State of Caring 2017 (Wales)

Carers UK carries out an annual survey of carers to understand the state of caring and uses the findings to inform the Governments of the four nations on the experiences of carers.

The report on the State of Caring in Wales highlights the impact of the Westminister Government’s budgetary decisions on the funding of social care and support for carers and its concomitant impact on funding to the Welsh Government.

The recent budgetwhich gave no attention to the funding of social care, confirms that the people in need of care and support and their carers in England and Wales will continue to be left out in the cold.

The report highights the value of unpaid care at £8.1bn compared with £6.85bn spending on health care in Wales. The overiding economic case for supporting carers through practical and financial support, short breaks and respite for the cared for person is clearly articulated in this report.

The report notes that the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 heralded a right to assessment for all carers and yet only 19% of carers responding to the Carers Wales survey had been offered an assessment.

The Track the Act report set out the challenges to accessing an assessment and questioned whether a ‘what matters conversation’is a statutory assessment.

Carers Wales has prepared a fact sheet for Carers Assessments: A guide to getting an Assessment in Wales from April 2016.

On the basis of this annual survey Carers Wales recommends

‘A cross government plan that sets out how improved support for carers will be achieved with targets and milestones, that are effectively monitored so that carers can see what progress is being made’.

The plan will need to :

  • ensure that carers and their famiies do not suffer financial hardship as a result of caring;
  • ensure that there is sufficient funding so that older and disabled people get the care they need and which is affordable;
  • ensure that carers are able to juggle work and car,returning to work if they wish;
  • provide finding to enable carers to take breaks;
  • create a more ‘carer friendly’ NHS;
  • ensure carers are better prepared for caring and can get the information and support early on.