To outline the joint working arrangements currently in place between the statutory and third sector organisations who participate in the ABMU wide Carers Partnership Board; describe the rationale behind the production of the Valuing Carers Transition Plan and approve the Valuing Carers Compact and participation in the delivery of the Valuing Carers Transition Plan.

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing submitted a report, the purpose of which, was to outline the joint working arrangements currently in place between the statutory and third sector organisations who participate in the ABMU wide Carers Partnership Board; describe the rationale behind the production of the Valuing Carers Transition Plan; and approve the Valuing Carers Compact and participation in the delivery of the Valuing Carers Transition Plan.

She explained that according to the 2011 Census, there were 17,919 carers in Bridgend, 20,365 carers in Neath Port Talbot and 30,349 carers in the area of Swansea. In total 68,633 or 13% of the ABMU population were carers.

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing advised that the Valuing Carers Compact attached at Appendix A to the report, had been drafted to formalise joint working and provide a framework for collaborative working between all the organisations which make up the ABMU Carers Partnership Board, and the current organisations that participated in this were listed in paragraph 4.2 of the report.

She went on to explain further, that in February 2016, the Minister for Health and Social Services agreed an allocation of transitional funding to protect and build on progress to date and to prepare for the expansion of carers rights on the implementation of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.

The Valuing Carers Transition Plan at Appendix B to the report, had been produced by the ABMU Carers Partnership Board with the aim of improving the lives of carers by the methods shown in paragraph 4.5 of the report.

In terms of the report’s financial implications, the Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing confirmed that Welsh Government had made a commitment to provide transition funding to move forward from the Carers Measure to the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act across Wales. Any additional costs would be met from within the Directorates budget.

The Cabinet Member Adult Social Care and Health and Wellbeing advised that it was incredible to note that there were 63,000 carers across the ABMU area, and if all these individuals decided to give up their role as a carer then this would impact greatly on the people they looked after, therefore the Compact was a small token of good gesture for carers. He also welcomed the commitment of transitional funding from the Welsh Government.

The Cabinet Member Childrens Social Services and Equalities advised that she had met with some of the young carers, and she was pleased to note that this formal arrangement would be of some benefit to them.

The Deputy Leader added that some of the young carers had asked for a young carers card which confirms they are a carer, so that if need be, they were able to go to their teacher or tutor if a problem urgently arose whereby they had to leave school or college to urgently support the person or persons they cared for.

RESOLVED:                      That Cabinet:-

        1.         Noted the content of the report.

        2.            Approved sign up to the Valuing Carers Compact.

 3.          Approved participation in the delivery of the Valuing Carers  Transition Plan.

   4.        That a further report be submitted to Cabinet in due course on the progress of the Compact.