NEWS


CHARITIES JOIN FORCES TO BUILD CARER FRIENDLY


COMMUNITIES Eight major charities have joined together in a bid to build carer friendly communities.


Carers UK, Age UK, Carers Trust, Independent Age, Macmillan Cancer Support, Motor Neurone Disease Association, MS Society and Which? Elderly Care are all part of the Building Carer Friendly Communities initiative, which will be the focus of this year’s Carers Week (12-18 June).


The charities involved aim to raise awareness about the 6.5 million people across the UK who currently provides unpaid care for a disabled, ill or older family member or friend.


David Mowat MP, Minister for Community Health and Care, last week joined senior representatives from the Carers Week charities, NHS, local government and business to launch community engagement for Carers Week encouraging local


COUNCIL TAX RISES WILL NOT FIX LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING CRISIS,


SAYS LGA Council tax rises in 2017/18 will not bring in enough money to prevent the need for further deep cuts to local services next year, the Local Government Association has warned.


Analysis from the LGA has shown that despite 147 of 151 of England’s social care authorities planning or considering using the social care precept in 2017/18 the extra funds raised will still not be sufficient to pay for services.


The extra £543million set to be raised by the 1.99% council tax hike will be swallowed up by the costs of paying


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contribution to society — and I was delighted to join colleagues in promoting Carer Friendly communities. We are already working hard to support them and have introduced huge reforms, including a duty for local authorities to assess any carer who requires support. But we can all play a part to make sure our communities are carer friendly — I commend the Carers Week campaign to raise awareness of this vital issue.”


organisations, the public and carers to get involved in the week and pledge their support to build Carer Friendly communities.


Carers Week 2017 aims to shed light on a carer’s daily reality and encourage others in their community to do what they can to make life a little bit easier for them.


David Mowat MP, Minister for Community Health and Care, said: “Carers make an invaluable


for the Government's National Living Wage, which the LGA has estimated will total £600million next year.


The LGA warned that these tax rises will not prevent the need for continued cutbacks to local services, including social care.


The association has said councils will have to divert more money from other local services, including filling potholes, maintaining parks and green spaces and running children's centres, leisure centres and libraries, to try and plug growing social care funding gaps.


With local government facing an overall funding gap of £5.8billion by 2020 the LGA is calling on government to use the final Local Government Finance Settlement this month to provide new money for social care.


Heléna Herklots CBE, on behalf of Carers Week, said: “Carers Week is a fantastic way to celebrate the vital contribution carers make to our families, communities and wider society.


“Carers have told us that it makes a huge difference to their lives when they are supported by their local services and communities; building Carer Friendly communities, whether that’s offering a flexible GP appointment, having flexible working policies or raising awareness in schools of caring, can make a positive difference.


www.carersweek.org


Lord Porter, LGA Chairman, has said: "Services supporting the most vulnerable people in our communities are at breaking point and many councils are increasingly unable to turn down the chance to raise desperately- needed money for social care and other local services next year.


"Social care faces a funding gap of at least £2.6billion by 2020. It cannot be left to council taxpayers alone to try and fix this crisis.


"Without genuinely new additional government funding for social care, vulnerable people face an ever uncertain future where they might no longer receive the dignified care and support they deserve. This is not only worse for our loved ones but will also heap further pressure and wasted expense on the NHS.”


The association is urging government to reverse these cuts.


www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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