Joint Carers’ Strategy
2015 - 2018
Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy February 2015
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Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
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Contents
Foreword4
Our Vision
5
1. Introduction
6
1.1 Who is a carer?
6
1.2 Customers
8
1.3 What is in this document?
8
1.4 Who is this document for?
8
2. National and local drivers
9
2.1 The national picture
9
2.2 The local picture – adults
9
2.3 The local picture – young carers
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3. National, local and policy context
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3.1 R
ecognised Valued and Supported: Next Steps for the10
Carers Strategy. Department of Health (2010)
3.2 The Draft Young Carers Regulation10
3.3 The Children Act (2004)10
3.4 The Children and Families Act (2014)10
3.5 The Care Act (2014)11
3.6 T
he Power of Information: putting us all in control of the health12
and care information we need. Department of Health (2012)
3.7 NHS Care Objectives: Mandate to NHS Commissioning Board (2012)12
3.8 NHS Operating Framework (2013-2015)12
3.9 Welfare Reform (2012)12
4. Local context
13
5. Principles underpinning this strategy
14
5.1 Co-producing the strategy with carers
14
5.2 Outcomes sought and monitoring our progress
14
5.3 Review of current provision and support for carers
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5.4 National survey: carers view
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5.5 Young carers (carers under the age of 18)
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5.6 Young adult carers (carers aged 18 to 25)
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5.7 Summary
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5.8 Challenges faced
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6. The way forward
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6.1 Commissioning intentions to achieve outcomes
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6.2 Commissioning intentions for Outcome One
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6.3 Commissioning intentions for Outcome Two
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6.4 Commissioning intention for Outcome Three
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6.5 Commissioning intentions for Outcome Four
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6.6 Commissioning intentions for Outcome Five
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7. Finances
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7.1 Current funding strategy
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7.2 Current and anticipated funding sources
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7.3 Future funding sources
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7.4 Anticipated changes and financial plan
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8. Next steps
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GLOSSARY27
Appendix One: Strategy implementation plan
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Appendix Two: Groups consulted
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Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
Foreword
As a carer and a Carers’ Champion, I fully understand and appreciate the value of all
carers getting the right support at the right time.
Most family carers have made conscious choices to care for their loved ones because
they want to. The caring process is generally fraught with difficulties, hence the need
to provide the right support to enable them to care for their loved ones for as long as
they wish to, signposting them to available help that will make caring easier.
London Borough of Newham and NHS Newham Clinical Commissioning Group have
co-produced this strategy with carers to ensure that carers are supported to carry out
their tasks less strenuously and to ensure that help is provided where needed.
Implementing the plans as stated in this strategy will go a long way to improve the
support that carers get, especially when partners work together to improve the overall
support to carers, particularly concerning their health and wellbeing.
I am pleased that this strategy covers all carers, spanning all age groups, including
young carers and “sandwich carers” who care for both young and old, siblings and
parents or grandparents in their family.
This strategy will ensure that young carers have the best support, especially during
transition from young to adult carers.
We would like to extend our thanks to all those who have participated in the
development of this document. Especially local carer groups including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
African Caribbean Carers Group
Asian Carers Group
Learning Disability Carers Group
Mental Health Carers group
Newham Carers Forum
Young Carers Group
I look forward to seeing the successful implementation of this strategy.
Dr Remi Osunsanya
Joint Chair Newham Carers Strategy Group
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Our Vision
“Our vision is for carers in Newham to feel
recognised, valued and included as partners in
the care and support of the person they care for.
Also, that they are able to access the necessary
information and support to enable them to make
positive choices in their caring role and in their
quality of life.”
Newham carer
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Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
1. Introduction
This is a joint strategy between London Borough
of Newham Social Care (both Adult Social Care
and Children and Young People’s Services) and
NHS Newham Clinical Commissioning Group.
The priorities and action plan have been informed
and shaped by a review of carers support
undertaken by Carers UK. It has also taken into
account the views of carers and stakeholders.1
The strategy has been developed under the
auspices of the Carers’ Strategy Group which
is comprised of carers, Carers’ Champions,
representatives from the voluntary sector, as well
as representatives from the London Borough
of Newham and NCCG. It also takes into
consideration the East London NHS Foundation
Trust’s Carers’ Strategy (2013 - 2016).
This strategy is a statement of how the London
Borough of Newham and NHS Newham Clinical
Commissioning Group (NCCG) will support
carers to maintain their health and wellbeing
whilst caring, building on the Carers’ Work Plan
April 2010 to March 2013.
1.1 Who is a carer?
The 2011 Census shows that Newham has
24,604 unpaid carers; this includes family
members, friends and neighbours.
Carers play an important role supporting vulnerable
people; enabling those cared for to stay in their own
homes and local communities. Carers often do this
because they want to support their loved ones.
We recognise that caring can impact negatively
on carers’ health and wellbeing and value the key
role that carers play in supporting the cared for
person.
This strategy provides a local framework and
action plan which:
• e
mbodies both national and local priorities
for carers
• addresses statutory responsibilities and good
practice guidance
• outlines a framework for the continued
development of services for carers in Newham
• details the proposed actions over the next
three years.
Please see Appendix 2: Groups consulted
Carers at the Heart of 21st Century Families and
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2
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Within this strategy the term carer is taken from
the Government’s National Carers’ Strategy:
“A carer is someone who spends a significant
proportion of their time providing unpaid support
to a family member, partner or friend who is ill,
frail, disabled or has mental health or substance
misuse problems.”2
Carers in this document are people who provide
unpaid help and support to a partner, child,
parent, relative, friend or neighbour who cannot
manage without their help due to long term
illness, disability, mental health needs, alcohol
and/or substance misuse, fragility or who for
other reasons cannot care for themselves. They
are commonly referred to as informal carers. Our
definition of carers includes those who no longer
do caring for up to a year after the caring role
ceases.
This group of carers is not to be confused with
paid Care Workers or Personal Assistants,
Shared Lives Carers or Volunteer Carers.
We refer to four broad categories of carers:
1.
Adult Carer: an adult aged 18 years and
over who is caring for another adult such
as spouse, parent, partner, friend, neighbour
or relative.
Communities’, Department of Health, 10/06/2008
(GW ref. 9971)
2. Y
oung Adult Carer: someone aged between
18 and 25 who is caring for another child, a
young person or an adult.
3. P
arent Carer: a parent or guardian who
provides care to an ill or disabled child or
young person to a degree greater than
would be expected in a parenting role. This
would include a child or young person who
is misusing or abusing substances and/or
alcohol. For the purposes of this strategy,
a Parent Carer is the parent/guardian of a
disabled child up to the age of 18.
4.
Young Carer: a child or young person under
the age of 18 who provides regular, ongoing
care and emotional support to a family
member, friend or neighbour who is physically
ill, living with mental health needs, is disabled
or misuses alcohol and/or substances. The
care provided is over and above “helping
out”, or the usual caring for an adult or sibling
within the family.
5.
Other carers: These are carers who have
ceased the caring role, usually as a result of
a change in condition of the person they care
for. This includes the death of the person,
the person recovering and no longer needing
care, or the carer wanting/having to stop
providing informal care.
Carers can be from any race, faith or social
background, of any ethnicity and of any
sexual orientation. Carers can care for more
than one person, may be studying, working
or unemployed, and may have their own
disabilities or illnesses. This strategy covers
carers who are:
• living in Newham but supporting people who
use services outside Newham (who are the
responsibility of Newham)
• living in Newham and supporting people who
live in Newham
• living outside Newham but supporting people who are living in Newham
• former carers - i.e. any of the above group of
carers for up to a year after they cease their
caring role.
