What's The Future For Carers?

12:29

juliansky:

Good afternoon everyone - welcome to Tuesday's Lunchtime Debate

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:29 juliansky

12:29

juliansky:

I'm Julian, and I'll be hosting the discussion today.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:29 juliansky

12:30

juliansky:

We'll be hearing from Alex Fox at the Princess Royal Trust for Carers

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:30 juliansky

12:31

juliansky:

And we want to hear from carers

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:31 juliansky

12:36

[Comment From Alex Princess Royal TrustAlex Princess Royal Trust: ]

Hello - good to join you.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:36 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:37

juliansky:

HI Alex - great to have you with us. Would you like to kick off by explainging what the situation with carers is in this country and how the Princess Royal Trust helps

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:37 juliansky

12:37

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

There are 6m carers in the UK including 1.3m caring more than the hours of a full time job. It affects us all at some point in our lives.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:37 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:38

[Comment From ScottScott: ]

I feel sorry for the people who need care and cant get any access..My aunty applied to look after my grandmother for a job as she is desabled and she got refused by the council.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:38 Scott

12:38

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

Carers look after someone, often in their family, who has an illness, disability, substance problem or who is elderly. The care they provide is unpaid and they need support.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:38 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:39

juliansky:

And how do you help Alex?

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:39 juliansky

12:39

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

Sorry to hear that Scott. There are Carers Centres in most areas and they might be able to help your family. you can find your nearest at www.carers.org

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:39 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:40

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

Carers Centres provide advice, information and a listening ear. Many carers are very isolated, and caring can lead to poor health or losing your job.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:40 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:41

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

The government's just launched a new Carers Strategy, so we are hoping that things will get better for carers. They ask for information, more support for their families and a better income, ideally by balancing paid work with unpaid caring.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:41 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:41

juliansky:

Alex - we've heard Scott's story - do you think te government gives carers enough support?

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:41 juliansky

12:42

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

Most carers still don't get the support they need to carry on caring safely. There have been a lot of positive messages coming from central government, but too many councils and health trusts still don't take carers seriously.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:42 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:43

juliansky:

The key thing here is that carers are doing work for free which would cost 1000s to pay someone to do. Why aren;t they taken seriously?

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:43 juliansky

12:44

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

A lot of carers don't know their rights or that help is out there. If you are a carer you should ask for a Carers Assesment and about who can help you take a break. The country would collapse without carers, but GPs and other professionals don't always take the time to listen to carers.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:44 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:44

juliansky:

(Incidentally, I should say we asked someone from the Dept of Health to take part, but no-one was available)

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:44 juliansky

12:45

juliansky:

Scott are still you with us - can you explain why the council refused to help your Aunt?

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:45 juliansky

12:47

juliansky:

Part of this new 10-year for carers includes respite care to give carers a break. What the situationw with this kind of help right now? Is it widely available?

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:47 juliansky

12:48

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

The new money for carers breaks is one of the best bits of the 10 year plan. Carers need breaks not just to stay sane and healthy, but also to stay in work.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:48 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:49

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

A lot of carers don't know they are entitled to a break and resources are limited. If you go to your local carers centre or Crossroads scheme (www.crossroads.org.uk) you can find out what's available.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:49 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:50

juliansky:

You sound pretty positive about the government's new plan. Is there anything more they could have done?

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:50 juliansky

12:50

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

Carers who care for people with mental health and substance misuse problems can find it harder to access breaks, although they need one just as much.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:50 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:51

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

A lot of carers will be very disappointed that nothing has been done to raise carers benefits, which are less than £50 a week and leave carers in poverty.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:51 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:52

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

And at the same time as this strategy is being launched, some of the local charities in our network are facing cuts in funding which is a real worry.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:52 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:52

juliansky:

Yes in many cases carers have given up jobs to look after someone. But you can imagine what the cost implications of a benefit rise could be

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:52 juliansky

12:53

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

That's right - i think the government decided it couldn't afford to raise benefits. But it also can't afford to let carers down, because caring and poverty leave them unable to care, even requiring care themselves, which costs the economy more.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:53 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:56

juliansky:

GPs and local council also have roles to play - what would you say they were?

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:56 juliansky

12:56

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

GPs have the opportunity to identify nearly every carer, but with a few exceptions, they don't take the time to find out about carers services locally and signpost people to them.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:56 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:57

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

Councils fund most carers services, and they should take heed of the government's ambitious 10 year plan, and invest more, rather than less, in carers support. Some councils already do this and it brings benefits to the whole area.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:57 Alex Princess Royal Trust

12:57

juliansky:

In effect the carers army is an extension of the Health service right?

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:57 juliansky

12:58

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

That's right - there are more full time unpaid carers than NHS frontline workers.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 12:58 Alex Princess Royal Trust

1:00

juliansky:

OK Alex we'll wind it up there - it's a shame we didn't hear from more carers, but readers will be able to replay debate any time and you've given some great advice. FInal word from you?

Tuesday June 10, 2008 1:00 juliansky

1:01

Alex Princess Royal Trust:

Thanks Julian. The 6m carers out there will welcome the government's renewed interest in changing things for the better. But they'll be watching to see whether the aspirations become reality. In the meantime, we at the Princess Royal Trust and the other national networks will be there to help.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 1:01 Alex Princess Royal Trust

1:01

juliansky:

Well thank you so much for taking part and good luck with your work.

Tuesday June 10, 2008 1:01 juliansky

1:02

juliansky:

Come back at 12.30 tomorrow for another Lunchtime Debate

Tuesday June 10, 2008 1:02 juliansky

1:03