ChildLine founder Esther Rantzen, is getting behind social care by supporting the re-launch of carer support charity - Crossroads Care. "There are an astonishing six million carers in this country, many of them school age children. When they reach a point at which they can no longer cope on their own, they need to know where to find help they can trust."

Crossroads Care is Britain's leading provider of support for carers, with 35 years experience and consistently high service quality ratings*. They employ 5,500 staff who support more than 35,000 carers and those they care for. They provide the all important short breaks but also practical and emotional support for all those affected by a care need.

Chief Executive Anne Roberts says: "We know that many more people will take on caring roles in future and when that happens they are often faced with confusing choices about how to get help. We want them to know that Crossroads Care is an organisation they can turn to."

Crossroads Care has over a hundred local schemes across England and Wales. They are expanding their services to meet the growing demand for carer support but without compromising the service quality for which they are widely admired. "We're re-launching ourselves", says Roberts, "we need to be clearer about what we do and make sure that more carers and the people they support know about us. We've never had to "market" ourselves before, but now we do, so we're raising our profile with a new look, a new name ...Crossroads Care ...and a new energy in our communication, hugely helped by Esther".

As a national network of local charities, Crossroads care for people not for profit. Rita Packwood is a classic case. She first remembers taking on the role of carer at the age of ten. A sister with Down's syndrome, a mother with severe rheumatoid arthritis and a father with failing health left little time for play and education. Despite these immense pressures and with no support, Rita still gained an honours degree and took on full time work. In the end, and at the age of 42, Rita was forced to give up work to become a full time carer. Her mother died three months later and her father in 2005. Rita still cares for her sister Rebecca but not without a struggle. "Thank goodness for Crossroads Care and a sense of humour ...the three hour break they give me every Wednesday and another half a day each month, keep me sane"

Crossroads is now called Crossroads Care, a simple change that points to what they do so well. More carers turn to Crossroads Care than to any other social care provider. The new name and marketing mission, their care quality standards and their continuing focus on people not profit, will help more carers and the people they care for, find the peace of mind they need.
www.crossroads.org.uk