Carers activities
Carers may undertake a range of activities
beyond that which is expected of a parent, friend,
partner or neighbour. These additional activities
may include, but are not limited to:
• p
roviding support with practical tasks, for
example shopping, cooking and housework
• providing emotional support, social support,
and/or supervising someone to keep them safe
• collecting and administering medication,
supervising someone to ensure that they
comply with medication/social care regimes,
and helping them to deal with difficult emotional
needs thus ensuring they can still live at home
• assisting with physical care, such as
lifting, helping someone to use the stairs,
physiotherapy
• helping the person to access services including
assisting with travel, getting to hospital
appointments and primary care appointments
• assisting with personal care, such as washing,
dressing and supporting with toileting needs
• assisting with financial management of their
affairs including managing budgets and
collecting benefits
• identifying signs of relapse and providing
support that may minimise the risks of
readmission to hospital
• acting as interpreters where there are
communication barriers including language,
and breaking down complex information so
the person being supported can understand
• explaining information on conditions,
treatment, services and day to day living skills.
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Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
1.2 Customers
A customer is someone who is being cared for
(supported by the carer). The customer may be
ill, frail, disabled, living with mental health needs,
or alcohol and/or substance misuse issues that
make them unable to cope without support.
Depending on the health and social care setting,
a customer may be referred to as a service user,
patient or client.
1.3 What is in this document?
This document sets out how services for carers
will be designed, delivered and monitored by
Newham Council and NCCG, informing how we
plan to utilise the resources available, and our
priorities over the next three years.
The document details areas that we will be
focussing on across Newham to improve the health
and wellbeing of carers, building on examples of
good practice to further improve outcomes and
strengthen links with commissioned providers to
ensure that carers benefit from the wide range of
universal services available in the borough.
1.4 Who is this document for?
This document will be of interest to:
a.All carers and the people they support: It sets
out what carers can expect from partners to
the strategy.
b.Providers of health and social care services:
It will influence the development of the market
in Newham.
c.Statutory and non-statutory partners: It gives
a clear outline of the Newham approach to
supporting carers, which might in turn shape
how they provide services to carers and
patients/customers.
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2. National and local drivers
2.1 The national picture
illustrates the increase, excluding young carers
between the 2001 and 2011 Census.
The 2011 census shows that there were
5,800,246 people who identified themselves as
carers nationwide. This is an increase of 11%
compared to 2001.
The 2011 census identified 178,000 young carers
in England and Wales alone; an 83% increase in
the number of young carers aged five to seven
years and a 55% increase in the number of
children caring who are aged eight to nine years
compared to 2001.
Almost a quarter of identified carers provide 50
hours or more unpaid care per week.
As customers strive to maintain their
independence and live in their own homes for
as long as possible, it is anticipated that more
residents will become carers. The 2013 report
entitled ‘Carers Picture in Newham’ (2013) has
more information on demographics.
2.3 The local picture – young carers
Research carried out by the BBC in 2010
indicated that there may be as many as 700,000
young carers. The BBC survey of more than
4,000 UK school pupils found that one in 12 had
moderate or high levels of caring responsibility,
four times the official figure.
2.2 The local picture – adults
The picture in Newham exceeds the national
trend with a greater increase in the number of
people identifying themselves as carers. Table 1
Although the numbers of young carers broken
down by borough from the 2011 census is
now available, obtaining the details has been
a challenge as the age range for the census
includes 0 to nineteen. We have, therefore, for the
purpose of this strategy estimated the number
of young carers aged five to 17. Our estimation
shows that we have 2,408 carers aged 0 to
seventeen, of which 1,809 provide 1-19 hours
unpaid care per week, 294 provide 20-49 hours,
and 305 provide 50 hours or more.
Table 1: Census figures of those identifying themselves as carers
2001
Total Carers
in Newham
20,663
2011
Total increase
Total Carers
2001-2011
in Newham
24,604
3,941
% increase
2001-2011
19%
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Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
3. National and local policy context
The legal framework currently governing support
for carers is being re-examined nationally and it is
anticipated that there will be significant changes in
how carers are supported. This strategy has taken
into account current legislation and anticipated
changes. These are summarised below.
3.1 Recognised Valued and Supported: next
steps for the ‘Carers’ strategy. Department
of Health (2010)
This was the 2010 refresh of the 2008 Carers
Strategy Carers at the heart of the 21st Century
families and communities. The strategy states
that more should be done to identify and support
young carers, with particular emphasis on
involving and supporting schools to be more
carer aware. There should be a Memorandum of
Understanding between Adult Social Care and
Children and Young People’s Services on how to
ensure that they will work positively together to
support young carers.
The strategy also stated that carers should be:
• respected as expert partners in care and have
access to the integrated and personalised
services they need to support them in their
caring role
• able to have a life of their own and not forced
into financial hardship by their caring role
• supported to stay mentally and physically well
and treated with dignity
• children and young people (young carers)
should be supported in their need to learn,
develop and thrive, to enjoy positive childhoods
and to achieve positive educational and
social outcomes, while being protected from
inappropriate levels of caring.
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duties of Local Authorities in assessing the needs
of Young Carers. The draft regulations set out:
• the matters to which a local authority must
have regard in carrying out a young carer’s
needs assessment
• the manner and form of a young carer’s
needs assessment
• the matters which a local authority must take
into account when carrying out a young carer’s
needs assessment
• the definition of the term “whole family approach”.
When the final regulations are published
(expected March 2015), the action plan for
implementing this strategy will be updated to take
account of the new regulations.
3.3 The Children Act (2004)
This Act highlights the importance of providing
services to children and young people to prevent
the escalation of need. The Act is supported by
legislation related directly to the rights of carers
(including young carers) and targeted guidance
for meeting the needs of young people (including
carers). This legislation cross-references:
• Children Act (1989)
• Carers (Recognition and Services) Act (1995)
• Carers and Disabled Children’s Act (2000)
• National Service Framework for Children,
Young People and Maternity Services
• Children Act (2004)
• Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act (2004)
3.4 The Children and Families Act (2014)
3.2 The Draft Young Carers Regulation
The Act has introduced changes in the way in
which young carers are identified and supported.
The changes include:
These regulations relate to Section 96 of the
Children and Families Act (2014) and detail the
• the same right to assessment and support for
young carers as adult carers who support a
parent or sibling (sister or brother)
• giving parent carers the same right to
assessment and support as adult carers
• a general duty on local authorities to improve
the wellbeing of young carers who are ordinary
residents of the area
• the identification of people who may be
receiving care from a child or young person
• the provision of medical services to patients
who are young carers
• within twelve months of the passing of the Act,
schools must have a process in place for the
identification of young carers
• schools must put in place a mechanism for the
provision of appropriate support to promote
the wellbeing and improve the educational
attainment of young carers within their school.
3.5 The Care Act (2014)
The Act brings together previous legislation
into one act. The Act for the most part will be
operational from April 2015 with the funding
reforms operational from April 2016. This strategy
has taken into account the following:
• A new duty on local authorities to provide
information and advice to help people
understand how the care service works, what
services are available locally and how they can
be accessed. Local Authorities will have to
ensure a diverse range of quality services are
available to meet the needs of people and work
with various organisations to integrate services.
