The Government has announced its intention to refresh the National Carers Strategy and put together an action plan for the next five years.
Paul Burstow, Minister for Care Services, has said that the vision from the last strategy in 2008 will remain, but that a new action plan will outline the “key activities upon which the Government can focus” to “ensure maximum value for money in the context of the current economic climate.”
The last Government launched the National Carers Strategy in 2008, which set out a ten year vision that, by 2018, carers would be respected as expert care partners; able to have a life of their own alongside caring; supported so they are not forced into financial hardship by their caring role and supported to stay mentally and physically well.
For further details of how to respond to the consultation see link below.
Responses must be returned by 20th September, and will help inform the Government’s decisions on the funding of all public services in their Comprehensive Spending Review.
This information was provided by Carers UK.
www.dh.gov.uk/p...
A fully updated third edition of the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain is now available featuring over 180 attractions and ideas for great UK days out.
The Guide is available FREE to Blue Badge and Disabled Persons Railcard holders (£6.99 to everyone else).
To order a FREE copy visit www.accessibleguide.co.uk or call 0800 953 7070.
An audio guide, with special introduction by Ben Fogle, is also available to download free from www.accessibleguide.co.uk.
Important changes from 6th April 2010
The State Pension age for women will start to rise from 60 to 65 between 2010 and 2020 (to be equal with men). There are also two significant changes that will really benefit carers:
Change to qualifying years
Only 30 years of NI contributions and/or credits will be needed to get a full basic State Pension for men and women instead of 39 and 44 qualifying years for women and men currently. This means that carers can have gaps in their NI record for some years and not get a reduced basic State Pension as a result (as long as they do not have less than 30 qualifying years in total).
New Carers Credit
Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) will be replaced by weekly credits for parents and carers. Carers caring for a total of 20 hours per week or more will be able to apply for Carer’s Credit to protect their State Pension – both the basic and State Second Pension. This will help in situations where carers currently struggle to get their State Pensions protected,
You could benefit if you are in one of these situations:
You care for 20 hours or more a week but miss out on Carer's Allowance because you don't care for 35 hours or more
You care for someone who can't or refuses to claim disability benefits
Where there is more than one of you caring for a disabled or ill person and someone else is getting the Carer's Allowance for that person
You look after several people but cannot claim Carer's Allowance because you do not care for any one of them for 35 hours.
You are still providing a lot of care for someone who has gone into hospital or a care home, but cannot get Carer's Allowance because they don't get disability benefits because they have been in hospital or a care home.
The Government has introduced a new Carer's Credit to help carers in these situations. To claim it you need to be caring for one or more disabled person for a total of 20 hours or more a week where they get Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance or the middle or highest rate of Disability Living Allowance care component; or you will need a medical or care professional to confirm that you are providing appropriate care for them.
If you think this might be you, you can contact the Carer's Allowance Unit on 0845 608 4321 or Textphone on 0845 604 5312
Information provided by Carers UK
www.carersuk.or...
What the implementation of Staffordshire Cares
means for you and your family - get involved in
helping us to provide the services that you want!
Eric Robinson, Corporate Director, Social Care & Health, invites you to the third annual
Your Voice conference:
Staffordshire County Showground
Wednesday 28th April
10.00am to 3.30pm
Refreshments and a buffet lunch provided
If you are a user of services or a carer, Your Voice 2010 is your chance to have your
say.
By the end of the day you will have:
• A clear understanding of what the new Staffordshire Cares programme
means for you.
• An update on how Personalisation is developing and what that means in
practice.
• Heard what has happened since the last Your Voice conference in April 2009.
• Had the opportunity to influence the County Council’s plans for adult social
care.
• Had your say about the services that you receive.
After the event you will receive a report of the conference’s outcomes. You will
then be kept fully informed of what happens next and be given the chance to have
your say in the continuing development and implementation of local action plans.
If you want to attend this important event, please complete and return the
accompanying nomination form. If you need any further information about the
event, please contact Gemma Morris on 01785 277175 or email at
gemma.morris@staffordshire.gov.uk
Staffordshire LINK have been advised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that they will be undertaking a 12 month review of Stafford Hospital to determine what progress has been made since the original investigation published in March 2009. CQC would like to hear of people’s experiences, both positive and negative, of using Stafford Hospital services from the 1st January 2010 to date. Staffordshire LINK will be available to take your information and pass it to CQC directly.
Please contact Staffordshire LINK if you would like to share your experience which can relate to any service whether Inpatient, Outpatient, or Accident and Emergency. It would be helpful if you were able to talk about the period the experience related to; the service(s) received; brief details of the experience including where it occurred, the outcome of the experience and, if your contact with the hospital has been ongoing over a period of time whether you feel the service has improved?
CQC will use the feedback to decide what themes or issues they will follow up on during the review. You can contact Staffordshire LINk on; 01785 887990 email: enquiries@staffordshirelink.staffs .com or write to us before the end of March at Staffordshire LINk, Staffordshire Business Village, Unit 30 Dyson Way Staffordshire Technology Park , Stafford ST18 0TW. Alternatively anyone wishing to talk to CQC direct can do so by contacting the Staffordshire LINK office.
