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On June 10th 2008 the Government published it's National Strategy for
Carers. The document is called "Carers at the heart of 21st century families
and communities" and it includes a set of commitments and a ten year vision
for what support for carers should be like by 2018.
National
Strategy for Carers : What’s in it?
On June
10th 2008 the Government published it's National Strategy for Carers. The
document is called "Carers at the heart of 21st century families and
communities" and it includes a set of commitments and a ten year vision for
what support for carers should be like by 2018.
The
following is taken from the Strategy which can downloaded in full from the
Department of Health’s website
www.doh.gov.uk
Vision for
2018
The
document sets out a ten year vision. By 2018:
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, to enjoy positive childhoods and to
achieve against all the Every Child Matters outcomes.
Summary
Information and advice
Providing every
carer with the opportunity to access comprehensive information when they
need to. The information will be easily accessible for all groups of carers,
and specific to their locality.
New
break provision
£150 million to
significantly increase the amount of money provided by central government
for breaks from caring for carers. This money will be provided in a flexible
way, which meets the personal needs of carers and the people that they
support;
Pilots will help
to develop models of break provision that demonstrate the cost-effectiveness
of breaks and help identify what constitutes high-quality provision based on
carers’ needs.
Income
Review the
structure of the benefits available to carers in the context of wider
benefit reform and the fundamental review of the care and support system.
Expanded
NHS services
Pilots to look at
how the NHS can better support carers in their caring role through
developing models of best practice and enabling more joined-up service
provision between the NHS, local authorities and the third sector;
Pilots to improve
the support offered by GPs for carers;
Piloting annual
health checks for carers.
Employment and skills
Up to £38 million
to enable carers to be better able to combine paid employment with their
caring role and re-enter the job market after their caring role has ended
through encouraging flexible working opportunities and increased training
provision.
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. Through strengthening support from universal and
targeted services; strengthening the quality and join-up of support around
families so children are better protected from inappropriate caring.
Expert
partners in care
Training carers to
enable them to strengthen them in their caring role and to empower them in
their dealings with care professionals.
Workforce
Training
professionals across the board, from health to housing, to provide better
services and support for carers.
Third
sector
Ensure that third
sector support for carers is available throughout the country to a larger
proportion of carers than is currently reached.
Information about carers
Provide vital data
about carers to aid commissioners and policy makers at a local and national
level in providing better support for carers;
Establishing a
standard definition of carers across government.
Total
investment over 2008–11: over £255 million in addition to over £22 million
previously committed
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