Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the resumption of local authority carers’ respite services.

Throughout the pandemic we have worked with local authorities to support them to maintain services and support for unpaid carers. After the first wave of the pandemic we worked with the Social Care Institute for Excellence to publish guidance on the safe reopening of day/respite services.

We have also enabled some of the money provided to local authorities through the Infection Control Fund to be used to help services reopen safely or be reconfigured to work in a COVID-19 secure way to continue to provide community and day support services, which we know in turn provide respite for carers. The restrictions on leaving home and gathering during the current lockdown have been drafted to ensure that day services can continue to operate with up to 15 service users per session and for people to leave home for respite and receive respite care in their own homes. These respite provisions apply to both unpaid carers and those they care for.

We know that day services and other forms of respite care are vital services and we are working with local authorities, in collaboration with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and Ministerial counterparts in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure, where possible, the safe resumption of services.