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ABSTRACT
This article looks at the key provisions of the Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 and examines how far it represents a change to existing law.
KEYWORDS: CARERS; CARERSASSESSMENTS; FAIR ACCESS TO CARE SERVICES
The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 came into force on 1st April 2005. The Act makes three main changes to the existing law on carers services.
* Section 1 places a duty on councils to inform carers, in certain circumstances, of their right to an assessment of their needs.
* Section 2 provides that when assessing a carer's needs councils must take into account whether the carer works or wishes to work, undertakes or wishes to undertake education, training or leisure activities. * Section 3 facilitates co-operation between authorities in relation to the provision of services that are relevant to carers.
This article will focus on the changes made by section 2. According to research by Carers UK, six of every ten carers providing substantial amounts of care had given up paid work to care for a disabled adult or child. Research by Caring Costs found that nearly 80% of carers wished to return to work if they could.
More support for carers who want to remain in work or return to work could lead to a significant change in the way that community care services are provided. But how much of a change does the new...