Support for older carers of older people
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Support for older carers of older people: the impact of the 2014 Care Act
IRAS ID
207179
Contact name
Liz Lloyd
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 28 days
Research summary
Older people who provide care and support to other older people constitute a valuable resource within the social care system. There are over half a million such carers and this number is expected to increase significantly over the next decade. Currently, support for carers varies between local authorities (LA s) and there are inequalities between carers in the level of support they receive. The 2014 Care Act is intended to open up new approaches to support, to iron out geographical variations and grant new entitlements to carers. However, the implementation of this Act will be difficult and complex, not least because of the economic context. It will depend also on the capacity of local authority staff, including social workers, to adapt their practice and on the success of partnerships between local carer organisations and local authorities.
This research will examine the implementation process in selected local authorities. It is designed to capture the perspectives of a range of key individuals involved and the ways in which practices are changing in line with the changes in policy. The research will highlight the key factors influencing the process and identify lessons for practice in social work and social care.
REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
16/IEC08/0027
Date of REC Opinion
3 Oct 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion