Rprt

Findings of a two year study by the Young Carers Research Group (in partnership with Rethink, formerly National Schizophrenia Fellowship) which looks at the experiences and needs of children who care for parents with mental illness, their caring and filial relationships and the nature of professional interventions in these families.

This paper updates the estimate of the value of carers’ support published by Carers UK in 2007 in Valuing carers – calculating the value of carers’ support.

It estimates the economic value of the contribution made by carers in the UK as a remarkable £119 billion per year – considerably more than the annual cost of all aspects of the NHS.

It has long been accepted that lack of social participation in wider society is one aspect or one definition of poverty. Current concerns with the extent and distribution of social capital as both a measure of a good society and as means to upward mobility also emphasise the importance of social contacts and networks to the well-being of individuals and communities. While research has often focused on ‘civic participation’ and the measurement of trust, more informal social bonds are also a crucial part of individuals’ social capital.

In 2009, HR commissioned two pieces of research on employees with caring responsibilities. The first focused on the external picture - the legislation, good practice, and exemplar employers. The second garnered the views of interested parties in DH; namely, carers, line managers and staff networks. The outcomes from the external review are available on the Carers page on Delphi, together with a specific policy for carers, based on the themes drawn from both pieces of research.

Unsung heroes, hearts of gold and other cliches get in the way of the real message about carers. Carers look after family, friends or partners in help because they are ill, frail or have a disability. The care they provide is unpaid seven days a week, 365 days of the year.

Over the last two years we have been working together to take forward the National Carers' Strategy, published in 2008, in the context of more personalised support and sustained independence for carers and service users. This paper is the third in a sequence of short reviews designed to stimulate debate and improve the support for carers. At a time when we face many challenges around resources it is doubly important that we keep our sights firmly on the improved outcomes that can be secured through early intervention and preventative support. The review contains five key messages.

This report presents the findings of a survey of the mental health of carers living in England. The survey was commissioned by the Department of Health and was carried out between March and July 2001. It is one of a series of surveys of different population groups which began in 1993. The sample for the survey was obtained from people who were identified as carers on the basis of questions included in the 2000 General Household Survey.

This report summarises findings from two seminars which aimed to bring together a range of perspectives on personalisation and its future. Participants included service users, carers, social care practitioners (including a personal assistant, support worker and a care home manager) and policy makers. The report looks at what personalisation meant those attending and presents some key characteristics.

This report presents a series of recommendations for Government and Strategic Health Authorities, Primary Care Trusts, GPs and Primary Health Care Teams, with the aim of improving the way primary care services identify and support carers. The recommendations are based on conclusions which emerged from a nine-month primary care project for The Princess Royal Trust for Carers. The project aimed to find the most effective ways within primary care to identify carers and encourage them to use the services available.