A paper published by the sex equality watchdog examined labour market outcomes following the assumption of a new responsibility of caring - either childrearing or care for a dependent relative who might be elderly or disabled. It looked at work choices being made by women and men; the extent to which these choices varies between different groups of workers; and the extent to which choices might be constrained.
Source: Geraint Johnes, Career Interruptions and Labour Market Outcomes, Working Paper 45, Equal Opportunities Commission (0161 833 9244)
Links: Working Paper
Date: 2006-Dec
A report said that carers were missing out on £740 million of unclaimed benefits, and not getting the services or information they needed - particularly in the vital first year of caring.
Source: In the Know: The importance of information for carers, Carers UK (020 7566 7626)
Links: Report | Carers UK press release | Personnel Today report
Date: 2006-Dec
A private member's Bill was introduced dealing with the assessment and delivery of short breaks and respite care for carers of disabled children.
Source: Disabled Children (Family Support) Bill, Gary Streeter MP, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard
Date: 2006-Dec
A study was announced into the extra financial costs faced by carers. The investigation would look at carers finances and how caring had affected their employment and income.
Source: Press release 9 November 2006, Carers UK (020 7566 7626)
Links: Carers UK press release | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Nov
The government announced (following consultation) the definition of carer that would be used for the right to request flexible working (from 6 April 2007). The definition of carer would be an employee who was (or expected to be) caring for an adult who: was married to, or the partner or civil partner of the employee; or was a near relative of the employee; or fell into neither category but lived at the same address as the employee. The 'near relative' definition included parents, parent-in-law, adult child, adopted adult child, siblings (including those who were in-laws), uncles, aunts, grandparents, and step-relatives.
Source: Press release 9 November 2006, Department of Trade and Industry (020 7215 5000)
Links: DTI press release | Carers UK press release | Personnel Today report
Date: 2006-Nov
A survey found that children caring for parents with addictions, mental health issues, or physical disabilities were missing out on vital support: many were not captured in official statistics, and were effectively left to cope alone, often for years.
Source: Hidden Lives: Unidentified young carers in the UK, Barnardo s (01268 520224)
Links: Report | Barnardo's press release | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Nov
A report examined the characteristics of different groups of unpaid care-givers in England and Wales in 2001. The likelihood of caregiving was highest in Wales and the north of England, and lowest in the south east of England. Care-giving was associated with disadvantage: the proportion of the population providing unpaid care was higher in deprived areas, and in areas with higher levels of poor health; carers were also relatively disadvantaged, and more likely than others of the same age to be in poor health themselves.
Source: Harriet Young, Emily Grundy and Mark Jitlal, Care Providers, Care Receivers: A longitudinal perspective, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings
Date: 2006-Oct
A report examined the demographic characteristics of carers in Scotland, and provided an indication of unpaid carers who might be in particular need of support. Around 1 in 8 adults in Scotland provided some kind of unpaid care to another person(s). Overall, carers were more likely to be females aged over 35, who were married, and living in non-working, non-single-person households. Being an unpaid carer had an impact on employment participation, with carers of working age being less likely than non-carers of working age to be in paid employment.
Source: Judith Harkins and Anna Dudleston, Characteristics and Experiences of Unpaid Carers in Scotland, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Oct
A report said that there was an urgent need for more short breaks for children and adults with a learning disability and their families. More than half of families caring for relatives with learning difficulties were in 'physical and emotional crisis' because of a lack of short break services.
Source: Breaking Point: Families still need a break, Mencap (020 7454 0454)
Links: Report | Mencap press release | FPLD report | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Sep
A report said that carers who provided more than 20 hours of unpaid care per week were clustered in low-level, low-paid jobs. According to 2001 Census data, working carers were more likely than others to be employed in non-managerial positions, beneath their full potential; and those from minority ethnic groups were even more likely to combine work and care.
Source: Lisa Buckner and Sue Yeandle, More than a Job: Working carers - evidence from the 2001 Census, Carers UK (020 7566 7626)
Links: Report | Carers UK press release
Date: 2006-Sep
A report highlighted a trend towards better co-operation between the National Health Service and unpaid carers.
Source: Carers: Equal Partners, NHS Confederation (020 7959 7272), Carers UK, Princess Royal Trust for Carers, and Crossroads Caring for Carers
Links: NHS Confederation press release
Date: 2006-Jun
A survey found that carers in Wales had poorer health than non-carers.