• A new duty on local authorities to take a
proactive approach to meet the needs of
people, make earlier interventions and provide
more services that are intended to prevent,
delay or reduce the need for care and support.
• Carers for the first time have a legal right to an
assessment of their needs regardless of their
level of caring. This duty is comparable to that of
the people for whom they provide care. A new
framework for assessing eligibility will be set out
in the regulations.
• A new duty on local authorities to meet a
carer’s eligible needs and to review their care
and support plan regularly to ensure that their
needs are met. Eligible needs can be met by
provision of services to either the person cared
for or the carer. The act allows for the carer’s
needs to be met by providing support directly
to the cared for person through replacement
care, enabling the carer to take a break from
their caring duties.
• Carers will have the right to be consulted in
relation to the assessment and support plan of
the people they care for and to have a copy of
their support plan.
• Young carers under the age of 18 who care
for an adult will continue to be supported by
Children’s Services rather than Adult Social
Care. At the age of 18 Adult Social Care will
take over the responsibility, although they can
be brought into the transition planning before
the young carer’s 18th birthday, but only at the
young carer’s request. There will be a new duty
to continue with any services a young carer is
receiving past the age of 18 if appropriate adult
care and support is not in place.
• New provision for parent carers to be
assessed for services that they may currently
be unable to use.
• New provision for deferred payment options to
delay the payment of care charges from the sale
of the customer’s home will be routinely offered,
with the possibility that local authorities will be
able to charge interest on any deferred payment.
• A new single, consistent route to establishing
entitlement to care and support for adults, with
eligibility to be determined by a national threshold.
• A requirement for local authorities to develop
and promote diversity and equality in the
provision of services.
The act proposes a whole family approach:
assessment must take into account the needs
of the whole family when assessing the needs of
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Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
the person in need of service. This must include
ensuring that any child present in the family is not
undertaking an inappropriate level of caring.
Local authorities may combine the assessment
of a carer with that of the cared for person if they
are in agreement with this.
When carrying out a carers assessment, local
authorities may work jointly with other agencies
undertaking an assessment relating to the
same carer.
3.6 The Power of Information: putting us all
in control of the health and care information
we need. Department of Health (2012)
This information strategy by the Department of
Health commits to a single integrated national
website for health and social care information. It
will offer carers the ability to access the health
and care records of the person cared for, subject
to their authorisation. It will also offer access
to information on how to support the cared for
person. It is anticipated that the portal will offer
up to date information on the management of
long term conditions, patients’ organisations,
treatment options, housing support, benefits,
local care services, self help and support groups.
3.7 NHS Care Objectives: Mandate to NHS
Commissioning Board (2012)
Objectives include:
• Improve the quality of information available
about NHS Services.
• Improve the support carers receive from the
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NHS, in particular early identification of a
greater proportion of carers, signposting to
information, sources of advice and support;
and working in collaboration with local
authorities and local carers’ organisations
to deliver a range of support including
respite care.
3.8 NHS Operating Framework (2013-2015)
This requires Clinical Commissioning Groups
(CCGs) to agree funding and support for carers in
their localities. CCGs have to publish how much
money they are allocating to support carers and
transfer these funds to local authorities. They
also have to publish plans on how they intend to
support carers and set out how many breaks the
allocated funding will provide for carers.
3.9 Welfare Reform Act (2012)
The Welfare Reform Act (2012) sets out changes to
the welfare system, with the aims of simplifying the
benefit system and reducing welfare dependency.
This includes the introduction of a single workingage benefit (“universal credit”), which draws
together existing elements of means-tested
support for employment, housing and childcare
into a single award that will be paid direct to the
claimant monthly in arrears. It also introduced
the “spare room subsidy”, in which tenants who
receive financial support towards the cost of
their rent will get a proportional reduction in their
support if they have one or more spare rooms.
4. Local context
In Newham, our priorities shared across health
and social care shape our approach to how
communities are supported. These priorities are:
• E
arlier intervention across the Health and
Social Care system.
• Earlier intervention with re-ablement to support
and promote independence and wellbeing.
• Linking carers into the Integrated Care
Framework, thus ensuring that carers and
patients are supported jointly and seamlessly
across health and social care.
• Supporting self care and the management of
conditions/illnesses through education and
access to appropriate information.
3
Another priority driving change is the Council’s
Resilience agenda.3 Resilience is about enabling
residents and communities to be self-reliant
rather than dependent. It is about facilitating
resilience at the individual, community and
economic level. It involves residents and carers
being given the tools they need to manage and
support their conditions and needs.
This is further supported by national strategies
that support carers to have the same
opportunities as non-carers for education,
employment, training and a social and community
life.
Quid Pro Quo not Status Quo: why we need a welfare state that builds resilience, Newham Council (2011)
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Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
5. Principles underpinning this strategy
The partners to this strategy (Newham Council
and NCCG) commit to the following underlying
principles:
•We recognise the vital contribution made by
carers to the lives of people who are vulnerable,
ill, disabled or misusing alcohol and/or
substances.
•We recognise that the unpaid support provided
by carers allows individuals to retain their
independence and improves their quality of life.
•We will work with carers to ensure that they
get the support they need from health and
social care, including support from General
Practitioners (GPs) to help carers maintain their
caring role for as long as they want to.
•We will develop responses that make a real
difference to carers’ lives, ensuring that our
responses meet their needs.
•We recognise carers as ‘experts’ on the
person they care for and we will be putting
carers at the forefront of partnership work with
commissioners and providers to identify needs,
priorities and responses.
•We recognise the diverse needs of carers in
Newham’s multi-cultural community and will
address equality of access to information,
appointments, meetings etc.
•We will work to ensure that carers not currently
known to services are made aware of support
available to them.
•We recognise the wide range in the ages of
carers and will help them to access support
that is appropriate to their age.
•We will work in co-production with carers to
ensure that their right to lives of their own is a
practical reality.
•We will build on our co-production practices
and build carers’ capacity to lead on activities,
events and services that affect their lives.
5.1 Co-producing the strategy with carers
This strategy has been co-produced with both
young and adult carers.
Carers were engaged through workshops, meetings
and events and have shaped the themes, ideas on
service provision and commissioning. They have
also helped to identify gaps in the current system
that have informed the development of this strategy.
Carers UK were commissioned to conduct an
initial review of carers in Newham, who were
consulted via questionnaires and focus groups.
5.2 Outcomes sought and monitoring our
progress
Strategic priorities and commissioning intentions
will be closely performance monitored throughout
the life span of this strategy, 2015 to 2018. All
providers will be required to feed back on how their
service supports carers. Measures and outcomes
relating to carers will be incorporated into all
strategic documents and relevant services will be
measured on how they deliver on the outcomes in
the table below.
Outcome OneCarers 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.
Outcome TwoCarers will be able to have a life of their own alongside their caring role.
Outcome ThreeCarers will be supported so that they are not forced into financial hardship by
their caring role.
Outcome FourCarers will be supported to stay mentally and physically well and will be treated
with dignity.
Outcome FiveChildren and young people will be protected from inappropriate caring roles and have
the support they need to learn, develop and thrive and to enjoy positive childhoods.
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We have worked closely with carers to develop
an outcome-based performance framework
that will be used to monitor all services. This
will include the establishment of an improved
contract monitoring system.
We will, wherever possible, incorporate carers
into existing surveys to help improve the feedback
we get from carers, especially carers who access
information and advice services only.
We will improve our data collection on carers
across both statutory providers and commissioned
service. We will use the data collated, including
that from carers’ assessment and carers’ health
checks, to indicate the level of need and to evaluate
the impact of service provision.
