Ministerial Advisory Group for Unpaid Carers meeting: 9 September 2024

• Dawn Bowden MS Minister for Children and Social Care.
• Alwyn Jones ADSSC (Chair).
• Andy Lock Private Secretary Minister for Children and Social Care.
• Mary Wimbury Special Advisor to Minister for Children and Social Care.
• Andy Pithouse Special Advisor to Minister for Children and Social Care.
• Taryn Stephens Welsh Government.
• Denise Moultrie Welsh Government.
• Mark Price Welsh Government.
• Bobbie-Jo Haarhoff, unpaid carer.
• Jayne Newman, unpaid carer.
• Rachel Clement Children in Wales.
• Kim Dolphin Carers Officers Learning and Improvement Network.
• Rob Simkins Carers Wales.
• Kate Cubbage Carers Trust Wales.
• Pennie Muir Hywel Dda UHB.
• David Watkins Cwm Taff Morgannwg UHB.
• Naheed Ashraf Aneurin Bevan UHB.
• Naomi Harper Flintshire County Council.
• Natasha James Vale of Glamorgan County Borough Council.
• Alyson Hoskins Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council.
• Valerie Billingham Older People’s Commissioner Office.
• Suzanne Becquer-Moreno Cardiff and Vale UHB.
• Victoria Lloyd Age Alliance Wales.
• Vanessa Webb Swansea University.
• Jon Antoniazzi Wales Carers Alliance.

• Councillor Jane Tremlett, Carmarthenshire.
• Avril Bracey, Carmarthenshire.
• Jon Day, Social Care Wales.
• Diane Seddon, Bangor University.
• Anna Bird, Hywel Dda UHB.
• Ffion Johnstone, Betsi Cadwaladr UHB.
• Mico Zenati-Parsons, Young Carer.

The chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

The Minister welcomed Kate Cubbage to her first meeting as vice-chair of the Ministerial Advisory Group. She also thanked other members of the Group who had expressed an interest in the role.

The Minister stated she is pleased to learn of the progress with work to raise awareness of young carers including the young carers ID card.

The Minister acknowledged the young carers festival in Builth Wells last month, which was a great success in bringing young carers together in a fun environment. She thanked the Young Carers Advisory Group for their input into discussions at the festival.

The Minister referred to the unpaid carer engagement sessions this month as part of the work of the Task and Finish Group on Information Advice and Assistance and Carers’ Needs Assessments. She expressed her thanks to Carers Wales for arranging these events.

The Minister concluded by acknowledging the enormous contribution that unpaid carers make and our duty to ensure they are supported as they carry out such an important role. The review of the National Strategy will refresh our commitment to unpaid carers.

It was noted all actions have been completed.

Denise Moultrie gave a presentation referring to the four existing priorities within the current strategy and provided proposals, for discussion, on reviewed priorities.

Members commented that there is a need to reference the relevant legislation of the Social Service and Well-Being (Wales) Act in the revised strategy including rights to access information advice and assistance and carers’ needs assessments. There was strong support for a focus on mental health and wellbeing of unpaid carers and reference to Welsh Government’s mental health and suicide prevention strategies. It was noted that not all young carers would recognise the terminology of ‘unpaid carer’ and should consider explicit references to young carers throughout.

It was also commented that the revised strategy should include references to the ongoing prevention work of Regional Partnership Boards to ensure there is no disconnect and should reference ‘the caring journey in its entirety’ and ‘life alongside being a carer’. Life after caring was also discussed, where carers’ needs may be wider than bereavement, and including considerations of support when the cared for person moves into a care home.

All of the comments made in the meeting will be considered in full for the next steps of this work, which will be to produce a document to be circulated to the group. It is anticipated that members will be asked to circulate the document informally within their own groups and networks for comments prior to the next MAG meeting in December. A formal consultation process will proceed in due course.

Denise Moultrie provided an update on progress made since the last meeting of the Ministerial Advisory Group. The survey to health boards about information and advice provided to unpaid carers seeks to capture good practice examples. It mirrors the previous local authority survey as far as possible. In parallel, Carers Wales has arranged two online and two in-person unpaid carers events. The purpose of these events is for unpaid carers to confirm what carers regard as good information, advice and assistance, and carers’ needs assessments.

All information will be collated and signed off by the task and finish group. Discussions will then be held with senior leaders in local authorities as to next steps to drive national improvements.

Mark Price confirmed that case studies, posters and online resources are being developed that could be used to promote young carer ID cards. The resources will be offered to local authorities and could be included in school’s resources.

We will then consider other steps that can be taken to raise awareness of young carers in schools and colleges more generally.

There was a low response rate to a survey issued to all pharmacies in Wales about their existing knowledge of young carers. We are reconsidering how best to engage with pharmacies.

An exercise was undertaken to review tenure of the current membership. Terms of reference were amended to support rotation of members after three years. Relevant members of the group have received letters and their responses are now being considered. The intention would be to rotate a third of the membership annually. It was agreed that where there is only one unpaid carer representative within an organisation then that person would remain on the group. Current members of the task and finish groups are able to remain.

There was no 'any other business' raised by members.
The next meeting is 9 December 2024 at 13:30.