Implementing the Carers Equal Opportunities Act 2004

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Implementing the Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act
2004

• Jill Akroyd and Angela Cannon
• Hertfordshire County Council

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Contents

• Duties Carers (Equal Opportunities Act) 2004
• Good Practice in Carers Assessments
• How do we know if we are legally compliant?
• Improving Care Services
• Carers and Learning
• Carers and Work
• Finances/Welfare benefits
• Helping carer employees
• Partnerships
• Tools
• Contact details

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Carers (Equal Opportunities Act) 2004

• s1 Duty we tell eligible carers of their right to
  an assessment
• s2 Give due consideration to areas of work,
  education, training and leisure in carers
  assessment
• s3 Powers to enlist help of health, housing and
  education authorities in providing support to
  carers

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Good Practice in Carers Assessments

• Care with jargon used
• Outcome focussed
• Proportionate to caring situation
• Carers as partners
• Develop support plan with carers
• Can carers get in touch afterwards?

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How do we know if we are legally compliant?

• Current performance Indicators quality not
  measured
• Recording of carers assessments an accurate
  picture of activity?
• Carers mainly unaware of new rights
• Section 3 largely untested

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Improving care services

• Training for care managers and provider services
  staff in awareness of needs of working carers.
• IT database employment status
• More use of Direct payments, individualised
  budgets
• Encouraging day services to open longer
• Transport punctuality essential
• Telecare

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Carers and Learning

• Training often a step towards employment
• IT skills update most often requested
• ? Distance Learning or attending a course
• Flexibility in modules is key
• Carer concessions
• Involve Adult Learning partners
• NEC, City Guilds carer specific
• Ensure information is carer accessible

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Carers and Work

• Long employment gap more support
• Voluntary work often the way in
• Information, guidance, goal setting
• Carers supported employment
• Job Centre Plus train staff in carer awareness
• Care services or find job which first?

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Finances / Welfare Benefits

• Better Off Calculations carers can make
  informed choices
• Use of carers grant to buy if service not
  available free
• Many on lower hourly rates worse off Real change
  not short change (Carers UK lobbying for New
  Carers Strategy
• Finance not sole motivation for working

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Helping Carer Employees

• as care managers, line managers, HR policy
  officers
• 18 workforce in LAs are carers
• 13 in private companies
• Work and Families Act new rights
• Flexible Working policies
• Carer/ management agreements
• Off-line carer employee support

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Partnerships

• Essential to support Carer Vol. Orgs
• Carers centres/ Vol orgs more attractive to
  carers
• Hidden carers GPs, JCPlus,
• Multi agency Strategy PCTs ,District Councils
  Carers Champions, Vol Orgs, LAA reps, Learning
  Skills Council, Investing in Communities,
  Supported Employment, College leads, HR,

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Small group exercise

• Elect a scribe
• Discuss what has worked well in your organisation
• Decide on 3 activities/policies to share with
  main group

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Tools

• Carers Assessment form
• Helping Carers to Prepare for an assessment form
• Carers and Employment Guide
• Nextstep report
• Carers prep pack before careers guidance
• Carer/ Manager Agreement form
• Working for Carers DVD and training pack

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For further information

• Contact
• Jill Akroyd, Project Manager,
• jill.akroyd_at_hertscc.gov.uk
• Angela Cannon, Carers Development Manager
• angela.cannon_at_hertscc.gov.uk
• telephone [phone]
• Hertfordshire County Council, Adult Care
  Services
• Users and Carers
• Performance and Workforce dept
• Mount Pleasant Mount Pleasant Lane
• Hatfield, Herts AL5 9PU