5.3 Review of current provision and support
for carers
Carers UK, the national carers organisation,
was commissioned to conduct an independent
evaluation of provision in Newham and map out
the gaps; this was done over a period of three
months, from June to September 2013.
Carers UK sent out 1,700 questionnaires to
carers known to Adult Social Care services.
An additional 500 surveys were placed in
community venues including libraries and
community centres. 500 surveys were sent
to Adult Social Care customers with low care
packages. In addition, four focus groups were
held with carers including one with young
carers. Interviews were held with providers and
professionals in both health and social care
(adult and children).
The review and validation exercise confirmed that
we currently provide or commission a range of
services or projects that deliver:
•advice
•information
•advocacy
•dedicated Carers’ Team
•Adult Carers’ Support Service
•Young Carers’ Support Service
•breaks or respite offer to eligible adult carers
•preventive services, including physical activities
•health checks provided by GPs
•specialist support groups for carers of
customers with dementia, stroke,
substance misuse
•dedicated Carer Liaison Officers for carers
of mental health customers with learning
disabilities.
The exercise highlighted:
•Lack of consistency and connectivity across
carers’ services, resulting in a wide disparity in
the level of support available to the individual
carers of the different client groups. As a result,
only some carers had been able to access the
carers’ fund, counselling and peer groups while
others could not.
•Lack of connectivity between health and
social care, resulting in services that do not
meet carers’ stated aspirations or support the
strategic objectives of the Adult Social Care
or NCCG. Likewise, carers’ abilities to access
information vary and are dependent on their
knowledge of services. For example, the
uptake of the Carers’ Emergency Scheme has
been limited to carers of mental health service
users and a few others.
•Lack of clarity on the commissioning model and
the expected outcomes from commissioned
services, thus making it difficult to determine if
services are meeting their objectives.
•The level and detail of data collected across
both health and social care is low, especially in
relation to young carers.
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Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
5.4 National survey: the carer’s view
We know from the National Carers’ Survey (2012), of
which Newham had a response rate of 36%, that:
•carers expressed some level of dissatisfaction
with the assessment process, especially in
relation to information on assessment and any
further support once the assessment was over
•respondents were, however, much more
satisfied with their involvement in the
assessment and care planning of the people
they cared for and the support they received
from Adult Social Care services
•respondents felt it was easy to find information.
The following areas were indicated by carers as
being of key importance:
•Breaks need to be more flexible and tailored to
meet individual needs.
•Examples of good practice and innovative
support planning for carers and the people
they care for for should be more widely shared,
with support planners being encouraged to be
more innovative.
•Support planning processes should be
speeded up with a more streamlined,
faster turnaround between assessment and
support planning.
•Better communication, both before and after an
assessment has taken place.
•Improved integration of services between health
and social care.
•Greater support from GPs, including early
identification, flexible appointment and access
to health checks.
•Improved access and signposting to emotional
support systems such as peer groups and
counselling.
•Time-appropriate access to advice, information,
guidance and advocacy relevant to the specific
carer’s role.
•Improved identification of carers who are not
16
known to statutory services.
•More training and awareness of the
management of long-term conditions.
•Improved training in carer awareness for staff
working in statutory organisations.
•Access to services that maintain carers’
health and wellbeing, including more
preventative services.
•More training in areas that will assist carers’,
such as emotional support and practical skills
like budgeting, medicine management and
confidence building / assertiveness training.
•Improved transition planning, especially for
transitioning from young to adult carers, and for
carers when the conditions of the people they
care for change, or when caring ceases.
•Greater support for young carers with
caring roles.
•Improved safeguarding awareness for carers.
•Improved visibility and range of specialist
services available for carers of mental health
and substance misuse service users, and
parent carers.
5.5 Young carers (under the age of 18)
The review found that, whilst the commissioned
service for young carers is universally applauded
on the delivery of its services, there are areas for
improvement and these are set out below.
One of the key challenges is the identification of
inappropriate caring roles or long hours of caring
which are likely to be detrimental to the lives of
young carers, including their health and educational
opportunities. One of the major challenges is how
to manage this when families choose not to seek
support from statutory services due to fear of
losing the child or family breakdown. The review
recommended that GPs play a more active role in
the identification of young carers.
There is the impression that the level of
awareness and identification of young carers
appears to have improved over the past few
years as the provider of the Young Carers’
Service reports that they now get young people
signposted to the service by schools. There is,
however, recognition that health, social care and
educational services need to do more in the
identification of young carers and in recognising
the impact that caring has on young carers,
such as restrictions in accessing the same
opportunities as their peers.
Most referrals come from a handful of secondary
schools. Appreciation of the impact will help to
reduce the assumption that families are able to
cope and ensure that appropriate support is
given to the person requiring care. There needs
to be a realisation that young carers are often
reluctant to seek support for their caring role and
are often likely to refuse assistance or support.
The level of support given to young carers is often
deemed by young carers to be inadequate. The
perception of young carers is that being identified
as a carer leaves them exposed to bullying and/or
social isolation.
5.6 Young adult carers (aged 18 to 25)
The review and consultation with young adult
carers highlighted that there were additional
issues faced by this group. These were often
different from those faced by young carers or
adult carers, and related to the fact that they are
in a transitional phase of their lives.
Some young adult carers experience financial
hardship. Some who continued with education
struggled with the additional pressure of having
to care whilst continuing full-time studies and not
being able to access part-time employment like
their peers.
Young adult carers who pursued employment
expressed concerns that they have to restrict
their choices to low paid employment that
would enable them to combine their caring role
with their desire or need to be employed. They
pointed out that securing employment is seen as
the sensible option if a family is on low income
and the adult is unable to work.
Some families reported having to make a choice
between one sibling pursuing education or a
career whilst another stayed at home to care.
This is potentially influenced along gender lines.
Other young adult carers felt that paid employment
was not an option as their level of caring was in
itself full time employment. Young adult carers
often develop valuable skills that are transferable in
the market place, but these are not recognised as
there are no means of evidencing them.
Young adult carers expressed concern that they
would be moved to the adult support service.
Many of the young adult carers felt that they
got appropriate support from the young carers’
service and would like to remain with this service
for as long as possible. They also expressed the
need for more training on management of longterm conditions, first aid, manual handling and
practical life skills like cooking and budgeting.
5.7 Summary
In summary the review identified the following
gaps:
•Lack of clear pathways to make it easy for carers
to be signposted to the relevant support.
•Failure to identify carers, especially young carers
and carers of those with mental health needs
and / alcohol and/or substance misuse issues.
•Lack of robust data collection and service
monitoring to enable tracking of the support
provided, especially to young carers.
•Lack of recognition/identification of financial
contributions made to support carers by both
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Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
the local authority and NCCG.
•Restricted access to readily available, upto-date information and advice. Effective
coordination of all information provided and
available to carers, taking into account the
different services that carers access.
•Lack of effective coordination of services
across health, social care, voluntary sector and
community services.
•Lack of joint offer, especially for flexible respite
and/or short break opportunities.
5.8 Challenges faced
The demand for services that support carers is
projected to increase as life expectancy and the
number of residents living with long term conditions
and/or disability increase. This, along with the
anticipated increase in the number of older people,
people with memory related illnesses and the
changes to service provision in community settings
away from institutions, will increase the number of
people in an unpaid caring role.
