Carers UK hails ‘social contract for care’ model

Campaign charity Carers UK has called for a “radical overhaul” of the support given to carers.

In a new report which surveyed nearly 1,100 carers in the UK, the charity said it had developed a model for a “social contract for care”. The report also called for carers to be identified in all equalities legislation and that the right to request flexible working be extended to all employees.

Chief executive Imelda Redmond said: “The new social contract goes beyond the traditional view of a contract between the state and the individual. It calls for new commitments which also involve employers, local agencies and communities.”

Professor Sue Yeandle, one of the report’s authors, said that all stakeholders needed to agree a core set of values to provide the support that carers needed. “Demand for care is rising, and as a society we much make caring possible,” she added. “It is absolutely crucial in enabling ill and disabled people to live as they choose.”

The report is being launched today at a meeting with care minister Ivan Lewis over the government’s review of the National Strategy for Carers. Redmond said: “We have a big task ahead of us in reshaping existing policy, placing a stronger emphasis on individually tailored support and, crucially, making it possible for carers to provide support without suffering any penalty.”

Related articles
What do carers really think?