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£255 million boost for Carers

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH News Release issued by The Government News Network on 10 June 2008

New ten year programme to give carers short breaks, more help with employment and support for them to stay healthy

The government today launched a new multi-million pound cross-cutting strategy to improve the lives of Britain's army of carers.

The Carers Strategy is supported by £255 million of new investment to implement some immediate steps.

This money is in addition to the £224 million per annum given to Local Authorities through the Carers Grant, the extra £340 million to be spent by the government supporting the families of disabled children over the next three years, and £2.7million a year to fund a new information helpline and website for carers.

Today's announcement means:

- £150 million extra investment to expand short breaks for carers over two years;

- £38 million towards supporting carers to enter or re-enter the job market with more guidance for employers, and more flexible and accessible skills training for carers;

- Piloting annual health checks for carers to help them stay mentally and physically well;

- Training for GPs to recognise the role that carers play and pressures on the carers' own health;

- £6 million towards improving the support for young carers and more protection from inappropriate caring for young people;

- Giving carers greater choice and control over their lives by encouraging increased use of direct payments - often, carers' lives will be improved if services to the person for whom they care are better tailored to their needs.

Health minister Ivan Lewis said:

"In a society where an increasing number of us are caring for ageing parents or sick and disabled relatives, it is right that we recognise carers are at the heart of 21st century families and communities.

"In the next decade elder care will be the new childcare and it is essential our policies properly meet the scale of the challenge.

"Thousands of carers, irrespective of their roles or postcode, have told us they want a support system that is on their side, rather than a constant struggle and the right to a life of their own alongside their caring responsibilities.

"Today's historic announcement is the beginning of a ten year programme to give carers the recognition and status they deserve.

"An extra £150m for short breaks will double the amount of respite care available over 2 years, £6 million will be made available to support professionals to ensure no child has their childhood stolen through taking on inappropriate caring responsibilities and £38m will help carers who want to combine a job with their caring role. A further £61m will be aimed at enhancing support to voluntary organisations and ensuring NHS and Social Care professionals focus on the specific emotional and health needs of carers."

The new strategy launched today is another big step forward, and has the commitment of seven Government Departments, carers and those who work with them. It is broader than health, looking also at housing, benefits and education.

Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire, said:

"Carers want a better balance between their paid work and their caring responsibilities. We want to ensure that we give carers the recognition they deserve and today our strategy outlines how we make this a reality."

Children's Minister Kevin Brennan said:

"Too often young carers take on caring roles that are too much for them, which can harm their education and broader outcomes. We need to do more to prevent this. We want to improve support to families with young carers so they are better protected and have the same opportunities to learn and achieve as other young people do. We also want to make sure that schools and other front line services can better identify young carers and know how to support them. The new measures, worth over £6m, will bring our total investment over the next three years to nearly £10m."

Minister for Women and Equality, Harriet Harman, said:

"Caring affects everyone. Most caring of older and disabled people is by family members. And as the number of people over 85 is set to double in the next 20 years this will be an issue for more and more families.

"This is an issue of major concern to women - 70% of care in the family is by women. This is despite the fact that our new research shows that most people think men and women should share caring responsibilities equally.

"It's important that family members caring for older or disabled don't have to give up their job. Only 7% of people know that carers have the right to request flexible working. That's why John Hutton and I will launch a major awareness raising campaign later this year."

The strategy was drawn up with a wide range of key stakeholders. More than 33,000 people's views were fed into the consultation.

There are currently about 5.2 million carers in England and Wales, and nearly half of them provide more than 20 hours care a week and over a million provide more than 50 hours care per week. The demand for care is expected to rise in the future, with the number of people over 85, those most in need of care, rising by over 50% in the next ten years.

Notes to editors

1. During consultation, carers identified the provision of breaks and replacement care as one of their highest priorities. In response to this, the Carers Strategy has put great emphasis on the provision of planned breaks and measures to ensure that carers have the same work, education, leisure and training opportunities as anyone else.

The government has already provided £340 million to improve the provision of short breaks for families with disabled children, and this strategy announces a further £150 million which will be invested over the next two years to support carers of all ages.

This funding will provide a wide range of services from holidays to sitting or befriending services or access to local leisure services, and will greatly increase the opportunities carers have to have a life outside of their caring role.

2. A Standing Commission on Carers has been set up to advise on the implementation plan and any changes to carers needs over the next ten years.

3. The Carers Strategy is one part of a wider vision for the future based on the seven outcomes for adults contained in the 2006 White Paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say.

It also contributes to the Government's aim for every child, set out in Every Child Matters, to have the support they need to be healthy and safe, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. Putting People First, the Independent Living Strategy and the Care and Support Green Paper are at the forefront of the move across government towards a single community based support system focussed on the health and well-being of the local population. The Carers' Strategy is another major part of this move towards providing better care and support for individuals and families.

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