Crossroads Care, also known as Crossroads, is a registered charity in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 and Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 which provides support for carers.

The organisation was first established in 1974. It took its name from the TV soap opera Crossroads, in which the problems of families caring for disabled people at home were highlighted by an accident to one of the characters. The programme makers, Central Television, made a donation of £10,000 for a pilot scheme to be set up in Rugby, Warwickshire

Rugby, Warwickshire

Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...

. Crossroads subsequently expanded to become a national organisation with over 250 local schemes throughout England and Wales, with a sister organisation in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

, Crossroads Caring Scotland

Crossroads Caring Scotland

Crossroads Caring Scotland is a national charity which exists to support carers in Scotland, through the provision of respite care and other forms of practical support...

.

The charity describes itself as follows:

"Crossroads Care is Britain's leading provider of support for carers and the people they care for. We work with over 35,000 individuals and their families, helping carers to make a life of their own outside caring. We provide the special quality of care that gives them the peace of mind to let someone else step into their shoes... We are a national network of local charities employing over 5,000 trained professionals. We provide flexible services to people of all ages and with a range of disabilities and health conditions."