BASW consultation response to NICE Adult Carer’s Guidance

BASW England and SWU have completed our survey of members and formulated our response for the Consultation for NICE guideline on Supporting Adult Carers.

The full summary of our contribution can be read here, but key highlights are as follows:

• The guideline is necessary but requires considerable revision. The role of social workers is not mentioned in the guidance and it is unclear on the definitions of 'health and social care practitioners’
• The Care Act 2014 gives unpaid carers specific rights to “personal budgets, direct payments, information and advice, assessment and support to maintain their health and wellbeing”, but this needs to more accurately detailed in the guidance
• The most importance aspect for supporting carers is to ensure that they receive information about what can help them and that it is made clear where they can go to receive this information
• The paper does not make it clear who will do assessments of needs