The Vision
“Our vision is that by 2018, carers will be universally recognised and valued as being fundamental to strong families and stable communities. Support will be tailored to meet individuals’ needs, enabling carers to maintain a balance between their caring responsibilities and a life outside caring, whilst enabling the person they support to be a full and equal citizen.
“By 2018:
- carers will be respected as expert care partners and will have access to the integrated and personalised services they need to support them in their caring role;
- carers will be able to have a life of their own alongside their caring role;
- carers will be supported so that they are not forced into financial hardship by their caring role;
- carers will be supported to stay mentally and physically well and treated with dignity;
- children and young people will be protected from inappropriate caring and have the support they need to learn, develop and thrive, to enjoy positive childhoods and to achieve against all the Every Child Matters outcomes.” (p9 and p16)
The Executive Summary says: “The needs of carers must, over the next 10 years, be elevated to the centre of family policy and receive the recognition and status they deserve.” Services will need to put carers in control, recognising that it is “carers who are best placed to articulate their own aspirations”. (p14) The strategy should be viewed alongside the Independent Living Strategy, the social care reform programme set out in Putting People First, the long-term reform of the care and support system, NHS reforms, reforms within children’s services and welfare reform.
