Carers

Ian Mearns Excerpts

Thursday 20th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Norman Lamb]

I cannot give my right hon. Friend a specific time scale for what might happen—he needs to watch this space, and I am sure he will. On the question of parent carers, the view of my hon. Friend the children’s Minister is that there is sufficient provision under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 to provide for the assessment and support of disabled children and their parents. In addition, special educational needs reforms in the Children and Families Bill will give parents more choice in and control over the support they and their children receive.

[Ian Mearns (Gateshead) (Lab)]

It is a sad fact of life, though, that when a social worker visits the home of someone who needs care, they go with that client in mind. If a child in the household is caring for that adult, for example, but the social worker focuses on the adult client, all too often the social worker does not think to cross-reference the child’s needs with colleagues in the social work department.

[Norman Lamb]

I completely agree. That is why the whole-family approach is so important. When dealing with the care needs of one individual, we need to look at the impact of those care needs on the whole family.