Unpaid Carers Supported By £22.6 Million Investment In Innovation
New technology and innovations in care will improve the lives of unpaid carers and care users following a funding boost announced by the Minister of State for Care
The Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock announced a £22.6 million boost for initiatives that will improve support for unpaid carers in England, including projects to help give carers much-needed breaks and greater flexibility, as well as technology to make their lives easier at the National Children and Adult Services Conference on Thursday 28 November.
Money will be released next week through the Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF) to support successful schemes run by local authorities.
They include:
- new ways to identify and recognise unpaid carers to ensure nobody is left behind
- digitising carers’ assessments so that they are easier to access
- setting up carers’ support services in hospitals
Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock, said:
“Unpaid carers are the country’s unsung heroes. They provide invaluable support to vulnerable people every day.”
“It is vital they too have the support they need so they can look after their own health and wellbeing. This funding will allow local authorities to harness the full potential of technology to give carers more flexibility and help with these crucial roles.”
Kathryn Smith, Chief Executive at Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), said:
SCIE is excited to be delivering the ARF support programme to participating local authorities. Nearly 70% of the local projects address the needs of unpaid carers. Others are using innovation to drive greater productivity and to improve people’s care experiences. We expect the learnings from the programme to generate insights about how to scale and spread innovation within social care.
Initiatives that are being rolled out across the country include:
- in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, local authorities are rolling out technology to enable remote monitoring of people with care needs at night. This helps provide greater flexibility for unpaid carers and more independence for people with care needs
- Worcestershire is deploying video technology to support carers when people are discharged from hospital to allow remote monitoring from healthcare workers, reducing the risk of re-admission
- in Lincolnshire, local authorities are developing a workshop programme of arts, heritage and nature activities for unpaid carers and people with care needs, namely sessions in painting, floral art and printing. They work with unpaid carers to shape the programme with activities of their choice and they are supported with respite care and transport to ensure that unpaid carers can attend the sessions to have a break
- in London, local authorities have set up a Think Carer campaignto help people to recognise themselves as carers and provide additional support through introducing health and lifestyle checks and carers’ counselling services
- Medway Council and Kent County Council are in the early stages of digitising self-assessments so unpaid carers can easily find the information, advice and guidance that they need to make their lives easier. They have also published an employer carers toolkitfor local businesses supporting carers in their workforce
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, commented:
“While we welcome any recognition of the challenges faced by unpaid carers, this announcement addresses the symptom rather than the root cause of the issue. Decades of chronic underfunding and neglect have driven the adult social care sector into crisis, leaving providers struggling to survive. Without meaningful investment, many are being forced to scale back services or shut their doors entirely, pushing families into impossible situations where unpaid care becomes their only option.”
“The Government’s current policies have led to a situation where 73% of care providers expect to refuse new care packages from local authorities or the NHS, 57% anticipate handing back existing contracts, and 22% are contemplating closing their businesses entirely.”
“These stark figures highlight the inadequacy of the recent Budget, which failed to extend protections like the National Insurance Contribution threshold freeze to social care providers, while offering them to the NHS. This oversight pushes the sector further into crisis and places an ever-increasing burden on unpaid carers, who are being left to fill the gaps in a system on the brink of collapse. While the £22.6 million investment is well-meaning, it is no substitute for addressing the root causes of this crisis. Without a properly funded and functioning care system, the reliance on unpaid carers will only deepen, leaving families and communities to pick up the pieces.”
