Used Wikipedia for ages, thought I should help. Looking to become involved in some of the roleplaying projects
BTW - this is an ex girlfriend's account that she's handed over to me. My name's James - just to avoid any confusion.
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Carers in the UK According to Carers UK, and based on the 2001 census around six million people in the UK provide care on an unpaid basis for a relative, friend or neighbour in need of support due to old age, disability, frailty or illness. The population of carers is dynamic: at least a third of all people will fulfil a caring role at some point in their lives.
Research has shown that becoming a carer can have many impacts on a person's life. These include financial costs, exclusion and discrimination at work, social isolation and poor health through stress and physical injury.
At least half of all carers are in full or part time employment and some care for more than one person. Carers save the UK economy an estimated £87bn a year, [3] and economic considerations form a key element in government policy to support carers.
The importance given to carers rights and legislation is evidenced by the record of parliamentary speeches, with 4,118 debates including some mention of carers at the end of March 2008 [4].
[edit] UK history and legislation
Since the 1950's UK carers have become increasingly well organized in seeking recognition, improved social care services and human rights.
In 1965 the National Council for the Single Woman and her Dependants was formed following a letter to The Times newspaper by a carer, the Reverend Mary Webster, concerning the difficulties that confronted single women when they faced the complex task of earning the family living and caring for the home, the sick and the elderly. She began writing to newspapers, journals, MPs and peers drawing attention to the isolation and financial hardship that women carers were suffering. Her letters received a huge response from hundreds of women in similar situations.
Baroness Seear, then a lecturer in the London School of Economics was an early supporter. Due to her intervention, a meeting was held in the Grand Committee Room of the House of Commons. As a result of this meeting, The National Council for the Single Woman and Her Dependants was born, and the carers movement can be said to have begun. Early supporters and fundraisers included Sir Keith Joseph, MP.
During the 1960s and 70’s The National Council for the Single Woman and Her Dependants won tax concessions and pension credits for women obliged to give up work to care. In 1971 the Attendance Allowance was brought in for those needing constant care at home.
In 1976 Invalid Care Allowance was introduced - the first benefit for carers and still the only benefit specifically for carers.
1978 saw the introduction of Home Responsibilities Protection to protect carers’basic state pension
In 1981 the UK Association of Carers was formed by Judith Oliver, Sandra Leventon and others, aided by a grant of £9,879 from the Equal Opportunities Commission. It was initially refused registration as a charity, as helping carers was not at that time regarded as a proper charitable object by the Charities Commission, finally being registered in 1984. The group campaigned fiercely for Invalid Care Allowance to be extended to married women. Following a test case brought to the European Court on behalf of Jackie Drake, in June 1986 the government capitulated.
In 1982 The National Council for the Single Woman and Her Dependants was renamed "The National Council for Carers and their Elderly Dependants" in an attempt to be more inclusive and gain ground lost to other carers groups. They had opposed the extension of ICA probably because of reports that Norman Fowler had said that he would abolish ICA rather than extend it. Carers National Association was formed by the merger of the two existing voluntary organizations on May 14, 1988. and was renamed Carers UK in 2001.
Specific legislation followed:
Carers (Recognition & Services) Act 1995
This Act was the first piece of UK legislation which formally recognized the role of unpaid carers and provides for the assessment of the ability of carers to provide care.
Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000
This Act, which does not cover Scotland, makes provision about the assessment of carers’ needs; to provide for services to help carers; to provide for the making of payments to carers and disabled children aged 16 or 17 in lieu of the provision of services to them and for connected purposes.
Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004
This came into force in England on April 1, 2005 and in Wales on April 18, 2005. The Act gives carers new rights to information – Section 1 of the Act places a duty on local authorities to inform Carers of their right to a Carers Assessment. Ensures that work, life-long learning and leisure are considered when a carer is assessed – Section 2 means that when a Carer's Assessment is being completed it must take into account whether the carer works or wishes to work, any courses the carer is taking or wishes to take, and any other leisure activities the carer undertakes or wishes to undertake. Gives local authorities new powers to gain the help of housing, health, education and other local authorities in providing support to carers - Section 3 states that if the local authority requests another authority to plan services, that authority must give that request due consideration.
Government legislation affecting the care of children with disabilities includes:
Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 The Children Act 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child Work and Families Act 2006
This Act, which came into force in England in October 2006, makes provision for improved maternity and adoption leave for women. It also extends the right to request flexible working for Carers.
