Carers Trust welcomes the Care Bill as a significant development for the thousands of carers with care and support needs who are looking after family and friends.

However, the Bill does not go far enough as it does not make clear how adults’ needs will be met, so that children are protected from inappropriate caring – when they have to take on responsibilities that can stop them being able to live as children and that can seriously limit their options in life.

No steps have been taken to introduce new rights for young carers, leaving them with unequal rights to adults caring for adults. Assessment in itself will not ensure that adults’ needs are met, so that children are not providing part of the care package.

Dr Moira Fraser, Director of Policy and Research at Carers Trust, said: “This inequality is simply unacceptable and will be a huge disappointment to young carers and their families.

“The Government must act now to ensure that children who are caring for adults are protected and supported by this legislation, as well as through changes to the Children and Families Bill, so that there are clear duties for supporting young carers and their families across adult and children’s social care.”

Carers Trust also welcomes the stipulation that young carers at transition will be eligible for assessment and support regardless of whether they already receive services. We are pleased to see the regulations will include the need to identify carers, including young carers, and that the Bill will allow for needs assessments to be linked to assessment of children who caring for an adult. This will help ensure that adult services identify and support young carers, so that caring does not have a negative impact on their development and wellbeing.

Ends

For media enquiries contact:

Matt Beer – Media and communications manager – 07824 566 493

Notes for editors

Carers Trust is a major new charity for, with and about carers. We work to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.

We do this with our Network Partners – a unique network of 124 independently managed carers’ centres, 73 Crossroads Care schemes and 107 young carers services. Together we work as one organisation united by a shared vision for carers - to make sure that information, advice and practical support are available to all carers across the UK.

There are seven million carers in the UK – seven million reasons to care and to get involved. Our partnership with The Co-operative will focus on young adult carers, with the money raised completely transforming many of these young people’s lives – not just for today, or tomorrow, but for ever. Carers Trust and The Co-operative are working together to transform the lives of over 20,000 young adult carers. For further information about your nearest service, please visit our website www.carers.org

In Scotland, Carers Trust is known as The  Princess Royal Trust for Carers in Scotland