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<p>Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a responsibility to support carers
in a number of ways. Local authorities will be required to undertake carers’ assessments,
based on the appearance of a need for support. An assessment must establish the impact
of caring on the carer, and the outcomes they wish to achieve, including engaging
in work, education, training or recreation. For the first time, local authorities
have a duty to meet carers’ eligible needs for support: this may include access to
training to support them in their caring role or support to maintain employment where
this is a desired outcome.</p><br /><p>Through the Care Act 2014 local authorities
are required to provide information and advice and universal preventative services
for carers. Local authorities can also support the person in understanding other types
of support available to them for example to seek to promote access to appropriate
employment, education or training, which can be an effective way of maintaining independence.</p><br
/><p>In May 2014, NHS England published an action plan <em>NHS England’s Commitment
to Carers,</em> which includes a series of commitments around 8 priorities, among
which are raising the profile of carers. The Department of Health has also made available
additional funding of £400 million to the National Health Service between 2011 and
2015 to enable carers to take a break from their caring responsibilities to sustain
them in their caring role. The carers’ breaks funding of £130 million for 2015 – 16
will also be in the Better Care Fund.</p><br /><p>In February 2015 the Government
launched a joint Department of Health, Government Equality Office and Department for
Work and Pensions investment of £1.6 million in pilots in nine local authority areas
to explore ways in which people can be supported to combine work and care.</p><br
/><p>We also fund the Carers Direct service which includes web-based information and
advice for all carers through NHS Choices, as well as a telephone helpline service
through which carers can be signposted to information. Carers Direct includes training
materials that build on the Caring with Confidence programme – a time-limited national
programme funded by the Department of Health to support the development of carer training,
which closed in September 2010.</p><br /><p>On July 2015 my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary
of State (Mr Jeremy Hunt) announced that the Government will develop a new carers’
strategy that looks at the best of international practice and examines what more we
can do to support existing carers and new carers. This will include consideration
how best to support carers to maintain employment and of the training requirements
of carers and whether current measures are fully meeting these.</p><br /><p>Specifically
regarding carers of people with dementia, the Department of Health contributed to
the funding of the Alzheimer’s Society’s ‘Dementia Guide’, designed to help guide
people with dementia and their carers through their journey with dementia. The Guide
provides useful information for carers, following a diagnosis of dementia, and includes
advice to help people understand a diagnosis of dementia to enable them to live well
with the condition.</p><br /><p>With Department of Health funding, the Royal College
of General Practitioners has developed a Dementia Roadmap that can be accessed by
families and carers. It is a web based platform that provides high quality information
about the dementia journey alongside local information about services, support groups
and care pathways, primarily to assist primary care staff to more effectively support
people with dementia, their families and carers.</p><br /><p>The Department is supporting
the Dementia Action Alliance’s Carers Call to Action and the establishment of a Life
Story Network for family carers of people with dementia. The Department provided funding
of £30,000 to the Life Story Network during 2014/15 to support the establishment of
a new involvement network for family carers of people with dementia, which is being
established as part of the legacy of the Dementia Action Alliance’s Carers Call to
Action.</p><br /><p>NHS England’s 2015/16 Dementia Enhanced Service encourages GP
practices to increase the health and wellbeing support offered to carers of patients
diagnosed with dementia.</p><br /> <br />
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