Shropshire Council seeks carers’ views

Shropshire Council is seeking views from people whose time is dedicated to looking after others, as part of a review of its current care service.

This review follows the implementation of the Care Act on 1 April 2015, which has introduced new legal rights for carers that may have needs as a direct result of providing ‘necessary’ care for an adult. It means that the needs of carers are now recognised in the same way as those that they care for.

A carer is defined as anyone who provides ‘necessary’ care, only if the cared-for adult is incapable of meeting such needs themselves.

Ruth Houghton, Shropshire Council’s head of social care efficiency and improvement, said:

“Carers provide invaluable support to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. Therefore, it’s important that they get the correct help and support so that they can lead a happy, balanced life.

“As part of the consultation, we would like carers to consider whether they achieve a variety of ‘outcomes’ outside of their caring role. We would also like them to tell us about aspects of daily living that they believe to be important, but that may be impacted upon as a result of providing necessary care to an adult.

“This information will help us to shape any future changes, ensuring that the service we provide continues to meet carers’ needs.”

To have your say, please visit http://new.shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/carers-feedback/.

The survey should only take a few minutes to complete, depending how much detail you provide.

The deadline for feedback is Tuesday 28 April 2015.

For information on how the Care Act will affect your rights as a carer, please refer to the factsheet outlining the law for carers on the gov.uk website.

For information around the new eligibility threshold for carers, please see the guidance on the council’s website.