Understanding the unpaid caring responsibilities of individuals can inform work to address any barriers to participation in higher education that might exist.
Recommended question:
Do you have any caring responsibilities for a child/children and/or another adult/s?
- No
- Yes
- Prefer not to say.
If yes, please select all that apply:
If you share care responsibilities equally then please answer as the primary carer.
- Primary carer of a child or children (under 18 years)
- Primary carer of a child or children who is disabled or has a health condition or illness, or temporary care needs (under 18 years)
- Primary carer or assistant for a disabled adult or adults (18 years and over)
- Primary carer or assistant for an older person or people (65 years and over)
- Secondary carer (another person carries out main caring role)
- Prefer not to say.
It is important that a question collects information about different types of caring responsibilities, reflects on the changing nature of these roles, acknowledges that respondents might have multiple caring responsibilities and that responsibilities might not occur on a regular or daily basis.
To explain what is meant by ‘primary carer’, institutions might wish to include more detailed explanatory text:
A primary carer is defined as an individual who plays a substantial role in the care for another person, who may or may not have multiple primary carers. Primary thus describes the level of responsibility to care for another person, rather than being the sole carer for that person.