New figures show the reach of Westbank’s Devon Carers service extends to unpaid carers in Cornwall
The impact of a service delivered by Westbank Community Health and Care (Westbank), which currently supports more than 34,000 unpaid carers across Devon, reaches well beyond the county boundary into neighbouring Cornwall, according to new figures released by the charity.
The data for the 2025-2026 financial year shows that Devon Carers at Westbank supports 152 people whose caring responsibilities straddle the two counties.
Devon Carers at Westbank is a service that’s commissioned jointly by Devon County Council and the NHS. Westbank has been delivering the current contract since 2018, successfully supporting tens of thousands of unpaid carers whilst delivering measurable savings to Devon’s health and social care system by preventing many carers and care recipients from needing funded care.
The figures show that 142 unpaid carers living in Cornwall and caring for someone in Devon are registered with Devon Carers at Westbank. Of these, 89 receive the Devon Carers’ magazine, eight are engaged with Peer Support, and six have had a carer’s assessment in the last year. The service also supports ten carers who live in Devon and care for a family member or friend in Cornwall.
Andy Hood, Head of Carers Services at Westbank, says, “Devon Carers at Westbank is a service that quietly delivers exceptional scale, quality and value for money for the local authority and the NHS. Now we have evidence that the service is also supporting unpaid carers and their families well beyond the commissioned area.
In the face of a real-term funding squeeze, Devon Carers continues to extend its reach and drive down its Cost per Carer. Not only are we delivering savings for Devon’s health and social care system, but we are also contributing to supporting the public purse in parts of Cornwall.”
Another Westbank service, Neighbourhood Friends, is also supporting people in Cornwall. Neighbourhood Friends provides transport home for patients after their discharge from hospital, together with practical support to help them settle back safely at home.
In 2025/2026, Neighbourhood Friends supported seven service beneficiaries to return home to Cornwall following discharge from the Royal Devon University Hospital in Exeter. Of these, some live alone in Cornwall, or live in the 30% most deprived parts of the country.
Throughout 2026, Westbank Community Health and Care is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Earlier this month, it launched a new service specifically for parents and carers of children with special educational needs, disabilities, long-term illnesses, or additional needs. Devon Parent Carers at Westbank is a service funded by Westbank through fundraising activities, legacies and grants.
For more information about Devon Carers at Westbank, Devon Parent Carers at Westbank and Neighbourhood Friends, visit: www.westbank.org.uk
