Carers Trust responds to Government's Social Care Winter Plan

The government has today announced its Adult Social Care Winter Plan to curb the spread of Coronavirus in care settings.

Responding to the announcement Carers Trust CEO, Gareth Howells, said:

We welcome the announcement by the Care Minister today on the Adult Social Care Winter Plan. It is pleasing to see investment in a key area around infection control that we know has been a major cause of pain and suffering for so many. Support for care homes is paramount.

However, we must not forget that over 65% of people receiving long-term care in the UK do so in their own homes, and the people that look after them travel house to house throughout the day looking after our most vulnerable. Therefore, the support for our home care sector must be increased too. So we welcome the commitment made to increase the extension of PPE to people with care needs and home care workers, although we would like to see clear and robust guidance issued to local authorities to ensure consistency across England.

We are disappointed, however, to see no mention today about how unpaid carers and families of the most vulnerable people in our society will be supported. 96% of the care that happens in our community is undertaken by unpaid family carers. So it is vital they get support and breaks from their caring role too.

For far too long, underfunding of our social care system has meant that unpaid family carers have been left to fill the gap, putting them under ever increasing pressure. A long-term solution must therefore be found, and with serious investment. If not, unpaid carers, and ultimately our social care system, will collapse.

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For further information, and to arrange interviews, please contact:
Matt Whitticase on mwhitticase@carers.org and 07824  539481.

Carers Trust is a major charity for, with and about carers. We work to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems. 

We do this with a UK wide network of quality assured independent partners and through the provision of grants to help carers get the extra help they need to live their own lives. With locally based Network Partners we are able to support carers in their homes through the provision of replacement care, and in the community with information, advice, emotional support, hands on practical help and access to much needed breaks. We offer specialist services for carers of people of all ages and conditions and a range of individual tailored support and group activities.

Our vision is that unpaid carers count and can access the help they need to live their lives.

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