Carers

Mark Williams Excerpts

Thursday 20th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Mark Williams (Ceredigion) (LD)]

I thank the Backbench Business Committee for giving us this timely opportunity to talk about the role of carers in society. All the organisations that the hon. Member for Banbury (Sir Tony Baldry) talked about were UK-wide organisations. If I may, I will talk from a Welsh perspective, representing as I do the great Ceredigion constituency, although I appreciate that the Minister will not be able to address all the matters that are rightly devolved to our National Assembly in Cardiff.

As we have heard, this year’s carers week seeks to highlight how those in the UK’s carer population are coping with their role as a carer and how well the Government are supporting them in that role. That is a huge issue and it is of growing importance. There are currently 6.5 million carers and that is predicted to grow to 9 million carers in 25 years’ time. We need to ensure that people in the wider population are prepared for their future caring responsibilities.

I represent a rural constituency and we talk a lot in mid and west Wales about rural isolation. If we add to that the isolation that carers experience, it is a highly toxic mix and a huge challenge. That is coupled with the challenge of identifying carers, which the hon. Member for Worsley and Eccles South (Barbara Keeley) spoke about. I represent a huge tract of rural Wales that has scattered and sparse communities, including 147 villages. That makes it even more challenging to identify people and to build the networks that my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Paul Burstow) talked about.

Ceredigion county council is attempting to rise to that challenge. It is taking part in this year’s carers week. The carers officer, Heather West, has informed me of an internal campaign that it has run to highlight the change in the known number of carers in the county. There was a 10% increase between 2001 and 2011 to 8,603 carers. There is also a huge number of people who provide care in excess of 50 hours a week. The numbers have grown and are set to grow further. The challenge in rural areas is to build networks so that we can initiate the support that is needed.

I am sure that hon. Members have read the Carers UK report. That research shows that seven out of 10 carers in the UK state that they were not prepared for all aspects of caring. Eight out of 10 were not prepared for the emotional impact of caring. Eight out of 10 were not prepared for the changes to their lifestyle because of a new caring role. Seven out of 10 carers were not prepared for the change in the relationship with the person for whom they care. I met somebody in my surgery a few weeks ago who, in the wake of his golden wedding anniversary, received the bombshell that his wife had a terminal condition. That couple had envisaged having a parity of caring roles in their old age. To have that responsibility shift in such a dramatic way to the husband was a huge shock. Seven out of 10 carers were not prepared for the financial impact of their caring role. As we have heard, 6,000 people take on new caring responsibilities every day.

The landscape has changed. In a previous life, 25 years ago, my first job was down the corridor in the House of Lords. I worked with pioneers in the carers movement, such as Baroness Nancy Seear and Baroness Jill Pitkeathley, who were trying to get official recognition for the term “carer” in statute. They achieved a great deal and we have achieved a great deal, but there is a long way to go.

In January this year, Ceredigion county council launched its e-learning carer awareness course, which can be done online. As is necessary in west Wales, it is fully bilingual. I took it this week. The course consists of four main sections: “Who cares?”, “Carers and the law”, “Meeting the needs of carers” and a test. That concept was initiated by Dudley metropolitan borough council and has been adopted by 40 local authorities across the UK. It is an excellent way to prepare people for the role of carer. It is just one small tool that can raise awareness. Many of my constituents are online and can access such courses.

The council is holding various events across the county focused on the “Prepared to Care?” theme. It has a widely distributed and widely read newsletter to update Ceredigion’s carers if they cannot attend the events.

The authority has also taken the opportunity of carers week to promote the Carers Count, Count Me In campaign, which seeks to register the 8,603 carers in the authority who were identified by the 2011 census data, only a small proportion of whom are officially registered. The aim is to get all carers registered with the Ceredigion carers development office. The sound logic behind that is that the more carers who are registered, the stronger the voice they will have in our area and with the local authority when campaigning for resources from the Welsh Assembly Government. It will also ensure that carers are recognised and valued, and that they have better services to equip them for the role. This year, the staff of the county council who juggle work and caring responsibilities, many of whom did not realise that they were carers, were targeted and a number did join the register.

A fantastic partnership has emerged between our carers development office and Aberystwyth university. They are researching the barriers and challenges in relation to carers needs assessments from the carer’s point of view. The research aims to highlight the support and advice that is available to carers and hopes to make the system more accessible. Critically, it will be independent research so that it can present an accurate and unbiased picture of what life is like for carers in our county.

Aside from preparing us to care, carers in my constituency also raised the issue of the spare room subsidy, or bedroom tax, during carers week. The carers office of Ceredigion county council has spoken to a large number of worried carers who are having to deal with new payment requirements even though they require a second room because of their extensive caring demands. A number of them are going through the appeals process, having already applied for discretionary housing payments. Although the local officers are doing their utmost to support carers, I think that the rules are inappropriate for such constituents. Above all, the stress caused by such matters and—to be frank—the stress that a number of welfare reforms have created for carers in our community gives me a great deal of anxiety.

In July, Carers Wales will hold a number of local sessions across Wales to meet local carers and try to allay some of their fears. Concerns have also been expressed about the attitude of banks to Court of Protection enduring power of attorney, and the mismatch between the banks’ policy and its delivery on the ground has caused a huge number of practical difficulties for carers. The Government can assist our carers in all those areas, and alleviate—at least in part—some of the stresses and strains that they experience.

As I have said, the debate has moved on and more people in the country are fully aware of what being a carer means—MPs certainly are from our casework every week and the people who come to our surgeries, and a new role needs to be pursued with employers and in the world of work. I wish the Government well in what they are doing, and I hope they will look at what I believe have been some helpful precedents across the border in Wales.