Newham has seen an increase in the number
of customers and patients who wish to live in
their own communities for as long as
possible rather than enter residential care.
This undoubtedly comes with the risk of
social isolation, particularly where carers are
experiencing declining health themselves.
There are the additional challenges of identifying
hidden carers and those (usually young carers)
who might be reluctant to be identified due to the
perceived assumption of stigma by their peers. All
these issues, while in the midst of an economic
downturn and a real cut in the budgets of health
and social care, highlights that the challenges
are real. Our overall challenge is to identify how
Newham can best support carers to have a life of
their own whilst maintaining their caring role.
The current market for carers’ services is
based predominately in the third sector. The
18
market is underdeveloped with a handful of
providers providing services to carers. One of the
challenges is how best to stimulate the market
to ensure that personalisation for carers becomes
a reality.
6. The way forward
The focus of the previous section has been on
the current position. This section articulates what
the strategy hopes to deliver. It also states the
commissioning intentions that will support the
delivery of the strategy’s agreed outcomes.
• W
e will streamline and continue to improve
Newham’s offer to carers from both NCCG
and social care.
• We will ensure that the carers’ offer is widely
publicised and kept under review.
All partners signed up to this strategy want to
ensure that carers are supported in their caring
role. We want carers to have accessible advice
and guidance, good quality preventative services
and the opportunity to work. We have worked
in partnership with carers to develop our stated
outcomes and the resulting commissioning
intentions are the blueprint for delivering these.
The next section sets out our specific
commissioning intentions in relation to each
outcome.
6.1 Commissioning intentions to achieve
outcomes
These commissioning intentions are applicable to
adult carers, parent carers, young carers, former
carers and in some instances sibling carers. The
strategy recognises that some commissioning
intentions cut across all the agreed outcomes and
these are stated below.
• W
e will work to ensure that contracts
with providers are used to encourage the
identification and support of carers, especially in
hospitals and community services.
• We will support carers for a year after the
person cared for has deceased or no longer
requires care and assistance.
• We will improve access to assistive technology
and equipment, providing the necessary
training and support to ensure carers, are able
to use these to support them in their caring role.
• We will improve access to universal services
for carers, especially for sibling carers who
are less likely to be known to services like
activeNewham and NHS Health Checks.
• We will strengthen the performance framework
and contract monitoring across both
commissioned and provided services, using the
process to identify needs and improve delivery.
6.2 Commissioning intentions for
Outcome One
Using a whole family approach, carers will
be respected as expert care partners at
the heart of decision making and will have
access to the integrated and personalised
services they need to support them in their
caring role.
Information and advice
• We will ensure that information, advice and
guidance are available in a wide range of
formats to ensure we reach as wide a pool of
carers as possible.
• We will improve the range of opportunities
to carers and improve staff knowledge of
these services.
• Communication materials targeting carers,
especially young carers, will be user-friendly,
reassuring and age-specific, utilising a wide
range of resources and media.
• We will improve access to independent
financial advice and advocacy for carers,
former carers and their families.
• We will improve communication to carers and
former carers so that information on support
available is current and relevant.
• We will take full advantage of social media
and digital platforms to increase awareness
among young people about who a young
carer is.
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Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
Identification of carers
• We will work with partners, especially across
front line services such as occupational therapy,
to improve the mechanism and process for
the identification and signposting of carers
(especially young carers) across health, social
care, education and the voluntary sector.
• We will support those with caring roles to identify
themselves as carers at the earliest possible
stage of their caring roles, recognising the value
of their contribution and involving them from the
outset in planning, designing and monitoring
local planned services and care packages.
Assessment of carers
• We will work to improve the assessment
process, deliver a whole family approach,
and ensure that young carers and sibling
carers are part of the standard assessment
process. Likewise we will improve the
turnaround time between assessment, review
and support planning.
• We will work with providers of services
to ensure that support offered to carers
is personalised and suits their individual
circumstances.
• We will develop processes for assessing the
needs of young carers and sibling carers
alongside the adult or child who is cared for.
• We will ensure that assessment and
development of the care plan of an adult
service user will take into account the
educational and social needs of any identified
young carer.
Co-production
• We will work with providers of acute care to
improve the discharge planning process so
that it takes carers’ needs into consideration.
• We will ensure that Newham’s Health and
Social Care Integrated Care Plan takes into
account the needs of carers.
20
6.3. Commissioning intentions for
Outcome Two
Carers will be supported to have a life of
their own alongside their caring role.
Young carers
• We will ensure that demands for unnecessary
and inappropriate levels of care are not placed
on young carers. This will be addressed
through the support planning process and
improving the communication and exchange
of information between Adult Social Care and
Children and Young People’s Services. • We will ensure that the Young Carers’ Support
Service works closely with childrens’ services
to ensure access to support.
• We will continue to work with schools to
ensure the early identification of young carers
and the provision of appropriate support.
• We will continue to work with schools to
ensure that young carers can remain in
education for as long as they want to.
• We will work with partners to improve
signposting of sibling carers to universal services.
• We will work with the providers of young
carers’ services and adult social care to
improve access to after school learning
opportunities available in the borough.
All carers
Workforce development
• We will ensure that care professionals and
partners receive continuous training and
guidance to ensure they provide timely and
appropriate support to carers.
• We will deliver a core training offer for carers to
support them in their caring route, such as the
management of long term conditions, good
back care, health and safety in the home.
• W
e will support carers to access routes into
education, training and employment, to enble
them to have a life of their own.
Market development
• When practicable, health and social care will
jointly commission or have a lead role in the
commissioning of support services.
• We will improve access for carers and former
carers to the range of volunteering and
befriending schemes in the borough currently
available to the person cared for.
• We will improve the range of services available
to carers by developing the range of providers
locally.
Support planning
• We will ensure that the need for a break is
appropriately taken into account during the
process of support planning.
• We will ensure that each support plan is
outcomes based and flexible to ensure it is of
value to carers.
6.4 Commissioning intentions for
Outcome Three
Carers will be supported so that they are
not forced into financial hardship by their
caring role.
Partnership working
• We will work with all partners including
the retail and leisure sectors to develop a
concessionary carer’s card for both adult
carers and young carers.
• We will work with local employers to highlight
the needs of working carers, promoting the
need to support carers to stay in employment.
• We will work to ensure that carers are
informed of their employment rights.
• We will work with training providers to improve
the opportunities available for carers to
become paid care assistants.
• We will work with the Department for Work
and Pensions and local employment support
organisations to improve access to work
opportunities for carers.
Young adult carers (aged 18 to 25)
• We will work with partners to ensure the
delivery of life skills training.
6.5 Commissioning intentions for
Outcome Four
Carers will be supported to stay mentally
and physically well and treated with dignity.
Partnership working
• We will ensure that NCCG’s Primary Care
Strategy reflects the needs of carers.
• We will promote health checks for all carers,
especially young carers.
• We will work with GPs to encourage flexible
health appointments for carers.
• We will work to improve carers’ access to
services that provide support, especially GP
services and emotional support, including
counselling, peer support and interest groups.
• We will work with local providers to ensure
carers are supported to access community
mental health services, where appropriate.
• We will improve carers’ access to universal
services that exist in the borough, especially
commissioned preventive services.
• We will improve carers’ access to home
adaptation equipment, providing training and
conducting reviews as and when the need for
equipment changes.
• We will formalise carers’ access to home
adaptation equipment for up to a year
after the person cared for no longer requires
the equipment.
