Carers rights: Our responsibilities

1. Carers rights: Our responsibilities Natasha Sloman Head of Social Work and Social Care January 2012

2. Why should carers have rights?

3. Rationale • Carers lose an average of over £11,000 a year by taking on significant caring responsibilities • • Over half of all carers have a caring related health condition • • Due to financial difficulties, 23% of parent carers do without heating, 14% do without food and 73% do without leisure and days out • • Carers represent one of the most socially excluded groups of people • Luke Clements – Carers and their rights, 2010

4. Since 1986, Government Legislation has begun to recognise the needs of carers and several acts have been passed that build upon carers rights

5. Legislation Dividing page • Disabled Persons Act 1986 • NHS and Community Care Act 1990 • Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995 • Carers & Disabled Children Act 2000 • Carers Equal Opportunities Act 2004

6. Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995 • Individuals who provide or intend to provide a substantial amount of care on a regular basis are entitled to request an assessment of their ability to care and to continue caring • Local Authorities are required to take into account the results of that assessment in making decisions about the type and level of community care services to be provided to the care receiver • Note: it does not give a right to services

7. Local councils given mandatory duties to support carers by providing services to carers directly It gave carers the right to an assessment independent of the person they care for It empowered local authorities to make direct payments to carers It enabled councils to support flexibility in provision of short breaks through the short break voucher scheme Carers & Disabled Children Act 2000

8. Duty on local authorities to inform carers of their right to a Carer's Assessment.  Ensures that work, life-long learning and leisure are considered when a carer is assessed. When a Carer's Assessment is being completed it must take into account whether the carer works or wishes to work, any courses the carer is taking or wishes to take, and any other leisure activities the carer undertakes or wishes to undertake Carers Equal Opportunities Act 2004

9. Vision: By 2018, carers will be universally recognised and valued as being fundamental to strong families and stable communities. Support will be tailored to meet individuals’ needs, enabling carers to maintain a balance between their caring responsibilities and a life outside caring, whilst enabling the person they support to be a full and equal citizen National Carers Strategy 2008

10. Specifically the Strategy states: carers will be respected as expert care partners and will have access to the integrated and personalised services they need to support them in their caring role carers will be able to have a life of their own alongside their caring role carers will be supported so that they are not forced into financial hardship by their caring role carers will be supported to stay mentally and physically well and treated with dignity children and young people will be protected from inappropriate caring and have the support they need to learn, develop and thrive, and to achieve against all the Every Child Matters outcomes …continued

11. It includes: Information and advice: providing every carer with the opportunity to access comprehensive information New break provision: £150 million provided in a flexible way and pilots to develop models of break provision Expanded NHS services: Pilots to look at how the NHS can better support carers in their caring role through developing models of best practice, pilots to improve the support offered by GPs for carers, and piloting annual health checks for carers Employment and skills: Up to £38 million to enable carers to combine paid employment and caring role or re-enter the job market, through encouraging flexible working opportunities and increased training provision …continued

12. It includes: Emotional support: Improving the emotional support offered by central, local government and the third sector to carers. Young carers: Over £6 million to ensure young carers are protected from inappropriate caring and receive the broader support they need Caring with Confidence: Training carers to strengthen them in their caring role and empower them in dealings with care professionals. Workforce: Training professionals across the board, from health to housing, to provide better services and support Information about carers: Provide vital data about carers to aid local and national commissioners and policy makers. Establishing a standard definition of carers across government and all Local Authorities need to update their local and partnership strategies to taking into account these new commitments. …continued

13. Local Strategy For past three years Camden and Islington FT has been working closely with the boroughs to realise both LBC and LBI’s strategies. Carers Partnership has been formed and has been successful at raising the profile of carers within the trust Pockets of excellent practice springing up across service such as the Triangle of Care

14. Where now? Boroughs strategies need refreshing. Trust needs to consolidate the good work being led by service and embed this across ALL services. We recognise that Carers looking after people with mental health problems faced particular issues/problems This has led to the development of the Carers strategic work plan

15. What are we doing? Carers strategic work plan agreed by Foundation Trust board in July 2011. It focuses on five key areas.

16. Areas for action Area 1- Early identification of carers Area2 - Information and support Area 3 - Health and Wellbeing Area 4 - Participation Area 5- Accessible and flexible services Area 6 – Employment and education

17. What are we doing continued.. We have had the first listening event to consult with Carers on the development of a trust strategy. We are developing an overarching project plan to ensure that the action areas are implemented. All managers across the FT will be responsible for ensuring the plan is implemented We will then audit our services rigorously to find the evidence that our plans are embedded within the frontline.

18. Would you like to contribute? If you wish to comment on the Carers strategic work plan or would like a copy of this presentation please email natasha.sloman@candi.nhs.uk Or call me on 0203 3173221