Carers

What is a Carer?

In accordance with the definition outlined within the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, a ‘Carer’ is a person who provides or intends to provide care for an adult or disabled child. A person is not a Carer for the purposes of the Act if the person provides or intends to provide care:

(a) under or by virtue of a contract, or

(b) as voluntary work.

A Local Authority may treat a person as a Carer for the purposes of any of its functions under the Act if the Authority considers that the relationship between the person providing or intending to provide care and the person for whom that care is, or is to be, provided is such that it would be appropriate for the former to be treated as a carer for the purposes of that function or those functions.

Carers and former Carers are people of any age, including Children and Young Adults of any gender and from any background or culture who assist a person who has care and support needs as a result of:

a physical disability
a learning disability
mental illness or distress
frailty as a result of old age
a dependency on drugs or alcohol
vulnerability.

The area served by the ABMU Health Board covers three Local Authorities, Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, with a combined population of approximately 540,000. According to the 2011 Census, 13% of the Western Bay population identify as a Carer.

Western Bay Carers Partnership Board

Western Bay Carers Partnership Board, formerly known as ABMU Carers Partnership Board was established in 2012 initially in response to the Carer Strategies (Wales) Measure 2010. The Board meets bimonthly and members include representatives from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea local authorities, Carers Services/ Centres, Council for voluntary Services (CVS) and the Western Bay Programme.

Carers’ views shape the work of Western Bay Carers Partnership Board. This is achieved through the presentation of Carers feedback each quarter and comments from local Carer Centres/ Service and Young Carers Projects. In addition, views are gathered at ABMU wide events where Carers and Young Carers from the three local authority areas come together.

Following the completion of the Valuing Carers strategy and action plan which ran from April 2013 to March 2016, the Board has been working to a Transition Plan 2016 -2018 with the aim to improve the lives of Carers in the ABMU area by:

Building on the progress achieved as a result of the Valuing Carers Strategy
Maintaining the momentum of Carers awareness
Providing a framework for partner organisations to respond to Carers within the remit of the Social Services and Well-Being (Wales) Act 2014.

The Board are currently working on a new plan for 2018-19 to address Carers priorities highlighted in Western Bay Population Assessment (www.westernbaypopulationassessment.org/en/home/) and the three Welsh Government national improvement priorities for Carers, which are:

Supporting life alongside caring
Identifying and recognising carers
Information, advice and assistance.

For more information on the work of the Western Bay Carers Partnership, please contact Liz Griffiths-Hughes (Western Bay Carers Coordinator) via email at lizgriffiths-hughes@bavo.org.uk