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February 2015
• W
e will work with partners and providers to
deliver and increase access to training on
the management of long-term conditions for
carers and medicine management so they
can better support the person cared for.
6.6 Commissioning intentions for
Outcome Five
Children and young people will be protected
from inappropriate caring roles and have
the support they need to learn, develop and
thrive, and to enjoy positive childhoods.
Partnership working
• We will work together with partners, especially
schools and health services, to improve
22
identification of young carers, especially
during the assessment of an adult or young
service user.
• We will work with educational establishments,
youth organisations and training and
employment providers on how best to identify
and support young carers.
Information and technology
• We will improve the use of social media and
online support mechanisms for young carers.
Market development
• We will ensure that young carers with caring
roles for siblings are supported to access
universal services in the borough for young
people, including youth centres, schools
and libraries.
7. Finances
7.1 Current funding strategy
Newham Council and NCCG currently commit
over £1.7 million per annum in total to support
carers. This includes the provision of in-house
services to carers such as assessment and
carers breaks.
The table below reflects current investment in
carer support by both NCCG and social care
(both adults and children’s).
A key challenge has been determining the level of
investment in carers by NCCG. It is unclear how
much of the £49 million spent in the block contracts
held with Community Health Service and Mental
Health contracts is utilised in supporting carers.
Currently we do not have a methodology that
can determine the element that supports
carers specifically in their role as carers. It is
our commissioning intention to develop new
specifications and new Key Performance Indicators
to address this in the coming financial year.
Name of service
Service provider
Commissioned/ funded by
Cost value (£) 13/14
Adult carers’
support services
Newham Carers’ Network
Newham Council
150,000
Carers’ health checks
GPs
NHS England
Part of primary care
Stroke family and
carers support services
The Stroke Association
Newham Council
58,500
Support to carers and
carers’ support group
Carers UK
Newham branch
Newham Council
4,624
Active and Connected
Age UK & Stay
Well Partnership
Newham Council and NCCG
56,000
Forget Me Not service
East London NHS
Foundation Trust
Newham Council
80,000
Carer engagement/
co-production
Newham Carers’ Network
Newham Council and NCCG
45,000
Individual advocacy
VoiceAbility
Newham Council and NCCG
200,583
Services for people with
acquired brain injury
Headway East London
Newham Council
64,182
Carers specific strategic and operational support
Newham Council
Newham Council
305,000
Carers Assessments
Newham Council
Newham Council
100,000
Newham Council, NCCG
and Tudor Trust
43,000
Social care support
Alzheimer’s Society
for memory services
Nulife (adults with
Newham Council
Newham Council
learning disabilities) Carers specific
service provided as
part of the service
Samuel Boyce Centre Newham Council
Newham Council
(dementia)
Carers specific
service provided as
core part of the service
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Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
Name of service
Service provider
Commissioned/ funded by
Carers’ Break Newham Council
Newham Council(771,487. ) The full
amount is difficult
to quantify as most
carers breaks is still
part of the service
users allocation.
Specialist substance
Newham Council
Newham Council
misuse service Provided as part of
substance misuse service
Drug & Alcohol Service
CRI Drug & Alcohol Service Newham Council
Provided as part of the service
Integrated Community
Newham Council
Newham Council and NCCG
and Equipment Service Provided as part of
the service
Home Adaption for
Newham Council
Newham Council
Independent Living Provided as part of
the service
Information and publicity
Newham Council
Newham Council
17,000
Support for young carers
Newham Carers’ Network
Newham Council
79,000
Active and Connected (Carers)
Consortium lead
NCCG 33,000
Community Health East London Newham Council and NCCG
Services
Foundation Trust Carers specific service
provided as core part
of the service
East London Mental East London Newham Council and NCCG Health Services
Foundation Trust Carers specific service
provided as core part
of the service
Single assessment process LBN Children and Newham Council
including young carers
Young People’s Service Carers specific service
provided as core part
of the service
Total
£2,007,376
7.2 Current and anticipated
funding sources
Funding support for carers (including short
break services) comes from a variety of sources.
These include Newham Council and NCCG.
Some of the funding is provided through core
budgets, with carers receiving breaks as part of
the assessment of the person cared for. These
include day services and independent living
support services, including home care services.
However, carers are assessed in their own right
to determine their level of needs.
24
Cost value (£) 13/14
Other funding is directed at carers and these
include commissioned services to provide
information, advice & guidance (IAG), advocacy
and preventive services. Other commissioned
services include support for carers of service
users of stroke and dementia services.
Work will continue with partners to determine
and clarify the level of funding needed from each
partners to ensure successful implementation of
the strategy and determine the level of investment
needed to deliver Newham’s duty under the
Better Care Programme, Care Act and Children
and Families Act.
7.3 Future funding sources
The delivery of this strategy is based on the
assumption that the financial resources required
will be made available from both Newham Council
and Newham Clinical Commissioning Group.
The strategy is based on the following assumptions:
• C
arers’ Assessments, Day Services and
Carers’ Breaks will continue to be funded by
social care.
• Commissioning of preventive services
whenever possible will be funded jointly by
the council and NCCG.
• Newham Council and NCCG will continue
to commission the support of carers within
respective services, for example Community
Health Services.
• We will identify how much funding is allocated
to carers in the Better Care Fund and how
best to use it to support carers, either via
commissioned services or by delivering
services and support directly
7.3.1. Funding for future projects
Where funding is required for new services
or projects, the funding source will be identified
through:
• p
artnership work with other organisations
including those in the private sector
• review of the existing service; possibly
decommissioning duplicate services or
services with limited impact, reinvesting in
services that can help deliver outcomes
outlined in the strategy
• working with providers of services to identify
alternative funding streams, including fund
raising and grants
• personal budgets and direct payments
• joint commissioning arrangements with
other boroughs.
We will review our commissioning intentions and
spending on carers on an annual basis to ensure
it can deliver the agreed outcomes.
7.4 Anticipated changes and financial plan
Giving the anticipated rises in the number of
carers, the changing demographic profiles and
issues such as an increase in patients with long
term conditions and intergenerational and mutual
caring, future cost pressures are anticipated.
This strategy has taken into consideration how
best to seek increased cost effectiveness from
current services, better targeting of spend and
efficiencies in both the infrastructure and the
delivery of carers support services.
We will address the above issues by:
• improving our delivery of personalisation and
personal budgets for carers
• delivering efficient and streamlined
identification processes, e.g. identification in
primary care and hospital settings
• investing in the development of robust
infrastructures and processes, including:
• improving the number and quality of
assessments
• more informed targeting of services,
• more family and community based solutions
to carers’ needs
• deliver a more joined-up approach to
commissioning services, offering more
clarity to providers about the services
required and reducing duplication of
services.
7.4.1. Eligibility and charging
Details of the national eligibility threshold are set
out in the Care Act. Operational policy will be
updated to reflect the regulations.
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Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
8. Next steps
How we intend to deliver the strategy is outlined
in the action plan in Appendix One. The action
plan will be made accessible to carers on the
Newham Council website (www.newham.gov.
uk) and NCCG website (www.newhamccg.nhs.
uk/). The delivery will be reviewed and amended
annually by Newham Carers’ Strategy Group.
Progress on the strategy will be reported
quarterly to the Newham Carers’ Strategy Group,
bi-annually to the Commissioning Partnership
Committee Board and annually to the Health and
Wellbeing Board.
We will feedback through the Carers’ Champions,
carers’ representatives, NCCG and council
personnel directly to carers and other interest
groups using established venues and formats.
