National Carers Week

Advocacy for Carers

Information about the support and assistance offered to carers - including adult carers, parent carers and young carers.

What is a carer?

Carers are ordinary people, men and women, young and old (and in some cases children) who give assistance, support or care to someone else, of any age, who is ill, physically or mentally disabled, frail or elderly.

Carers are not paid and are most frequently relatives or friends who are caring for someone in their own or another household. It does not apply to formal carers, who are volunteers for a voluntary organisation.

Carers fall broadly into three categories:

Adult carers - an adult caring for another adult such as a spouse, partner, friend or relative.
Parent carers - an adult who cares for an ill or disabled child.
Young carers - a child or young person who is carrying out significant caring tasks and assuming a level of responsibility for another person which would usually be taken by an adult. This may be a sibling or a parent.

Carers are a valuable resource and their contribution and the continued health and well being of carers is vital to the success of community care.

Key things carers can do

They can:

Gather vital information as they are close to day-to-day problems and have experience of services provided first hand.
Feedback information on the effectiveness/quality of existing services and make suggestions for improvement.
Challenge assumptions and raise awareness of issues facing people living and caring at home and so have some influence on planning and policies.
talk and work with agencies to make more effective use of their resources.

Relevant legislation

Carers Equal Opportunity Act 2004

The 1st April 2005 saw the implementation of the new Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004.

Key points of the Act are:

Carers assessments will now need to take into consideration wider issues of carer lives such as training, employment and leisure
Local authorities given more powers to enlist the help of housing, health, education and other local authorities.

How we support carers

The aims of this council are:

To raise awareness of carers issues, and help keep them on the agenda of all relevant agencies.
To set out key values and principles for services to carers in the form of a local Carers Charter.
To improve the quality and increase the availability of information to carers.
To promote and support the appropriate involvement of carers in:
- Discussions/decisions on individual care/treatment plans for people cared for.
- Monitoring the quality and standards of care and treatment.
- The development of strategies and services.
To identify and promote good practice across all purchasers and providers of:
- Community Care and Children's Services
- Health Services
- Housing Services

Legal information for carers

Carers and Their Rights by Luke Clements - this is a legal guide which provides a summary of the law relating to carers and has been published by Carers UK in an on-line format. You can access a free copy here: Carers and Their Rights

Contact details

For further information that you cannot find elsewhere on this site, please contact Social Services General Enquiries on 024 7683 3478.

Coventry City Council

Support for carers