Councils’ Respond To Care Act Report

Responding to a new report by the Carers Trust – “Care Act for carers: One year on” – the Local Government Association’s Portfolio Holder for Community Wellbeing, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, said:

“The LGA has long called for reform of our adult social care system and fully supports the important changes brought in by the Care Act to improve the lives of carers, in particular the move to ensure that carers are recognised in law in the same way as those they care for.

“Unpaid carers play an invaluable role that saves the economy an estimated £132 billion a year.

“Supporting carers is fundamentally important to local government, and this report sets out some helpful recommendations. We are also eager to work with government and organisations representing carers on the forthcoming Carers Strategy. Without carers, social care and the NHS would collapse.

“The whole sector needs to work together to identify carers, support carers in employment, and ensure they are able to maintain their own health and wellbeing, while raising awareness amongst the wider community of the vital work they do.

“However, the continuing underfunding of adult social care by government has limited councils’ ability to provide support to vulnerable people and their carers. Less than a third of councils say they are confident there is enough money to meet growing levels of need this year and beyond.

“We therefore call on the Government – at the very least – to bring forward the £700 million of new funding earmarked for social care through the Better Care Fund by the end of the decade to this year, which has been called for by councils, care providers, charities and the NHS.”