�16/06/08 - National Strategy for Carers

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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