North East & North Cumbria ICB Regional Impact Case Study
How the rollout of Mobilise's digital carers service has not only reached over 166,000 “hidden” carers at scale - it has built a lasting infrastructure for carer identification, information, advice, and guidance that will outlive the funding period.
Commissioned through the Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF) and delivered in partnership with 13 Local Authorities
166.9k
People caring reached
29,599
Carers identified, registered & supported
77,047
Carer engagements & support actions
82%
Have never accessed support before
Executive Summary
Over the past two years, the Mobilise digital platform has fundamentally changed how unpaid carers across the North East and North Cumbria access support. Commissioned through the Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF) and delivered in partnership with 13 Local Authorities, the rollout of a digital carers service has not only reached over 166,000 “hidden” carers at scale - it has built a lasting infrastructure for carer identification, information, advice, and guidance that will outlive the funding period.
Now Mobilise has identified, registered and supported nearly 30,000 carers across the North East and North Cumbria. This report presents the overarching regional picture, alongside Local Authority-level analysis and a forward-looking framework for embedding this approach within business-as-usual commissioning.
Context & Strategic Approach
The North East is home to a disproportionately high number of unpaid carers relative to the national average, driven by higher rates of long-term illness, disability, and deprivation across the region. Census 2021 data indicates that approximately 1 in 10 residents provides unpaid care, yet local authority carers' registers have historically captured only a fraction of this population.
Unpaid carers are a critical pillar of the adult social care system. Without their contribution (estimated nationally at over £162 billion annually) statutory services would be overwhelmed. Yet carers themselves are often “invisible” to the system: they do not self-identify, they have commitments inside working hours, and they face stigma or practical barriers that prevent engagement with traditional services.
Mobilise was designed to address precisely this gap: a digital-first, preventative approach to carer identification and support. Coming together as a regional collective, Utilising specialist digital marketing techniques, AI-powered tools, expert guides in language carers understand and a national community of thousands that fosters an authentic and organic space for carers to support each other. A service that supports carers in where they are at home, but also seamlessly complements existing face-to-face services rather than replacing them.
Regional Impact
The evergreen impact survey, completed by 259 carers across the region at the 60-day mark, provides a granular picture of the platform's effect on individual wellbeing and resilience.
Perhaps the most significant finding is the scale of previously unmet need it has uncovered. Eight in ten carers who engaged with Mobilise had never previously accessed any form of carer support, a figure that points to a substantial hidden carer population across the region.
Collaboration with Local Organisations
Rather than operating as a standalone digital service, the platform functions as a gateway - identifying and engaging carers before routing them to the appropriate local commissioned service.
The partner portal was co-produced directly with North East carer organisations, ensuring the referral pathway reflects local context and commissioner priorities. Partner organisations currently active across the region include:
- Sunderland Carers Centre
- Caregivers Connected Gateshead (Carers Federation Limited)
- Carers Northumberland
- North Tyneside Carers' Centre
- Newcastle Carers
- South Tyneside Connected Caring
- Hartlepool Carers
- Stockton-on-Tees Adult Carers Support Service
- Carers Together
- The Junction
- Teesside Mind
- People First
- We Care You Care
- Durham County Carers Support
431
Onward referrals to local commissioned services
66%
Of carers now aware of local service offer
Referrals operate via a mix of self-referral and direct data transfer, dependent on the preferences and GDPR arrangements of each partner organisation. The ambition is to migrate all partners to the advanced portal, enabling richer conversation, real-time collaboration, and a clear flow of carers across the regional system.
"Mobilise worked collaboratively with our existing carers support service provider, ensuring their services complemented existing support and enhanced our carers offer rather than replace it in any way. Mobilise is actively referring people who may require additional support into the face-to-face carers support service."
— Jacqui Kaid, Strategic Carers Liaison Officer, South Tyneside Council
Want to uncover hidden demand and improve statutory outcomes? Speak to the Mobilise team to discover how our integrated approach can transform your local carer support.