Responsibility for overall scrutiny of performance
is held by the Health and Wellbeing Board with
Newham Carers’ Strategy Group ensuring the
delivery of the strategy action plan.
If you have any questions or comments about this
Joint Carers’ Strategy, please contact one of the
following people:
Agnes Olagunju
Adult Carers’ Commissioning Lead
London Borough of Newham
Email: [email protected]
Jason Eustice
Young Carers Lead
London Borough of Newham
Email: [email protected]
Jennifer Beharry
Mental Health Programme Manager
Email: [email protected]
26
GLOSSARY
Term or abbreviation Meaning
AdvocacyHelp given to people by an advocate to enable them
to express their opinions, know their rights and what
they are entitled to. An advocate can be a friend,
family carer, relative or an independent representative
authorised to speak or act on behalf of an individual.
ASC (Adult Social Care)Adult Social Care: The part of the council that deals
with the assessment and provision of social care and
community based services under the Community Act
(1993), e.g. social care practitioners and Occupational
Therapists.
BAMEBlack Asian and Minority Ethnic
Carer, also known as family carer or informal carer Anyone who provides a great deal of care on a regular
basis for a member of their family, friend, or neighbour
but is not paid to do so.
Carers’ Breaks A short break sometimes known as respite; when a
carer get a chance to spend some time away from the
caring role.
Carers’ AllowanceTaxable benefits paid to help someone (carer) look
after someone who is disabled.
Carers’ AssessmentA process, usually an interview or series of interviews,
with a carer to see what help they may need to be able
to go on looking after they person they care for.
Carers’ ChampionsIndividuals appointed or elected to stand up for the
interests of carers. These include, for example, ensuring
that carers have a voice in the decision making process
and that services are accessible to carers.
Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) known in Newham as:
Newham Clinical Commissioning Group (NCCG) Formed in 2010 and consists of a group of Newham GPs
and other health professionals. They are now responsible
for the purchasing of healthcare in Newham.
Charging policyA document which sets out the contributions a
customer has to make towards the cost of their care.
CommissioningThe process of ensuring that there are a range of
health and social care services available in Newham to
meet the needs of residents and patients.
This includes the identification of needs, planning,
choosing and securing of appropriate services, and
keeping a check on the level and quality of provision.
This could be done at individual, group, borough wide,
regional or national level. This applies to all services
whether they are provided by the voluntary or private
sector, Health or Local Authorities.
27
Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
Term or abbreviation Meaning
Co-ProductionAccess to care and support, in which customers and
patients with their family, carers, wider communities,
service providers and paid carers all work with the
local authority and health service. They work together
in the design, planning and delivery of a personalised
system or service. This could be for new services or
the redesign of existing services and systems.
Customer (previously referred to as service user) People who receive, have received or are eligible for
adult social care services.
CYPS (Children and Young Peoples’ Services) The part of the council that deals with the assessing
and provision of services for children and young
people. In most cases those under 18 years old.
Eligibility When an individual’s needs meet the council’s criteria
for council-funded care and support.
Eligibility Criteria A set of standards or rules governing access to non NHS
services, for example, adult social care services.
East London Foundation Trust (ELFT) The provider of hospital mental health services and
community health services.
GPs (General Practitioners) A term used to describe General Medical Practitioners
i.e. family doctors.
Integrated careA partnership in which health and social care (usually
adult social care) work together. This is to ensure
planned and organised care centred on the needs of
the person and their carer and or family, supporting
them to remain independent in the community for as
long as possible.
Joint Commissioning Where two organisations or more coordinate the
process of commissioning a service.
(see commissioning above).
Newham’s Carers’ OfferThe package of support available to carers in Newham
from both social care and health.
Outcome(s) The change, benefit or any other result that happens or
is expected to happen as a consequence of provision
of care and support. Outcomes can be related to the
individual recipient of the change or a community or
group.
Paid Carers (also known as Personal Assistants) An individual who in their professional capacity is paid
to undertake the care of another person. They assist
with the daily social care including going out, washing
and getting in and out of bed.
PathwayA clearly laid out route a person takes through the
network of health and social care services. It shows the
sequences in the path and what should be provided at
each stage.
28
Term or abbreviation Meaning
PersonalisationA way of providing support. The aim is to ensure that
every person who receives support, whether provided
by statutory services or self-funded, will have the
choice and control over the delivery of that support.
In practice money is allocated to an individual by the
council to pay for the care to support the customer’s
assessed needs. This allows the customer to choose
the support they want to receive and the manner in
which they wish to receive it.
ResilienceUsed in Newham to describe the move towards
developing and supporting individuals to be selfsustaining and to develop personal growth.
Sibling(s)
Sister(s) or brother(s).
Substance misuseA pattern of harmful use of illicit, prescription or over
the counter drugs and/or alcohol.
Customers (also known as Service Users)Someone who receives or is eligible to receive support
from adult social care services.
29
Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
Appendix One: Strategy implementation plan
Joint Carers Strategy - Implementation Plan 2015 to 2018
Outcome OneUsing a whole family approach carers will be respected as expert care
partners at the heart of decision making and will have access to the integrated
and personalised services they need to support them in their caring role.
Outcome Two
Carers will be able to have a life of their own alongside their caring role.
Outcome ThreeCarers will be supported so that they are not forced into financial hardship by
their caring role.
Outcome FourCarers will be supported to stay mentally and physically well and will be
treated with dignity.
Outcome FiveChildren and young people will be protected from inappropriate caring roles
and have the support they need to learn, develop and thrive, and to enjoy
positive childhoods.
The Action plan below has been agreed to ensure the delivery of the outcomes above.
30
Theme
Headline Action
Lead Responsibility for Action Time Frame
1 Identification
of Carers
Work with statutory
Newham Council
and third sector
and NCCG
partners to identify
hidden carers and signpost
them especially the
social housing teams
and support workers.
All providers of social care services.
Year one.
Support educational CYPS
Educational and
stablishments to identify training providers.
young carers. On going.
Develop process to make
NCCG
General practitioners.
it easy to identify carers
within GP practice lists.
Year one.
Develop a mechanism Newham Council
for supporting those and NCCG
with a caring role to identify themselves as carers.
Providers of carers
support services.
Social Care practitioners
Health care practitioners
Year one.
Work with hospital to ASC
improve early identification NCCG
and involving carers in
discharge planning.
Acute provider. On going.
Training of Health and ASC
Carers team Training
Social Care Staff to increase and Development team.
recognition of carers’ rights and needs.
Year one.
Theme
Headline Action
Lead Responsibility for Action Time Frame
2 Information Advice and Guidance
Develop a single carer’s
Newham Council ASC
offer for all carers in
NCCG
CYPS
Newham across Health
NCCG
and Social Care.
Year one.
Develop the mechanism Newham Council Carers team
for signposting identified NCCG
Commissioning social
carers to relevant care and NCCG
organisations.
Year one.
Support carers and sibling
CYPS
carers to access universal
services and improve the access and signposting of these services.
Promoting different avenues Newham Council All providers of social and On going.
including digital formats to NCCG
health care services.
provide information and
advice to carers.
The development and Newham Council Provider of carer
distribution of appropriate related services.
and relevant publicity
especially for young carers.
Promote awareness of Newham Council Carers Team Adult Carers On going.
employment rights. support service.
Utilise operational workforce Newham Council ASC
to disseminate information on how carers can access
service, especially floating
support workers, community
hubs link workers etc.
On going.
