Agenda item

To consider a report of the Commissioning Manager, Prevention and Reablement and Carer Team.

Rob Walker, Commissioning Manager and Carers’ Lead attended to present on the Strategy for Carers in East Cheshire 2011-2015. Rob Walker explained that the starting point for the newly developed Carers’ Strategy was from a vision which aimed to “support all Carers to live their lives on their own terms”. He reported that the strategy had been developed in partnership with Carers, the Central and Eastern Primary Care Trust and Voluntary, community and faith sector organisations. The strategy set out the collective commitment to Carers across Cheshire East and demonstrated the value the council and its partners placed in supporting Carers and their families.

Rob Walker continued to outline the six proposed outcomes of the strategy and how these would be achieved and measured. As a final point, Rob Walker reported that the Carers Strategy would be reviewed independently on an annual basis through the Cheshire East Carers Reference Group – a group consisting primarily of Carers. It was also noted that updates on the progress of the Strategy would be brought to the Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee on a regular (six monthly) basis.

Lucia Scally added that the service was seeking endorsement for the principle and the vision of the strategy at Cabinet on 3 October 2011 and if approved, she reported that it would feed directly into the commissioning strategy.

A number of comments were made with regard to the implementation plan. It was suggested that the desired outcomes needed to be measurable and time related.

It was suggested that it be fed to Cabinet that they should be lobbying the government and local MPs for more respite provision for carers and for perverse benefit outcomes to be stopped (considering the value of carers to the state and local authorities).

A concern was raised over what happened to a carer once they ceased to be a carer. It was queried what support was available in terms of signposting and employment opportunities. Rob Walker agreed to take this point to the Carers’ Interagency Group and the result of this discussion would be fed back to the Committee when appropriate.

With regards to young carers a concern was noted over the pressure that they were under and it was queried what was being done to flag up any potential issues, particularly around their health and educational achievement. It was suggested that there needed to be an inter-agency dialogue established with schools and other partners and that the efficacy of this process would need to be performance monitored. Rob Walker confirmed that this point would be taken on board and the Committee would be updated on the progress in six months.

RESOLVED –

a)    That the Strategy for Carer’s 2011-2015 be noted.

b)    That progress on the implementation plan be brought back to the Committee in six months time and this include:

a.    Measureable and time-related outcomes

b.    Progress on the development and efficacy of an inter-agency dialogue process to flag up issues regarding young carers’ needs.

c)    That it be recommended to Cabinet that they lobby the government and local MPs for more respite provision for carers and for perverse benefit outcomes to be stopped.

d)    That the point concerning supporting carers once they stop being a carer be fed to the Carer’s Interagency Group and that the result of this be circulated to the Committee.