The King's Fund Centre has been in the forefront of developments to change the way in which support is offered to carers. In practice this has meant developing work programmes in different localities around the country to analyse, test and make improvements to the planning and delivery of services for carers. Oxfordshire County Council Social Services Department was one of the localities working in partnership with the King's Fund Centre over the period 1990-92. Together they established the Oxfordshire Carers Unit and began the challenge to make professionals sensitive to carers' needs and to facilitate improvements in services for carers. This report charts the progress made to date and the factors which can thwart the process as well as documenting carers issues in Oxfordshire.