Improving access to support for unpaid carers

The Health and Social Care Committee is holding an inquiry on improving access to support for unpaid carers

Evidence has established that the statutory duties on local authorities (under the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014) to assess and support eligible carers are not being implemented as intended.

The lack of Carers Assessments being undertaken has already received significant attention. The Committee does not want to repeat established ground in this inquiry, so will instead focus on the provision of, and access to, statutory support for unpaid carers, particularly respite care.

The inquiry will seek to examine the current provision of, and access to, respite care services for unpaid carers across Wales, and identify changes to improve statutory support and enable unpaid carers to sustain a life beyond caring. This includes:

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>>> the main barriers faced by unpaid carers in accessing the support they need; including any specific challenges for carers based on factors such as age, ethnicity or where they live;

>>> the current availability of respite care across Wales, including levels of variation across regions;

>>> the extent to which the demand for carers support services is being assessed and addressed, and current levels of unmet needs;

>>> the role of Regional Partnership Boards in the provision of support for unpaid carers, and the effectiveness of current commissioning practices for services;

>>> the actions required to improve the implementation of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 provisions for unpaid carers (including Carers Assessments and support plans).

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