The Department of Health is developing a national strategy for dementia services. This consultation draws on evidence from a wide range of reports and stakeholders, a series of listening events involving over 3,000 people and the recommendations of an External Reference Group. It invites everyone to give their views on the ideas set out in the document, as well as contribute new ideas to the debate.
www.dh.gov.uk/e...
Information from Carers UK:
Government launch new vision for carers
The Government's National Strategy for Carers 'Carers at the heart of 21st Century families and communities', was published on 10th March.
Carers UK welcomes much of the strategy, its vision reflects what carers want and there is £255 million of investment. However, this strategy offers little comfort to the hundreds of thousands of families living in poverty as a result of their caring responsibilities. Carers UK is disappointed there is no immediate financial help for carers who rely on benefits.
What does the Strategy say?
The Strategy sets out a ten year vision and does reflect what carers said they want to see. Carers UK feel that government has finally got the message that caring is a critical issue and they have taken on the challenge caring poses to society.
The principles behind the vision are:
- Carers should have a life of their own
- Carers should not be forced into financial hardship
- Carers should be treated with dignity and respect
What's in the Strategy?
Income
- No immediate changes to Carer's Allowance.
- Promise of a full review of carer benefits.
- Carers who took part in the consultation for the strategy flagged money as their number one issue.
Carers UK's Real Change not Short Change campaign has been calling for a radical overhaul of carer's benefits so we welcome the promise of a full review of carers' benefits. However we are very disappointed that there is no immediate financial help for the hundreds of thousands of carers who rely on benefits.
Carers will be angry that they will have to wait again for the financial help they desperately need. We will be asking Government to begin the review immediately and we will be continuing our Real Change not Short Change campaign to fight for a better financial settlement.
What's in the Strategy? Health and Social Care
- More money for breaks.
- More support from NHS.
- Carers need back up from services that help them care and give them a break.
Carers UK welcomes the Government's pledge to double the money available for carers to take breaks. The NHS will also be required to look after carers better including investment in health checks for carers.
What's in the Strategy? Employment
- Improve support offered to carers by JobCentre Plus
- Awareness raising about the right to request flexible working
- The pledge to help carers access work through reforms to Jobcentre Plus will benefit many carers who wish to work, and the 2 million people who cease caring each year. These people will get more support and understanding as they seek to move on with their lives.
Carers UK's Make Work Work campaign fought hard for carers to have the right to flexible working so we are pleased that investment will be made in helping more people access this right.
What's in the Strategy? Information
- Money for national helpline
- Money for local information provision
A lack of information is one of the biggest problems for carers and the strategy promises investment in local information provision. Combined with a top quality national helpline this could provide the lifeline that carers need.
Links:
National Carers Strategy:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_085345
Summary of Carers Strategy:
www.carersuk.org/Policyandpractice/NationalCarersStrategy
Carers UK reaction to the strategy:
www.carersuk.org/Newsandcampaigns/News/1213090681
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Carers UK is carrying out a survey of carers' experiences of direct payments. A direct payment is money given to disabled people and carers so they can sort out their own care package rather than have support from social services/social work departments.
Direct payments are just one element of what the Government calls it’s ‘personalisation agenda’ – a major programme to change the way social care is delivered to disabled people, older people and carers.
Some carers and disabled people say direct payments have changed their lives for the better by giving them choice and control. However it also comes with responsibilities. If you get a direct payment you become an employer and you have to think about tax, National Insurance, sick pay, holiday cover and other issues. In some areas, services have been developed that support and help people with their responsibilities as an employer but in others carers say they are left to get on with it. Some carers also say they feel like they are forced into accepting direct payments when they don’t really want them or fully understand how they work.
Carers UK wants to find out what the reality is for carers and direct payments– this is why we want to hear your story and why we need you to complete this form. We will use the experiences of carers around the country to press for change and share what works for carers.
www.surveymonke...
What was the campaign about?
A question on caring responsibilities was included for the first time ever in the 2001 Census and has led to unprecedented, reliable knowledge both locally and nationally about carers. The questions had been under threat because the Office for National Statistics, which conducts the Census in England and Wales, was restricting the Census to three pages of questions per person and felt that the questions on carers were not sufficiently high priority to be included.
Carers UK started a campaign, Keep Counting Carers, and called for the support of carers, politicians, academics and researchers. We argued that keeping the questions was essential for the implementation of the New Deal for Carers and for delivering support to carers at a local level. No other survey can give the same level of detail as the Census.
How was the campaign won?
On 2nd April Treasury Minister Angela Eagle MP confirmed that money has been made available for an extra page in the Census. This means that several extra questions can be included and ONS will recommend that these include the questions on carers.
A Government White Paper with the proposed questions will be published at the end of 2008 and the final list of questions to be included will not be confirmed until 2010 when Parliament will approve the Census following a question testing programme. However, the fact that the carers questions will go forward in the list of questions recommended by the Office for National Statistics is a considerable relief to all those who have campaigned to keep these important questions.
Imelda Redmond, Chief Executive of Carers UK said: “This is fantastic news and down to the hard campaigning of carers, MPs and academics. We can’t underestimate just how critical it is to have a question on caring in the Census. Thanks to the information we gathered from the 2001 Census we know that caring is an issue that affects millions of families across the UK. The census provides the best opportunity to get hard evidence on how we can support carers.”