[edit] Carers in Scotland
Policy and legislation in relation to caregivers living in Scotland is somewhat different from that in England, Wales and Ireland. Carers are defined by the Scottish Census as being “individuals who look after, or give any help or support to family members, friends, neighbours and others because of long-term physical or mental ill health or disability or problems related to old age” (Scotland’s Census Results Online [SCROL]. Estimates from the 2001 census put the numbers of carers in Scotland at 481,579. Of these, 175,969 are reported to provide more than 20 hours of care a week, and 24% provide more than 50 hours of care ([5].
Carers who provide care for 20 hours a week or more are regarded as being at the ‘heavy end’ of caring (Parker 1990). This assumes that they are the most involved carers, providing both personal and physical care, resulting in high levels of stress and most in need of support services. Many of these carers however, continue to provide care without support from social work or health services and because of this they remain hidden or invisible (Scottish Executive 2006, Cavaye 2006).
Carers are viewed by the government as an important resource and in recent years have been given increasing recognition in health and social care policy. Since devolution in 1999 legislation and policy for caregivers has been developed by the former Scottish Executive (now Scottish Government).
Carers in Scotland are regarded as ‘partners’ in the provision of care. As a result, support services provided to carers are regarded as part of the overall package of care to the person being looked after. This means that carers are not seen as service users and are therefore not responsible for the cost of any service provided. The exception to this is when a carer is looking after their partner; in that situation their income may be taken into account during a financial assessment.
This situation is different from that which exists in England where carers are viewed as services users in their own right and as such are liable for the cost of services provided. Yet, in many cases, it is not the carer who actually needs the service; it is the person being cared for who needs it because of their illness or disability.
[edit] Policy, Practice and Legislation for Carers in Scotland
Strategy for Carers in Scotland 1999 This was a package of measures put in place by the Scottish Executive (became The Scottish Government in 2007) after devolution in 1999. The aim was to commit resources in order to improve service provision for carers. The Strategy comprised three elements: information, support and care for carers. Central to the Strategy was a number of assumptions including a carer’s right to choose to care, to be adequately prepared to do so, to receive relevant help at an appropriate stage, and to be enabled to care without it adversely affecting their health or inclusion in society. An important aspect of the Strategy was its emphasis on the provision of services for carers in their own right. This issue built on the provisions of the 1995 Carers (Services and Recognition) Act, which accorded carers the right to an assessment of their needs only if the person they were caring for was being assessed. This measure however, limited carers entitlement to services, undervalued their role and their needs.
Community Care and Health Scotland Act 2002 This legislation introduced new rights for carers in Scotland. The Act made provision for the right to a carer’s assessment which was independent of the person being cared for. It also placed a duty on local authorities and the NHS to inform carers of their rights. Local authorities are also required to recognise the care being provided by a carer and to take into account the views of a carer when deciding what services to offer to the person being cared for. Underpinning this legislation is the principle that informal unpaid family carers are to be treated as ‘key partners’ in providing care.
The other important policy introduced by this legislation which impacts upon carers is that of Free Personal and Nursing Care for Older People. This policy is unique to Scotland. The definition of personal care contained within the Act does not include ‘board and lodging’ or ‘hotel’ costs. The definition is mainly based on the one used by the Royal Commission on Long Term Care (1999) except that it takes account of the needs arising from cognitive impairment and behavioural problems as well as physical frailty. Thus the definition of is different from that used by social services in England. The definition is important because it is used as a basis for community care assessments and describes the range of tasks that might be undertaken by home carers employed by social work departments. It is also an accurate reflection of the activities undertaken by informal, unpaid family carers. This policy has been found to be very effective in supporting carers to continue providing care for longer and the researchers found that the volume of care being provided at home had actually increased in recent years (Bell & Bowes 2006)
The following external websites show recent Scottish legislation and policies:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library2/doc10/carersstrategy.asp" Strategy for Carers in Scotland - The Scottish Executive's Carers' Strategy http://www.doh.gov.uk/carers.htm" Caring About Carers - the national strategy of carers. - The UK strategy from the Department of Health. http://www.carestandards.org.uk/nation+min.+standards/default.htm" National Care Standards - Gateway to National Care Standards legislation. http://www.dpscotland.org.uk/2002dp/5stepsla" Five Steps - A guide to local authorities implementing direct payments http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2002/5/contents Scotland Health and Community Care Act 2002 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/36 Children (Scotland) Act 1995