A Sculptured Journey: A Photovoice Study About Information Sharing Among Unpaid Carers in England

Abstract

This article explores the critical and often overwhelming task faced by unpaid carers: gathering and interpreting complex information so that health and social care systems can be accessed and understood. Based on a qualitative study centering the views and voices of unpaid carers, it provides a rich analysis of how carers share and interpret information within carer-centered group activities, offering practical insights for both practitioners and carers. In England, the Care Act 2014 places legal duties on local governments to provide information; however, this is often reduced to “signposting,” leaving carers with unresolved questions and significant frustration. Consequently, carers frequently rely on one another to fill these gaps and support those they care for. Adopting a critical realist ontology and a social constructionist epistemology, this study balances the external realities of the Care Act with the subjective experiences of unpaid carers. Using photovoice, a method combining visual and narrative techniques, the study enabled carers to convey their approaches to information sharing. Reflexive thematic analysis identified the key theme of “an information highway: a sculptured journey” along with its subtheme, “an information bridge.” This analysis deepens understanding of how and when carers share information effectively, addressing an underexplored area within the literature on carer-centered group activities. It illustrates how carer-led information sharing enhances carers’ knowledge of rights and resources while fostering a sense of connection and support.