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Carers has been active in backing the campaign. Chair of the Group Dr Hywel Francis MP said ‘This is great news for the six million carers and their carers organisations led by Carers UK. I would like to thank all parliamentary colleagues who in great numbers signed my Early Day Motion on this important matter as well as all the carers organisations throughout the country who participated in the campaign. The information on carers in the 2011 Census will be very important to implement the Prime Minister’s new National Carers Strategy.”
Does this decision apply to the whole of the UK?
The decision only applied to England and Wales but it was soon confirmed that Scotland will follow the same course. We are still waiting to hear if it will apply to Northern Ireland but it is expected it will follow course.
If you live in Northern Ireland, contact your MLA to table a written question about the Census in Northern Ireland and whether it will include a question on carers.
You can also write to the Census Office for Northern Ireland asking if they will follow the decision in England and Wales.
Write to:
Census Office (mark your letter Census 2011)
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
2-14 Castle Street
Belfast BT1 1SA
www.carersuk.or...
As you all know, the 2001 census included (for the first time) a question on carers. Although the question generated a conservative number, nonetheless it is very useful to have both a national and local picture about how many carers there are.
However, it now looks likely that the question about carers will be lost in the 2011 census. If the Census question is not repeated, it will not be possible to accurately compare the change in the number of carers since 2001. At a time when Government is preparing a ten-year National Carers Strategy, continuity of data is essential.
Carers UK have launched a “Keep Counting Carers” campaign so click on the link to see how you can get involved.
Decisions are being made soon about this so it’s important that we make our voices heard as loudly and as quickly as possible. Please pass this on to carers, professionals or others who might be interested in this campaign.
Keep Counting Carers:
www.carersuk.or...
Author Tim Cook has written 'The History of the Carers' Movement' which charts the key events and achievements throughout the last 40 years.
In 1963 Mary Webster burst upon the public with her proposal for helping unmarried women with dependants, sparking the beginning of the carers' movement. Back then the term 'carer' was not in the dictionary and it was largely taken for granted that unmarried children would assume the caring role for an elderly or disabled relative. Over the years, through tireless lobbying and campaigning, the issue was forced on to the public agenda, bringing attention to the isolation and lack of support faced by so many carers.
Published by Carers UK, this book examines three key issues which have played a part in its overall history - young carers, its relationship with the disability movement and the role of carer organisations, before finally taking a look at the impact of devolution.
Priced at £10, the book can be ordered by calling 0845 241 0963 or visiting http://www.carersuk.org/Information/Orderpublications/Researchreportsbooks
www.carersuk.o...
A Winter Fuel Payment is an annual payment to help people aged 60 and over with the costs of keeping warm this winter.
If you are aged 60 to 79 and you are entitled to receive a Winter Fuel Payment, you will get either £100 or £200, depending on your circumstances in the qualifying week (17-23 September 2007).
If you are aged 80 or over and you are entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment, you will get an extra £50 or £100, so you could get up to £300, depending on your circumstances in the qualifying week.
You do not pay tax on Winter Fuel Payments.
If you need to make a claim for a payment for winter 2007/08, you should return your claim form by 30 March 2008.
As a result of pensions reform the minimum age at which both men and women will be able to receive a Winter Fuel Payment will rise incrementally to 65 between 2010 and 2020. There is a working assumption that it will rise again to 68 with the increase in State Pension age. Precise details of how the Winter Fuel Payment qualifying age will increase are yet to be finalised.
www.thepensions...
Graham Allen Nottingham North MP introduced the Parliamentary Debate on incontinence. To read text of speech go to Carers Issues > General
beat is the leading UK wide charity providing information, help and support for people affected by eating disorders – anorexia, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.
Our Annual Awareness Week report will focus on carers, and be launched at the House of Commons on 25th February.
To make this report powerful and real, we need your thoughts on different aspects of your experience of life with a family member with an eating disorder.
It will take around 20 minutes and all your responses are anonymous.
You can complete it online at www.b-eat.co.uk/carers-questions
Or download the questionnaire in Adobe PDF http://www.b-eat.co.uk/edaw/main_content/Questionnaire.pdf
www.b-eat.co.uk...
Carers Association Southern Staffordshire - Notice is hereby given that the fifth Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday 23rd October 2007 at 10.30am for 11am, at the White Eagle Club (Polish Club), Riverway, Stafford.
Click here for Agenda
Election of the Board of Trustees 2007
Nomination for election to the Board of Trustees is open to all voting members of C.A.S.S. and members are elected for a period of three years.
The Articles of Association of C.A.S.S. state that the number of Board members shall not be less than nine nor more than fifteen. The Board currently has 10 members, four of whom will be standing down this year, leaving 9 vacancies. Of those members, 3 wish to stand for re-election.
Interested - click here for more information on Nomination for election to the Board
Before completing a nomination form, please read the attached Role Description for C.A.S.S. Trustees.
The Board of Trustees also welcomes ‘expressions of interest’ at the AGM, in addition to elections direct to the Board. Those who express an interest would be co-opted for a year in order that they could undergo some training in the roles and responsibilities of being a Trustee, develop a good understanding of the organisation and the work of the Board and allow time for them and the Trustees to agree how their skills could be best used to the benefit of CASS.
If you would like to consider an ‘expression of interest’ rather than a direct nomination, please contact Gill Wyatt, the Chief Officer, on 01785 606675 for an informal discussion.
Click here for:
Roles and Responsibilities of Trustees 2007
Trustees Nomination Form 2007/2008
www.carersinfor...
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