There is only one priority in Adult Social Care and that is to save money and they will delay, defer, committee and assess as long as possible to achieve this primary objective. I can think of nothing which works, clients and unpaid carers are systematically worn down so much they end up accepting the unacceptable compromise. Sometimes social care delay so much that an easy and cheap solution gets rejected early on only to be replaced for a far more expensive crisis management approach later on when a client or carer has been pushed and denied too far. This isn't isolated, it's common. I have been an unpaid carer for 30+ years, it's been getting steadily worse and I didn't believe it were possible to get as bad as it has now got. Anyone incapable of fighting for their service WILL get a substandard service because it's cheaper. Unpaid carers WILL be expected to pay for the shortfall. I just paid out nearly £2000 which I had to get a loan for to cover my daughters cost on moving into the community, I shouldn't have had to, social services ignored anything in writing asking them to provide what my daughter was legally entitled to. Make it law that assessments have a deadline, cannot drag on for months. Make it law that regardless of cost, the assessed needs of the client be supplied. Make it law that the input of the family who have been caring for someone for years are an active and essential part of the decision making process and not involved, as currently, as a courtesy. Carers, the unpaid variety get virtually no support. I support, totally unpaid, three people with various needs. I got 4 sessions of reiki, that's all. No authority seems to have anyone outside the authority doing assessments, they are all authority funded and an extension of the authority so they are instructed there is no money and assess accordingly. I cannot think of any unpaid carer who had their situation improved following a carers assessment even if they managed to get one and many don't. Unpaid carers are expected to, without having any part in the decision making process, do whatever social care doesn't want to do. If social care can pass it back to the cheaper alternative that is what they will do. An unpaid carer will be driven to breaking point, families will be torn apart all in an effort to save money. But then, only a total ignoramus wouldn't know this already. Unpaid carers have for years been promised there would be change we just never expected the change to be for the worse! When unpaid carers are driven beyond the point of recovery the client is then in crisis management and likely, the carer too will need state funding for many years. It is nonsensical.

I have been a carer to my friend since she first became disabled in 2006, working 6 nights a week whilst caring for a further 60 hours. In 2012, I took early retirement, when my caring role increased, following a my friend`s brain haemorrhage and subsequent stroke. I am now a full time live-in carer. Some 5 years ago I had a carers assessment done and every year since I have received a copy of the Carers magazine. There`s little or no local support, within this area of Cornwall, though I did receive a grant towards a break I took, earlier this year, albeit with the person I care for. Since reaching 65, my Carers Allowance has reduced to just £34.50 a week, though I am looking after her mental and physical caring needs, for upwards of 100 hours a week. Often I`m on the receiving end of either physical or verbal abuse, for less than 35p an hour !! Don`t know of any support towards my health and well-being.

I care for my profoundly deafblind quadriplegic daughter I asked social care for a deafblind assessment for her as she is entitled to one under the new care act, I asked for some respite care as I am in my 70s and have debilitating back pain and need a break 19 months ago,I was ignored until 12 months ago when I was told a different team would deal with my request. It didn't happen I asked again in February this year,and have now been told that the social worker has moved on and there is nobody assigned to my daughter so no respite now for 26 months Social care is worse now than it has ever been. So much money is being wasted on buying expensive services from businesses that are making huge profits for appalling services. When will the powers that be wake up?

. What works are the care and support, enable the best quality at all times. . What does not work are care and support lacking and insufficient at all times. . There is an incredible change in services in my area, so negative, service users are unlikely to be satisfied with their existing level of care and support. . Services could only improve when best quality of care and support are enhanced at all times. . Challenges facing the sector are huge and worsening, as service users remain quite rightly dissatisfied. . Good Carers are ultimately responsible for their own finances, health and well-being, regardless of care and support received.

I will try and stick to main points My mother moved in with me as she was having difficulties caring for her self My mother owns her own home and due to her living with she is expected to sell her home to pay for care I think all local authorities should give families a grace period that care is provided not assume just because a carer works they can afford care !!! I have taken a less paid role to care for my mother. Keeping my mother within her social networks benefits her and reduces admittance to Hospital due to physical and mental health needs being met by family however I do think a carers allowance should not be means tested as just because you work and earn money does not mean you don't have financial commitments so can lead to some carers being left with less income and penalised for being a carer

I am a carer for my husband who has Alzheimer's. Nobody who is not in this position really understands the implications of this. Being a carer is not a career choice I would ever have made. Here I am caring 24/7 unpaid for what I do. If I need help or respite I have to pay for it as we have savings. We are not wealthy but our savings over the years are now being depleted by costs of care and respite. I feel that we should have some funding to assist with this. Last year I needed a hip replacement so my husband had to go into respite for 5 weeks. This cost us £2500. We had to pay to get me fit enough to look after him again. Is this fair? I think not. We carers need more help and recognition for what we do. It is very hard at the age of 78 to take on this role.

