A report asking the Committee to endorse the development of an All Age Unpaid Carer’s Strategy and agree a planned consultation with Carers to develop the strategy.

The Interim Executive Director of Adult Social Care & Health submitted a report on the development of a Joint All Ages Unpaid Carers Strategy. The report explained that Reading’s established Carers’ Steering Group - a partnership between Reading Borough Council, voluntary sector partners, health partners and unpaid carers themselves - had identified the need for a Reading specific strategy to be created to bring services together, with the voice of unpaid carers at its heart.

The specific areas identified by the Carer’s Steering Group as needing improvement reflected challenges known to be faced by unpaid carers nationally. Such challenges included:

·                Barriers around recognising unpaid care and the role itself, many do not consider themselves as carers despite providing unpaid care for many reasons;

·                Knowing what support you are entitled to and how to access it;

·                Difficulties in navigating the health and social care system as an unpaid carer;

·                Having your voice heard as an unpaid carer; and

·                Difficulty in understanding the needs of unpaid carers as a result of misidentification or lack of identification of carers across the system.

The Carers’ Steering Group had commenced a needs assessment engagement exercise that included consulting with unpaid carers and key partners. The needs assessment exercise had been launched to coincide with Carers’ Week and would run between 5 June 2023 and 31 July 2023. During the consultation period there would be one survey for carers over the age of 18 and another survey for young carers. Different methods of engagement would be used throughout the consultation period to ensure that views had been captured from as wide range of carers as possible.

The responses and input obtained from the needs assessment exercise would be analysed and used to develop a Joint All Ages Unpaid Carers Strategy for Reading. The Strategy would be owned Reading Borough Council, Brighter Futures for Children, health partners, voluntary sector organisations and unpaid carers themselves. A period of codesign would take place following which a finalised version of the Strategy would be submitted to the Adult Social Care, Children’s Services & Education Committee for approval.

Resolved –

(1)            That the development of an All Age Unpaid Carer’s Strategy for Reading in conjunction with key partners be approved.

(2)            That the planned consultation with carers to codesign and develop an All Age Unpaid Carer’s Strategy for Reading be approved.