Gordon Brown announces Standing Commission on Carers
During a speech to the National Council of Voluntary Organisations on 3 September, Gordon Brown announced government plans to set up a new Standing Commission on Carers.
In his speech, which pledged "a new type of politics", Gordon Brown outlined plans to broaden consultation in government decisions and made particular mention of carers:
"As our society ages our need for care is rising. Care is an issue that will affect us all in some way in the future. Nobody understands this better than the many organisations in the voluntary and community sector who support carers and the cared for, and advocate for them. I believe that the thinking that will be of best help for carers and those cared for will draw upon the ideas, the views and the values of the six million British carers themselves."
"It is when government works in partnership with the voluntary sector, local authorities and carers themselves that we can do most to make lives better. But in future working in partnership must mean not only listening and learning but involving and engaging carers themselves in the solutions we need. So building on the consultation we have been undertaking this year with carers, I believe we should now establish a standing commission on carers."
In response to the announcement, Shan Nicholas, Chief Executive of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers says:
This is extremely encouraging news. The Princess Royal Trust for Carers welcomes the Prime Minister's announcement of a Standing Commission on Carers and the commitment he is clearly showing to supporting carers.
Carers do not plan to be carers. It just happens. Every day more and more people face the demands of caring for someone who can’t look after themselves – through illness, frailty, disability or addiction. Taking on a caring role can mean facing a life of poverty, isolation, ill health and depression.
The Commission will have a lot to do to ensure that the lives of millions of carers in this country are finally improved for the better. The Commission will play a vital role in giving an ongoing and much needed profile to carers, particularly once the consultation on the carers’ strategy is complete. Let’s not forget, there are over six million carers in the UK and the numbers continue to rise as our population gets older.
The commission must examine how the aspirations of the new National Carers Strategy can be made into reality for carers. Carers say that access to information, financial support and breaks in caring are vital in helping them manage the impact of caring on their lives.
While the best performing councils and NHS trusts prioritise supporting carers with their vital contribution to the health economy, the government’s own 2006 State of Social Care report highlighted how patchy these services remain. There is a real risk that the new Carers Strategy will be launched in the New Year against a backdrop of reductions in the local support services that carers see as a lifeline. We hope the Prime Minister will take this opportunity to announce the continuation of the Carers Grant to local authorities, as continuing uncertainty over its future is forcing some local charities to consider closing services.
Carers should be encouraged at this news – Gordon Brown has made a public commitment on behalf of his Government and has shown he understands the plight of carers and has taken a positive steps to improve the support for carers.
The commission will be set up by Philippa Russell, a leading expert and advocate for carers and Ivan Lewis, Care Services Minister and will report to Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Health.
Its remit will encompass the work already carried out this year through the government’s consultation with carers and it will oversee the implementation of the new Carers Strategy and the New Deal for Carers programme.
Further information
Read Gordon Brown's speech in full
See the Terms of Reference for the Standing Commission on Carers