National and local context
National context
The development of Warwickshire’s Joint Carers Strategy 2017-2020 is shaped by the following national policy framework:
- Carers Strategy Second National Action Plan 2014-2016
- The Care Act 2014
- The Children and Families Act 2014
- NHS England’s Five Year Forward View 2014
- NHS England’s Commitment to Carers 2014
- NHS England Toolkit: An integrated approach to identifying and assessing Carer health and wellbeing
- Commissioning for Carers: Principles and resources to support effective commissioning.
Local context
This strategy, and its delivery plan, links closely with a number of other programmes of work, and should be considered in parallel with the following:
- Warwickshire’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2014-2018
- Warwickshire Cares Better Together work programme 2015-2020
- Coventry and Rugby CCGs Commissioning Intentions 2014-2016
- Warwickshire North CCG Commissioning Intentions 2015-2016
- South Warwickshire CCG Commissioning Intentions 2016-2017
- Warwickshire’s Assistive Technology Statement of Intent
- ADASS West Midlands Region: A Commitment to West Midlands Carers.
Joint response: Better together
Alongside this, the Government is committed to greater integration of health and social care, reflected in the Better Care Fund, which makes specific provision for pooling funding for carers.
Warwickshire County Council and the three local Clinical Commissioning Groups, (South Warwickshire CCG, Warwickshire North CCG and Coventry and Rugby CCG) are looking at how we combine and use our resources to work more closely together to help people get the support they need in the right place and at the right time.
At the same time, money will continue to be tight, with less money available to support an increasing number of people who need support, be it because of their age, disabilities or other reasons.
There is currently no single profession or organisation that can ensure the best outcomes for carers in term of their health and wellbeing, therefore agencies need to work effectively together to identify, assess and act on issues facing carers and improve support.
Therefore within the framework of the Better Care Fund, known locally as Warwickshire Cares: Better Together, health and social care partners have agreed jointly to put strong mechanisms in place to support informal carers and work across the health and social care economy to minimise the impact of illness and disability on a carer’s life, and support cares to balance their caring roles and maintain their desired quality of life.
Warwickshire has developed a Joint Adult Carers Strategy, covering the period 2017-2020, which is set in the context of this changed environment and will attempt to respond in a realistic yet imaginative and creative way to face the challenges ahead.
To achieve the vision and achieve the strategic objectives set out in this strategy it is vital that sustainable support solutions are in place for Carers that will empower Carers to be as independent as possible at an individual and community level.
Therefore we are looking for new ways of making the best use of the money available and ways of people supporting each other in their local communities. We are looking to develop a carers support offer that is closer to communities, in order to ensure support is tailored to local needs, builds upon local assets, and is integrated within and works in partnership with the local health and social care system.