Source: Welsh Health Survey 2003/04: Health of Carers, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5050)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jun
A survey found that the physical and psychological strain put on carers was creating a vicious circle of health problems. A survey of more than 5,000 carers found that a majority of those questioned (79 per cent) reported that caring had made their health worse but only 1 in 4 (27 per cent) had been offered a health check by their family doctor. 89 per cent of carers thought they should be offered an annual health check.
Source: Press release 13 June 2006, Princess Royal Trust for Carers (020 7480 7788)
Links: PRTC press release
Date: 2006-Jun
A report examined what was happening in the social care sector in respect of the involvement of carers, and the impact participation had had on service improvement. There was no consensus on the theoretical understanding or shared meaning of what carer participation meant. Strategic-level involvement was growing in significance: but the evidence of this benefiting individual carers was limited.
Source: Alan Roulstone, Val Hudson, Jeremy Kearney and Ailsa Martin, with Jon Warren, Working Together: Carer participation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Social Care Institute for Excellence (020 7089 6840)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jun
A report examined the problems of children whose family circumstances - such as parental illness, disability, alcohol or drug dependency, or bereavement - had forced them into prematurely ?adult? roles. Many were reluctant to seek help because of a determination to protect their parents from trouble and to keep their family together.
Source: Old Heads on Young Shoulders: Helping children and young people whose family circumstances force them into adult roles, Childline/National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (020 7650 3200)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-May
A report was published of a survey of carers of older people in Northern Ireland. Over three-quarters (77 per cent) of the carers were female. Two-thirds of the people cared for lived in the same household as the carer. Over four-fifths of the people cared for had physical disabilities, and half had mental health problems.
Source: E. Mooney and J. Orr, Survey of Carers of Older People in Northern Ireland, Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety/Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 0500)
Links: Report | NIE press release
Date: 2006-May
An article examined the experiences and needs of children who were living with, and caring for, parents with severe and enduring mental illness.
Source: Jo Aldridge, 'The experiences of children living with and caring for parents with mental illness', Child Abuse Review, Volume 15 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Apr
A report examined the social and business benefits of supporting working carers.
Source: Sue Yeandle, Cinnamon Bennett, Lisa Buckner, Lucy Shipton and Anu Suokas, Who Cares Wins: The social and business benefits of supporting working carers, Centre for Social Inclusion/Sheffield Hallam University (0114 225 5786)
Links: Report | Carers UK press release
Date: 2006-Apr
The Scottish Executive published a 10-year plan to help support people who were caring for disabled, sick, or elderly relatives in their own homes. The plan would provide more training for carers, a special carers health programme, and measures to support young carers. But the Executive rejected a recommendation to give unpaid carers a statutory entitlement to short respite breaks from caring.
Source: Scottish Executive Response to Care 21 Report: The Future of Unpaid Care in Scotland, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Plan | SE press release | Care 21 report | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Apr
A report said that people who cared for their elderly, sick, or disabled relatives were being let down because public authorities were failing to implement the Human Rights Act - with serious, and potentially life-threatening, consequences. Carers often jeopardized their health by delaying medical treatment to a point where they put their lives at risk, because of inadequate support to relieve them of their caring duties.
Source: Jenny Watson, Whose Rights Are They Anyway?: Carers and the Human Rights Act, Carers UK (020 7566 7626)
Links: Report | Carers UK press release
Date: 2006-Mar
A Member of Parliament introduced a Bill designed to ensure that the needs of carers were taken account of, as well as those they were caring for - particularly drawing attention to those who cared for more than 50 hours a week.
Source: Identification and Support of Carers (Primary Health Care) Bill, Barbara Keeley MP, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill
Date: 2006-Mar
A new book examined an alternative approach to caring that highlighted its contribution to social cohesion and social justice.
Source: Marian Barnes, Caring and Social Justice, Palgrave Macmillan (01256 329242)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Mar
A bulletin described the demographic and social characteristics of carers in Northern Ireland.
Source: Fiona Scullion and Paddy Hillyard, Carers in Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (028 9034 8160)
Links: Bulletin
Date: 2006-Mar
An inspectorate report highlighted the pressures faced by children caring for someone in their family with a long-term illness or disability.
Source: Being a Young Carer, Commission for Social Care Inspection (0845 015 0120)
Links: Report | CSCI press release
Date: 2006-Jan