Refreshing the national Carers Strategy – call for evidence
The previous Government’s Carers Strategy – Carers at the heart of 21st century families and communities – set out a vision that by 2018:
‘carers will be universally recognised and valued as being fundamental to strong families and stable communities. Support will be tailored to meet individuals’ needs, enabling carers to maintain a balance between their caring responsibilities and a life outside caring, while enabling the person they support to be a full and equal citizen.’
The Government has announced its intention to ‘refresh’ the Carers Strategy with a view to producing, before the end of this year, a clear plan of action for 2011 to 2015. This does not mean re-writing the Carers Strategy, but rather that they will develop a plan setting out the key activities upon which the Government – working in partnership with carers, Local Authorities, the NHS, employers, the voluntary sector and local communities – can focus from April 2011 onwards.
In developing the Carers Strategy, the previous Government undertook extensive consultation with carers. Over 4,000 carers provided views through a website and a series of local and regional events. The Government believes that they have a clear picture of the sort of support that carers want.
The Government is keen to seek your views now on the key priorities, on what will have the greatest impact on improving carers’ lives in the next four years.
They would like responses by 20 September 2010. This is a tight timescale, but it is a necessary one if we are to help inform decisions in the light of the Government’s Spending Review and planning by Local Authorities, the NHS and others for April 2011 onwards. The Government says it can then move collectively at a swift pace to make a tangible difference to carers’ lives.
From Tuesday 3rd August you will be able to type your views and ideas directly into The Carers Centre website via our CarersVoice pages completely anonymously and we will pass them to the government without identifying you:
http://www.prtcarerscentre.org.uk/carersvoice.html
You can email the Minister directly (this will not be anonymous) to carersevidence@dh.gsi.gov.uk
Write to:
Carers Evidence
Carers Strategy Team, Department of Health
Area 116, First Floor, Wellington House
133-155 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8UG
The government is also particularly keen to hear directly from carers themselves and any others who may wish to respond. We have been asked to disseminate the attached letter, through existing networks and contacts, to any individual or other organisations who may wish to respond.
