Northamptonshire parent carer recognised at prestigious Carer UK Awards
Amy Rutter, founder of Parent Carer Cheerleading Squad, has been recognised in the Carer of the Year category at the inaugural Carers UK Awards, held on 16 October at Plaisterers’ Hall, London. Among five national finalists, Amy was nominated for showing exceptional dedication in her caring role and has made a demonstrable positive impact.
The Carers UK Awards were launched as a milestone in the charity’s 60th anniversary celebrations, intended to honour outstanding contributions by carers and carer-supporting organisations across the UK.
This award shines a national spotlight on the often hidden, yet foundational, work of unpaid carers. In Northamptonshire alone, there are over 60,000 carers, with 55% in West Northamptonshire also working full or part-time. The national carer survey 2024 (West Northamptonshire) found that ‘Overall carers reported feeling tired, depressed and stressed’.
Every day, 5.8 million carers provide unpaid support across the UK, often with little recognition or systemic support. The Carers UK Awards celebrate individuals and organisations who go above and beyond to support unpaid carers, whether through day-to-day caring, campaigning, volunteering or creating carer-friendly workplaces.
Amy has been recognised for her advocacy and support of parent carers. As a devoted parent carer of her son, Rudy, who is Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) autistic, Amy knows only too well how isolating caring can be. For several years, Amy has juggled intensive caregiving, part-time work from home, and the demanding process of Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) appeals and tribunals to secure Rudy’s educational rights.
In recent years, due to severe anxiety, Rudy has not been able to leave the home, requiring Amy’s presence around the clock. Much of their life has been confined to a single room together, and their daily existence revolves around navigating sensory stress, emotional regulation, and the complexities of life with autism.
From that lived experience, Amy founded the Parent Carer Cheerleading Squad, a free, peer support online community offering practical wellbeing strategies to parents of children with additional needs.
Over time, the impact has grown; members say they feel heard, validated, and equipped with simple, realistic tools to care for themselves. Harriet Leczynska-Smith, a participant in Amy’s ‘Me-Time Made Possible’ workshop, said: “You have lived experience, so you know the advice well-meaning friends and family give isn’t realistic … this workshop makes it achievable.”
Other parents have called the group “inclusive,” “lifeline support,” “positivity in a fractured SEND community”, and “a space of solidarity.”
Amy said of her ‘Carer of the Year’ nomination: “This recognition means so much because being a parent carer can be incredibly tough emotionally, mentally and physically – often without much external support – and that’s finally being acknowledged and validated.
“As SEN parents, we so often feel invisible, like we’re shouting into the void about our struggles with isolation, burnout, and the constant battle for support. I feel like this nomination doesn’t just acknowledge me – it represents many other parents in similar positions.
“There are so many of us who are quietly getting on with incredibly challenging caring roles, and we deserve to be seen and recognised.”
For Amy, being nominated for this national award is validation of all the unseen work of parent carers, the late nights, the burnout, and the relentless advocacy. Amy hopes this recognition can carry more weight for the many families in similar situations, who are also feeling invisible, overwhelmed, and unsupported. She sees the nomination as an opportunity to help parents reclaim some sense of agency in their care role, and to shift public understanding of what care really looks like behind closed doors.
“This nomination motivates me to keep going and do more. I hope to reach more families, advocate more visibly for better support structures, awareness and funding, and continue as a voice in SEN wellbeing, so that parent carers are no longer dismissed but understood and supported.”
To download Amy's free SEN Parent's 60-Second Reset Kit and receive her weekly newsletter, visit: parentcarercheerleadingsquad.com/60-second-reset-kit
You can also join the free online community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentcarercheerleadingsquad or follow Amy on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/amymrutter/