Carers Rights

It put in place significant new rights for carers in England including:

• A focus on promoting wellbeing.
• A duty on local councils to prevent, reduce and delay need for support, including the needs of carers.
• A right to a carer’s assessment based on the appearance of need.
• A right for carers’ eligible needs to be met.
• A duty on local councils to provide information and advice to carers in relation to their caring role and their own needs.
• A duty on NHS bodies (NHS England, clinical commissioning groups, NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts) to co-operate with local authorities in delivering the Care Act functions.

Taken together, these new rights should have a significant impact on carers and the support available for carers. However, this is dependent on local councils putting these rights in place.

Further information about the Act, and a useful series of factsheets, are available from the Department of Health and Social Care.

Redbridge Council