ABSTRACT
See also: Commission for Social Care Inspection ; and National Care Standards Commission .
Care Trusts See: NHS structure .
Carers 1 Carers are people who look after those who are in need of additional care, assistance, or support. The term covers both relatives doing the work unpaid, and paid professionals. The Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 gave local councils in England and Wales duties to support carers by providing services to them directly, and in the provision of breaks. The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 enhanced the rights of carers to lead the kinds of lives that others take for granted – for instance, adequate opportunities for studying, or leisure; and in April 2007 more than 2.5 million carers were given the right to request flexible working hours. In Scotland, the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 extended carers ’ rights. Finally, the Disability and Carer’s Service (qv) provides a variety of support services for carers. 2 Tensions can arise between carers and their clients, and conflicts between the rights of carers and the rights of disabled people . For a useful discussion of these issues refer to pp189-93 of DISABILITY RIGHTS AND WRONGS by the disabled writer Tom Shakespeare – see the bibliography. 3 As of 2008, useful websites include the following. They are given in alphabetical order.