In 2010 social care is in crisis and in need of urgent reform. The main carers' benefit is worth just £1.52 an hour, well short of the minimum wage of £5.73. (and even less than that if you're retired, disabled or on a low income).
Carers are paying a heavy price - no money, no breaks, many forced to give up work and a constant battle for support. Some are pushed to the point of collapse.
The government has invested in carers' breaks and other support for carers. But this falls far short of the action needed now if it is to make good on its promise that by 2018 carers will have a life of their own and not be forced into financial hardship.
Tell the next government it’s time to support carers by signing Carers UK’s letter to the next Prime Minister.
www.carersuk.org/Newsandcampaigns/Itstime/Signhere
Please take part in the annual Carers Week survey. Thanks to Carer support this has become the largest survey of carers in the UK, and a crucial part of Carers Week, which takes place this year from 14-20 June.
The theme for 2010 is - A life of my own - and the survey, which should only take a few minutes to complete, asks about what you (and other carers) miss out on, that most people in society take for granted, and what needs to be changed.
I do hope you have time to participate - every year carers tell us about their direct experience of caring and share personal stories of the stresses and strains; the ups and the downs of being a carer. This is a crucial part of Carers UK's campaigning and activities during Carers Week, including work with professionals and politicians, and indeed all decision-makers.
The survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/carersweek2010 - a secure address set up especially for this purpose. Please do pass this on to other carers you know, also anyone who does not have access to the internet can call us on 0845 241 2582 for a form.
Paul Matz
Carers Week Manager
p.s. - for more information about Carers Week please visit http://www.carersweek.org
www.surveymonke...
South Staffordshire Council have been looking to further develop the Leisure Linx Scheme
which is a scheme which offers discounts on leisure activities for customers in receipt of
specific benefits.
The Leisure Linx Card can either be used on a Pay As You Go basis entitling customers to
discounts of up to 50% or alternatively there is now a Leisure Linx Membership whereby for
only £10 per month customers are entitled to free and unlimited use of most leisure centre
facilities from Monday - Sunday 09.00 - 17.00.
Carers in receipt of Carers Allowance or those registered with CASS are now able to qualify
for the scheme.
Also, did you know that if you are not a member of one of the Leisure Centres but are
attending a swimming session or fitness suite session with someone that you care for - and
you are attending in order to help them - you as the carer are entitled to free entry in to the
fitness suite and swimming pool reglardless of whether the session is a session specifically
for people with disabilities or just a public session!
For more information contact: Sam Osbourne, Programming and Promotions Officer, on
01902 696525 or email: s.osbourne@sstaffs.gov.uk
Leisure Centres involved in the scheme include: Cheslyn Hay, Codsall, Penkridge and
Wombourne.
E-mail
Carers in Southern Staffordshire are being offered the chance to attend free support and skills sessions designed to make a positive difference to their lives and those of the people for whom they care.
The Carers Association Southern Staffordshire (CASS) has teamed up with Omega, the National Association for End of Life Care, based in Shrewsbury, to run the Caring with Confidence programme for all carers. Omega is already delivering the programme successfully to carers in Dudley, Stourbridge and Solihull and is looking to start the session in Southern Staffordshire in the Spring.
There are two strands to the programme, which is part of the Department of Health’s National Carers’ Strategy. One, for all adult carers, consists of seven sessions and offers support on a range of topics including financial advice, practical caring tips as well as general support. The second, eight session programme is for carers of people nearing the end of life.
Caring with Confidence helps carers build on their strengths, gives useful information about looking after someone and helps carers decide what positive changes they could make in their caring role. Carers can choose how they access the programme, either by attending local face-to-face sessions, completing self-study workbooks, going online or a combination of all three. But it is undoubtedly the first of these through which carers gain the most benefit.
Hazel Marshall, from Stourbridge, looks after her husband Brian who has had MS for more than 20 years. Hazel has attended sessions and found them very useful.
She said: “We got nothing from the health authorities. You have to go out and find what’s available yourself and I would recommend people join as many of these kinds of groups as they can. You never know what you’re missing out on both socially and with help and advice.
“Your world is so limited as a carer, you don’t have the freedom just to get up and do things, so for it to be organised for you and you just go along is great. At the Omega group you meet like-minded people in the same situation which helps you realise you are not alone.”
Cynthia Boden, Carers Learning & Leisure Project Co-ordinator said: “We are delighted to be able to offer this excellent programme to carers in Southern Staffordshire. We really recommend carers take up this wonderful opportunity to meet others in a similar position and build on their existing knowledge and skills.”
The sessions are free, refreshments are provided and Omega can help carers with transport and respite care. For more information and to register call the Omega Carers Helpdesk on 0845 259 3163 or email carers@omega.uk.net.
Based on the NHS Constitution the new Act incorporates:
access to NHS services;
drugs and treatments approved by NICE;
choice about where patients receive their care; and
be treated with dignity and respect.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: "One year ago, the NHS Constitution came into being. This landmark document gives patients and staff real power to know what they can expect and what they can demand - demands that cannot go unchecked by the NHS from today."
