital services, but this can feel overwhelming and confusing.
VAC Community Journalist, Jordan, met with Nadine Cullimore, Digital Inclusion Coordinator at Carers Count, to learn how their Digital Inclusion for Unpaid Carers service is helping carers feel safer and more confident online.
Carers Count’s digital inclusion work sits within their wider offer for unpaid carers aged 18+ across Calderdale. The service, facilitated by Cloverleaf Advocacy, supports people caring for individuals with physical disabilities, long‑term illness, mental ill‑health (including dementia), learning disabilities, additional needs, or older age.
Nadine explained that many carers arrive feeling anxious about scams, identity theft, or simply “pressing the wrong thing”.
Her approach is calm, patient, and focused on real‑life tasks that carers actually need to do.
One person shared:
“I was terrified about the computer and risks of identity theft, but now I am gradually gaining confidence…Nadine’s great patience makes her perfect for this kind of work.”
For those who prefer structured learning, Carers Count offers a free six‑week novice digital skills course in Halifax and Todmorden alongside their one-to-one support. Sessions run in the mornings, 10 am to 12 pm, and gradually build understanding week by week.
The course begins with the basics: what the internet actually is, how apps work, and how artificial intelligence appears in everyday life. As confidence grows, sessions move into practical topics such as online shopping, scam awareness, the NHS App, online banking, and simple “digital housekeeping” to keep devices organised.
Carers often finish the course surprised by how much they’ve learned and how much easier digital tasks feel.
“Knowing these things will make my life online easier. Who knew you could do things like that!”
Digital exclusion isn’t just an inconvenience; it affects access to healthcare, financial independence, social connection, and stress levels. For carers who already carry significant responsibility, struggling with digital tasks can make everyday life harder.
Data from the Good Things Foundation’s Digital Nation 2026 infographic shows that only one in three UK adults feel comfortable online. Carers Count’s work helps close that gap, strengthening wellbeing across families and communities and giving carers more control over their digital lives.
Whether you prefer a structured course or one‑to‑one guidance, Carers Count’s digital inclusion support is designed to meet you where you are. No judgement, no pressure, just patient help to make online life easier.
If you’re an unpaid carer in Calderdale, or you know someone who is, Carers Count can help build digital confidence at a pace that feels right.
Get in touch for course dates and locations.
Phone: 01422 369101
Email: calderdale@carerscount.org.uk
Address: Suite 6b, Rimani House, 14–16 Hall Street, Halifax, HX1 5BD
