The policies and issues that we are looking at or have addressed from the point of view of carers include:
We also support Carers Week which aims to celebrate and raise awareness of the role and value of carers, and to identify hidden carers. Further information about this is available in the Carers Week section of our website.
Caring with Confidence aims to support carers over the age of 18 in England by providing a programme of good quality training. Carers of people nearing the end of life are a key target group of the programme. Several hospices have been involved in piloting the modules for this group of carers. Help the Hospices is a member of the Caring with Confidence Reference Group.
For further information, please go to www.caringwithconfidence.net
The End of Life Care Strategy, published by the Department of Health in July 2008, includes information about supporting families and carers. The strategy identifies three key principles with regard to carers:
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Carers are a central part of the team, and should be treated as ‘co-workers’.
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Carers have their own needs and, if they provide substantial care on a regular basis, they are entitled to an assessment by their local authority.
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Carers should be able to access services, regardless of the condition of the person they are caring for.
You can download:
The National Strategy for Carers was announced by the Government on 10 June 2008. The strategy is called 'Carers at the heart of 21st century families and communities: a caring system on your side, a life of your own'.
The strategy sets out a 10-year vision:
- Carers will be respected as expert care partners and will have access to support.
- Carers will be able to have a life of their own alongside their caring role.
- Carers will be supported so they are not forced into financial hardship.
- Carers will be supported to stay mentally and physically well and treated with dignity.
- Children and young people will be protected from inappropriate caring and will have the support they need.
Help the Hospices has produced a briefing document on the National Strategy for Carers. You can also download the full strategy from the Department of Health website.
The Work and Families Act (2006) gave carers of adults the right to request flexible working. A carer is an employee who is or expects to be caring for an adult who:
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is married to, or the partner or civil partner of the employee
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is a near relative, including parents, adult children, siblings, uncles, aunts and grandparents (including in-laws and step relatives)
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lives at the same address as the employer.
Carers can make a request for flexible working once in a 12-month period. However, for many carers, their role can be unpredictable and may be short-term. Help the Hospices and Working Families have developed booklets on short-term, flexible working options for carers and employers.
For more information about the Work and Families Act, visit the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform website.
Research
Dr Paula Smith from the Palliative and End-of-Life Care Research Group at the University of Sheffield led a literature review looking at employment issues and carers of the terminally ill.
Download the Carers of the Terminally Ill and Employment Issues report.
Download the Executive Summary.
Further information
For more information about our work on policies and issues that affect carers, please contact us.