Why do 24 hour live-in home carers not get the same entitlement to the living wage as other workers (unmeasured work). I think it is grossly unfair that a person doing a sleep in duty at a care home is entitled to it (even if they are not called on to work) but not a live in carer. It seems that the belief is that a person working as a live-in carer is 'part of the family' and there fore it's not necessary to pay living wage. I want to point out that as a live in carer you have rules to live by that do not apply to your cared for person. They can drink alcohol if they want. I would be sacked for that. They can have family and friends visit them. I am not allowed to even tell my family and friends the address of where I am due to confidentiality. I have a dress code. (no jeans, sensible black flat shoes, hair must be tied back, no trainers, etc.) I get a daily break of 2 hours but I am still on call for that time. When they have visitors I am often asked to get on with laundry/house work and therefore do not get to socialise with their friends. I only get to go out for meals with them if I am invited. Often I will be left in the house while they enjoy time out. I can understand that they are providing meals while I'm working but I still have to provide a roof over my families head and food for them while I work. I have to sacrifice going to school plays etc. I have to provide child care for my kids round the clock when I am working as I can't be there for them. I think that it is insulting that a company can pay a member of staff, that is accountable for 24 hours of being in a vulnerable persons home, so little. The client is paying for 24 hour round the clock care. They expect to get what they are paying for. If I divide my wage into an hourly rate I get LESS than £3.20 an hour! I am not to express my own personal opinions on their care, my religious beliefs, I can't colour my hair a 'non normal' colour, I can't say that I think what they eat is not healthy, I don't get to choose what we eat, I have no say in what we watch on TV, I have to respect if they want windows open/closed and the heating temperature, I can't have painted nails, I'm not allowed to wear jewellery, I can't receive post at their house, I can't use the house phone, I have to make sure my own personal care does not interfere with theirs (timing of use of the bathroom/if they want to be doing something that needs my help) If you want to know the reason why the industry has trouble retaining good staff......I would get paid more working in a shop and would have far less stress and get to spend more time with my friends/family! Expected to keep my training up-to-date and be educated in my field. Financial value put on me does not even warrant paying me living wage!! The work may be classed as 'unmeasured' but I can't do what I want with my time that I am NOT paid for. I don't get to choose when my 2 hour daily break is either so I can't arrange it for a time when it is convenient to contact my children, and at times when I have been on my 'break' and was chatting to my children I have been called on to do something for my client. I have had to say to my child that I can't talk to them and take care of my clients needs. This would be easier to take if we got financially rewarded for what we do. Although I think it's disgusting I do understand why some may feel it is justifiable to steal from the person that they are caring for. Let workers get paid a proper wage for what they are doing! An employer should not be able to dictate what you can wear, say, drink and do in time that they do not pay for. I can't see that anyone would have a problem with just having a deduction 'Daily accommodation offset rate' of £5.35 as it stands presently, If they were entitled to the living wage that everyone else gets!!

I have been caring for my mother who has Alzheimer's who recently come to leave with me and my family. to accommodate my mum I have taken a job with less pay so my job is less stressful so less money I have been told when I tried to apply for help via social services that she would have to sell her home to pay for her care because she had moved in with me however was unable to manage living on her own and is mentally not ready at the moment to sell her property I think there should be a grace period before a person is made to sell their home or defer payment and should have a few months grace. I found the whole process very matter a fact and uncaring. Social care act assessments are meaningless as I was informed that would be the outcome if she was assessed. Carers allowance I was informed was means tested again have taken a lower paid role to Accommodate my mother so I found this ridiculous. The only changes i see have changed with localism Act is less support both practically and financially for carers postcode lottery dependent on where you live and more stress on families and companions trying to care for an older person in a environment of their choice the benefits to my mother living with me is better physical health better mental wellbeing less trips to Hospital via A+E . saving NHS 16000 for every trip. my mother was admitted 3x to A+E when living on her own. The cost to support families to care benefits the NHS and the person they are caring for the way the system in my view has been set up is not cost effective when you take in to account cost to NHS. As this also does not include after care on discharge so my changes I would ask for are a grace period to support a person having to move before they are made to sell or setup defer payments to pay for care and carers allowance not to be means tested and respite care

carers great… care agencies awful!!! Should be in public not private hands… had loads of trouble with those who run care agencies.. The whole system needs to go back to how it was because it was far far better.

I care for my mother and my aunt, try to keep a part-time job too, and have a partner. Through my care role I have lost house, full-time job, car, friends, quality of life, health. Tired of everything being such a battle! Fighting to get any sort of help, automatically gearing up for conflict and arguments every time I have to access social/health/care provision, but mostly exhausted by lack of understanding of dementia and learning difficulties in many professional services. More good quality training would help, I think, also vetting careworkers more rigorously - too many seem to be forced into care work by jobcentres when they clearly have no love for the work at all - poor outcomes all round, for them, their employer and for families too.