MP welcomes carers' report
6th June 2007
Dr Hywel Francis MP marks the start of 'Carers Week' with the launch of a new report which looks at carers in Neath Port Talbot. The report, prepared by the social justice think-tank The Bevan Foundation, considers whether recent changes in legislation have made an impact on the lives of carers, using Neath Port Talbot as a case-study because it has the highest proportion of the population providing unpaid care in England and Wales.
Dr Hywel Francis MP (left) with the Chair of Neath Port Talbot Carers Action Movement, Mr Ray Thomas, at a recent carers event.
Dr Francis said: "This is a very timely report because of the increasing profile being gained by carers. Progress is being made on many fronts but I am also conscious of the difficulties that carers continue to face daily in accessing information and services to achieve 'the right to an ordinary life'. That is why I have sponsored this research by the Bevan Foundation on caring and work."
The research found that many carers still struggle to combine work and caring, whilst some feel they have little choice but to give up their jobs. Services to support carers and the person they care for were widely felt to fall short of their needs. Many carers were unaware of their right to an assessment and those who had undergone one were mostly unhappy with the experience and outcome. Day-to-day care and respite care were frequently felt to be inappropriate to the needs of the care recipient.
Dr Francis said "In Neath Port Talbot the Carers Action Movement chaired by Mr Ray Thomas has begun to provide an essential collective approach for carers and in response to this the County Borough Council, led by Carers' Champion, Councillor Paul Thomas, has been making progress towards an independent carers' service. The challenge before us is to ensure that the legislative advances which have undoubtedly been made can soon be translated into real change in the quality of life of carers locally."
