Carer support groups: the effects of organizational factors on the character of groups

Abstract

Carer support groups are recognized as being a service aimed directly at meeting the needs of informal carers. Previous research has shown the value of carer groups in offering emotional support and information. This frequently, and probably most effectively, takes place informally between members of the group. This paper describes a study of six carer support groups in Glasgow. Support groups vary considerably in their organization. The factors common to all the groups included in this study were that they were local groups and they were all directly supported by a professional worker from the social work department. Two of the groups were off-shoots of day centres. The other four groups were free standing: two were generic (open to all types of carers), two were specific to a particular client group. Previous studies have tended to be evaluations of particular support groups rather than comparisons of a number of groups. This paper examines the impact of certain organizational factors of carer support groups on the character of the groups and the effect this has on indicators of group effectiveness. The results of the Glasgow study suggest that the character of the group and its outcomes for group members is indeed related to aspects of group organization. The groups' links with service providers, and whether the group had a specific or generic client group focus were considered relevant factors.