Last Updated on July 4, 2016

A new report from Carers Trust, Care Act for carers: One year on has revealed that some carers are getting good support under the Care Act, and there are also some examples of good practice.

The report highlights that there is reason to be optimistic about the potential of the Care Act, particularly if national and local government, and the NHS, work together to invest in the support needed to ensure the legal rights of carers are fully introduced. Recommendations for this to happen include making sure that all social workers and assessors are appropriately trained, and able to reflect the wellbeing principle in assessments.

Of those carers surveyed:

• 21% of all respondents said that things had changed for the better under the Care Act.
• 31% of carers told the Carers Trust that they had had an assessment, of which the quality of assessments was largely good.
• 74% of these were face-to-face assessments.
• 52% of these carers felt that the assessor was 'knowledgeable'.
• 26% had received a letter and a support plan after the assessment.
• 34% found their assessment helpful.

Alongside the positives, Care Act for carers: One year on also showed what needs to improve. Carers Trust found that:

• Too many carers were unaware of their rights.
• Practitioners need to understand that a carer’s right to support is independent of the person they care for.
• Young carers and parent carers need to be properly supported at transition and during assessment.
• NHS and local authorities need to strengthen the way they work together.
• Local authorities need support to implement prevention, personalisation and market-shaping for carers.

The Carers Trust said that it did not hear from enough non-White carers to know how the Care Act is working for all carers in society. It has raised concerns about other groups of carers, for example, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people who are also carers.

Other key findings include:

• 69% of carers responding to the survey had not noticed a difference since the Care Act's introduction.
• 65% of carers had not had an assessment since the introduction of the Act.
• 23% of the carers who had had an assessment felt that their assessor was 'not knowledgeable'.
• 37% had not received a letter or a support plan after assessment.
• 34% of carers felt the assessment was 'not helpful'.

The Carers Trust asked the former minister for care services, the Rt Hon Prof Paul Burstow, to chair a review of how the Care Act 2014 is working for carers one year on from the implementation of the Act. Mr Burstow worked with a Panel and Advisers and the issues the Commission considered are included in the Terms of Reference

The Commission received written submissions from carers and those who support them from February to March 2016, heard oral evidence in April 2016 , and is now reporting on its findings in Care Act for carers: One year on. The report includes the methodology and evidence.

The full report Care Act for carers: One year on and further information is available on the Carers Trust's website here.