3 The Ensure that all universal
Newham Council All carer related
Commissioning services are accessible
support services.
/Provision of to carers.
Social care practitioners.
services
Year one.
We would continue to and improve how we work in co-production with carers
in the development, review
and delivery of services
and policies.
Year one.
We will work with providers to Newham Council All service providers.
ensure that carers are fully NCCG
involved in the planning and
delivery of services.
Year one.
Work with services to ensure that the support available to carers are tailored to their
own needs.
Year one.
Providers of young carers Year one.
support service
Education and training
providers
Newham Council Newham Council
NCCG
NCCG
Newham Council
NCCG
Year one.
31
Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
Theme
Headline Action
Lead Carers are identified and Newham Council Public Health
captured in the Joint Strategic NCCG
Needs Assessment and relevant strategic reviews.
Ensure a robust data system Newham Council
across all commissioned NCCG
and in-house provided services. Responsibility for Action Time Frame
Acute providers
Community service
provider
Commissioned care
services
In house performance
team
Agree and implement clear Newham Council All providers of carer
pathways for all carers.
NCCG
related services.
32
Year two.
Year two.
Year two.
Improve equality of access to Newham Council Providers of commissioned Year one.
all carers across all protected NCCG
services
characteristics. Carers team.
Re-tender of the Adult Carers Newham Council ASC
support and the Young CYPS
Carers Support Service.
Complete.
Utilise the commissioning CYPS
CYPS
process to ensure that young carers and sibling carers have access to universal services
for young residents.
Year two.
We will work with providers to All providers
develop a formula for identifying the cost of support to carers.
Newham Council
NCCG
When appropriate we will CYPS
incorporate young carers into
relevant services for service
users.
CYPS
4 Health and Wellbeing
Define and improve pathways Newham Council ASC
for information sharing CYPS
CYPS
between Adult Social Care, Children & Young Peoples’
Services, Health
and education.
.
Creativity in the delivery of
Newham Council ASC
assessments to ensure CYPS
compliance with the Children
and Families Act and the
Social Care Act.
Developing communities Newham Council Providers of support
and personal resilience services
among carers.
Social care practitioners
Year two.
Year three.
Theme
Headline Action
Lead Improve the transition Newham Council
process from young carer to young adult carer.
Responsibility for Action Time Frame
Transition team
Carers team
Providers of adult carer
support service
Provider of young carers
support services. Year two.
Raise awareness of NHS NCCG
Services providers
translation services and Health Advocacy services.
Work with GPs and NCCG to NCCG
General medical practices Year one.
encourage the use of flexible appointments including online
appointments and double
appointment slots.
Work with hospital and Newham Council Hospital Community
community services to NCCG
Health Services.
develop a discharge policy that takes into account the
needs of carers.
Year two.
Improve access to health Newham Council
related activities NCCG
e.g. healthy cooking sessions and Zumba.
Year one.
Improve access to Newham Council Carers team, Social
Year one.
volunteering and befriending practitioners, Community
scheme for carers. Neighbourhoods team. Improve access to preventive Newham Council
and self care management NCCG
support, especially emotional support including counselling and peer support.
Health care practitioners, Year two.
community pharmacies Providers of support groups.
Improve access to universal Newham Council
services especially interest based/hobby focused services. Carers team, Community On going.
Neighbourhoods team
Providers carer
support services.
Increase access to Newham Council HAIL team
equipment especially home IEDA team
adaptation equipment for carers.
Year one.
Develop links with local MH NCCG
East London Foundation
providers (Acute, CMHT, Trust
Liaison, Crisis) to ensure carers are involved in
treatment.
Year two.
Work with GPs and MH
NCCG
East London Foundation
providers to ensure carers at
Trust
risk of mental health issues Year two.
Provider of carer related
support services
Community
Neighbourhoods team.
Year one.
33
Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
34
Theme
Headline Action
Lead Responsibility for Action Time Frame
are identified at the earliest
possible stage and provided
with appropriate support
and treatment.
Carers at risk of mental health NCCG
East London Foundation
issues will be offered Trust
assistance in development of a ‘Crisis plan’ to provide
emergency alternative care
for their customer.
Year two.
Ensuring that families of CYPS
CYPS
young carers and sibling carers have an emergency
plan in place.
Year one.
5 Income and Employment
Encourage the take up of
Newham Council Social Care practitioners
Personal budget among Support planners
carers when appropriate. Year two.
Develop a separate carers’ Concession Card for adult and young carers.
Year one.
Support carers to access Newham Council
education, training and NCCG
support to secure or remain in employment.
Work with employers to Newham Council Providers of Adult improve awareness of Carers’ Services carers especially working Carers team
carers and carers’ rights
in the borough.
Year two.
Work with Primary Care and Newham Council Practitioners
community-based services NCCG
to provide signposting, advice and assistance in
assessment for NHS
Continuing Healthcare funds.
Year two.
Ensuring assessment and applications for NHS funds
such as personal health
budgets are processed in a
timely manner.
Year one.
6 Training and Education
Work with educational
Newham Council Young Carers’ Support
establishments to ensure that Service
young carers and sibling
carers are supported to
remain in education for as
long as they want to.
Newham Council Commissioning
NCCG
NCCG
ASC commissioning
Providers of carer
support services
WorkPlace
NCCG
Year one.
Year one.
Theme
Headline Action
Lead Improve access to Newham Council
safeguarding training and awareness raising opportunities for carers. Responsibility for Action Time Frame
Safeguarding Adults
Governance Team Quality & Workforce
Development Team
CYPS and ASC
On going.
Continue to deliver carers’ All partners
Training and
awareness training for staff development teams.
on carers’ issues and the identification of carers.
On going.
Work with other partners to Newham Council Carers Team
improve signposting access Workforce Development
to training opportunities for
carers, including vocational,
life skills and other training.
On going.
Improve awareness of young Newham Council CYPS
carers to the various after school support programmes
in the borough.
On going.
Improve carers’ access to Newham Council ASC training on condition management, medicine
management and equipment
usage.
On going.
7 Partnership
working Improve communication NCCG
between health professionals
and carers especially young
carers about the cared
for person.
We will work with partners Newham Council Newham Council
and providers to improve the
quality framework for paid
care assistants in the borough.
This will include the
development of Personal
Assistant Register.
Year one.
8 Whole family approach Ensure that all assessments Newham Council ASC
take on board the whole CYPS
family approach. Year two.
Explore areas where
assessments can be
conducted jointly by the
different agencies involved
especially for Continuing
Care and Single Education,
Health and Care Plan.
General Practitioners
35
Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
36
Theme
Headline Action
Lead Responsibility for Action Time Frame
Improve identification of Newham Council ASC
young carers’ and sibling
CYPS
carers during the assessment of the cared for person.
Year two.
Support young carers and
Newham Council CYPS
sibling carers to engage in whole familiy activities.
Year three.
Appendix Two: Groups consulted
The following groups were consulted in the
development of this strategy.
• African and Caribbean Carers groups
• Asian Caribbean groups
• Autism Providers Forum
• Carers of Service Users with Autism
• Carers of services users with Learning disability
• Carers of Service users with Mental Health needs
• Hestia
• Newham Carers Forum
• Providers Social Care Services
• Strategic Providers Forum
• Subco Services Users and Carers
• Working Carers
• Young Carers
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Newham’s Joint Carers’ Strategy
February 2015
Notes
38
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www.newham.gov.uk/carers
©2015 Newham Council Communications 03027