Carers Strategy Launch
Joe Fowler Director of Commissioning
WHO IS A CARER?
A carer is someone of any age who provides unpaid support to family or friends
to enable them to cope and carry on with their day to day life as they could not
manage without this help. This could be caring for a relative, partner or friend
who is ill, frail, disabled or suffers with mental ill-health or substance misuse
This is not the same as someone who provides care professionally, or through
a voluntary organisation.
Anyone can become a carer; carers come from all walks of life, all cultures
and can be of any age. Many feel they are doing what anyone else would in
the same situation; looking after their mother, son, or best friend and just
getting on with it.
Carers don’t choose to become carers: it just happens and they have to get
on with it; if they did not do it, who would and what would happen to the person
they care for?’
Key Facts
Age profile of Carers
1 in 10 people in Sheffield
19,433
15,708
12,254
5,384
Males
43%
3,626
968
Age 0 to 15 Age 16 to
24
Age 25 to
34
Age 35 to
49
Age 50 to Age 65 and
64
over
Females
57%
Percentage of hours caring
61
Percentage ethnic profile
Other ethnic group
1
Black/African/Caribbean/Black British
2
25
14
Asian/Asian British
1 to 19 hours
20 to 49 hours
NOMIS Census 2011
50 or more hours
Mixed/multiple ethnic group
White
5
1
89
The ever changing carer population
- 55 people start caring in Sheffield every day
Estimated number that cease caring annually, total - 19,810
Number of carers, 61,371
(Census 2011)
12,000
10,000
10,633
8,177
11,269
9,897
10,466
Estimated number that begin caring annually, total - 20,100
10,929
Penistone
and Stocksbridge
3,530
3,580
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
3,380
3,430
Heeley
3,190
3,240
Hallam
Brightside
and Hillsborough
3,640
3,690
3,430
3,480
South East
Central
2,640
2,680
http://www.carersuk.org/for-professionals/policy/policy-library/need-to-know
Please note that these figures are estimates, calculated using the best national estimate of transitions into and out of
unpaid care.
Michael Hirst, of the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York, carried out the research on behalf of Carers
UK. Please see Appendix 1 of Need to know (2014) for methodology
DIVERSITY OF CARERS
•
•
•
•
•
More men are now caring and this will continue to increase
Carers are providing more hours of care
Over 70% of carers are of working age
Differing caring situations, the following is a list of some examples and is not
exhaustive:
– Parent carers of children
– Caring for partner due to frailty and being elderly
– Caring for a disabled spouse
– Caring for parents who don’t live in the same house
– Sandwich carers – caring for elderly and other family members
– Lifelong caring, from birth – learning disability or another disability
– LBGT carers
– Carers within the black and minority ethnic communities
the cared for situation e.g. differing conditions, long term conditions and
disabilities, whether they live together, or they are a family member or friend
AGE and WHERE CARERS LIVE
Youngest carers: at all categories of hours of
care, the ward with the greatest number of
younger carers (aged 25-49) is Burngreave
Older carers: The greatest numbers of older
carers tend to reside in the more affluent areas
of the city except in the 50 hours or more
category which then reflects the most deprived
parts of the city.
CARERS STRATEGY
An ambitious plan for every carer to have:
• a life of their own
• the choice to care and stop caring without recrimination
• equality of opportunity to life chances including education,
training, work and leisure activities
Our Carers Strategy will enable families to stay well and tackle
financial hardship.
https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/caresupport/carers/carersstrategy.html
WHAT DID CARERS SAY
‘If you got the services and support right for my family
member, I wouldn’t have any needs’
• Information and advice: I want the information I need,
when I need it
• I want good advice to help me through the maze
• If services are right for the cared for person then it will
make it easier for me
• Time for me so I can have a life outside of caring
• I want to feel in control and safe and have a plan for
emergencies
• I don’t want to be in financial hardship
RESPONDING TO THE STRATEGY
1. Changes to council tendered carer support services
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•
A menu of different options for breaks
Community based outreach to help find hidden carers
• Core city wide contract including the statutory duty
carers assessments
2. Changing behaviour of the wider society and services to carers e.g.
employers, doctors, family and friends and getting services that support
cared for people to recognise and support carers
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General awareness raising campaign
Sheffield Standard – for organisations who will interact with carers e.g.
social care providers, housing, GPs, hospitals, employers
Sheffield Carer Card (carer passport)
Changes in Adult Social Care
A NEW APPROACH TO CARERS
ASSESSMENTS
The new carers service will be undertaking Carers Assessments
as set out in section 10 of the Care Act.
This will include:
• Assessment of the carer
• Allocating a personal budget
• Developing a support plan
• Helping identify services
Definition: Where a carer requires an ‘intervention’ rather than
just a ‘one off’ piece of information this is defined as a Carers
Assessment (an assessment of eligibility, personal budget and
support plan may not be required if the solution resolves the
issue)
WHAT WILL THE STRATEGY
CHANGE FOR CARERS?
By 2020 every carer should have appropriate opportunities to:
• Access at the right time, the right type of information and
advice for them, their family and the person they care for
• Understand their rights and have access to an assessment
• Have a voice for themselves and the person they care for
• Have regular and sufficient breaks
• Continue to learn and develop, train or work (if they wish to)
• Look after their own health