Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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122. To ask the Minister for Health the progress being made on implementing the recommendations of the national carers strategy; when he will publish and fund phase 2 of the strategy between 2016 and 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18803/16]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The National Carers’ Strategy was published in July 2012 and sets the strategic direction for future policies, services and supports provided by Government Departments and agencies for carers.

It sets out a Vision to work towards and an ambitious set of National Goals and Objectives to guide policy development and service delivery to ensure that carers feel valued and supported to manage their caring responsibilities with confidence and are empowered to have a life of their own outside of caring.

A progress report on the implementation of the Strategy is produced on a periodic basis over the lifetime of the Strategy and presented to the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy. The last such Report covered the period from September 2014 to September 2015, and I am furnishing a copy to the Deputy. This Report is also available on my Department’s website.

Apart from the reports referred to above, each Department is responsible for updating and reporting on items of the Strategy within its own remit including in a Parliamentary context. I accordingly include herewith an update on items that fall within the remits of the Department of Health and the HSE. Other updates can be requested from the relevant Departments or agency as the Deputy sees fit.

The Goals and Objectives set out in the Strategy are not time limited but will remain valid into the future, and if their implementation can be meaningfully advanced we can make concrete and positive differences to the lives of carers and those they care for. It is for this reason that we have recommitted in the Programme for a Partnership Government to Implementing the Carers Strategy in full.My priority therefore, is to drive and support the effective mechanisms that have been put in place for engagement of stakeholders with the relevant agencies. It is this engagement, rather than trying to rewrite what is already a valid Strategy, that can best promote progressive improvements in the supports and services available for Carers.

However, the existing Strategy provides ample scope for stakeholders to update their priorities and to seek more specific commitments from relevant Departments and agencies in that context, and I will be happy to facilitate this.

APPENDIX

Since the 2014-2015 Annual Progress Report (September 2015) there has been good progress in a number of Key Actions in the past year and in particular:-

1. Specific Carers website on the HSE website

Strategy Actions covered by this action include:3.1., 3.2.1, 3.1.3

The HSE recognised the gap in the information available to carers on its HSE website. Acknowledging the valuable contribution of carers in supporting their family members, relatives and friends, the site was developed to support carers‘information needs.

The site acts as a ‘one stop’ shop for carers, providing information, signposting them to relevant services across the HSE website and, providing links to statutory and voluntary organisations who support carers such as the Family Carers of Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and Citizens Information. The site also offers practical tips for carers on looking after their own health and well-being.

The information on the site was developed by the HSE’s National Carer Strategy Group in consultation with Family Carers Ireland, the Care Alliance, and HSE staff, while a number of carers reviewed the content and provided positive feedback.

The HSE launched the Carers site on the HSE website www.hse.ie/carers to coincide with National Carer’s week 13 to 19 June 2016.

2. Carers Need Assessment - HSE

Strategy Action covered by this action is:2.1.3

Work on the Carers Needs Assessment continues being developed by the Single Assessment Tool (SAT) national project team in conjunction with the interRAI organisation – an international not for profit organisation that produces assessment systems for a wide range of sectors e.g. older people, mental health, disability, acute care etc. Ireland is leading the development of a specific assessment for Carers.

Significant work has been conducted to date with a draft questionnaire produced and an scoping exercise to test the draft completed with the assistance of Irish carers and their clients in 2015. A 2 day workshop has just been completed in May with interRAI international Committee, Irish Carer organisations representation and the SAT national project team. This resulted in an updated Carers Needs Assessment draft which was based on Irish and Belgian feedback. A new draft is to be produced by interRAI for international piloting, of which Ireland will be part of. This international Pilot Field study will have up to 11 country sites participating. Data from each country will be analysed to produce the final Assessment which will focus on the health and care needs of Carers.

The international pilot is expecting to begin summer 2016 and run for 6-8 months with data analysis planned for summer 2017. The final tool is expected to be available in Ireland (and internationally in over 30 countries currently using interRAI assessment systems) from 2018.

3.Respite Review Group - HSE

Strategy Actions covered by this action are:4.1.2 & 4.1.3

The HSE is preparing to establish a Respite Review Group to review the respite service provided through all the service Divisions. Membership will include nominations from the Community Health Offices and the Divisions.

4.2015-2016 Annual Progress Report -HSE

The HSE National Carer Strategy Group held a consultative meeting with representatives from the Community Health Offices in preparation for the next HSE Progress report due in the autumn 2016. Information requests for the next progress report will commence shortly through the Chief Officers in the 9 Community Health Offices.

5.Transport Support Scheme - DoH

Strategy Actions covered by this action are: 1.1.1

The Programme for Partnership Government acknowledges the ongoing drafting of primary legislation for a new Transport Scheme. Monthly payments continue to be made by the Health Service Executive to the 4,700 people who were in receipt of the mobility Allowance at the time the scheme closed. Work is ongoing on the policy proposals to be brought to Government for the drafting of primary legislation for a new scheme.

6. Ensure that carers' needs are considered in the development of any policies that might affect them - DoH

Strategy Actions covered by this action are: 1.1.2

Six Working Groups have been established to support the implementation of a multi-year project to reform disability services, in line with the recommendations in the report of the Value for Money and Policy Review of Disability Services in Ireland.One of these Working Groups, People with Disabilities and Community Involvement, aims to strengthen existing national and local consultative processes to build a Participation Framework. This Framework will be designed to meet the changing needs of service users with the purpose of enabling persons with disabilities, carers, families and the wider community to have a meaningful role and voice in service design and delivery.

Among the tasks of the Working Group are;

- establish a reference group to devise a national participation framework for service users with a disability;

- complete the development of a participation network which describes how to engage and enable persons with disabilities, carers and families and the wider community to have a meaningful role and voice in service design and delivery;

- develop a plan for national consultation and engagement with relevant stakeholders

7. Review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme - DoH

Strategy Actions covered by this action are: 2.1.6

The review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme was published in July 2015 and included a general examination of the Scheme, as well as the balance between residential care and care in the community.

An Interdepartmental/Agency Working Group has been established to progress the recommendations contained in the review. These recommendations include the implementation of administrative reforms to the Scheme, and a review by the National Treatment Purchase Fund of the pricing system for long-term residential care facilities. This Working Group is chaired by the Department of Health and includes representatives from the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the HSE, the Revenue Commissioners, and the National Treatment Purchase Fund where relevant.

The Working Group is due to present a first annual report to the Cabinet Committee in 2016 to include details, in particular, of the progress achieved in improving the assessment of income and assets, including home ownership, and the validation of associated declarations by applicants.

8. Implementation of National Standards for home support services, which will be subject to inspection by the Health and Information Quality Authority (HIQA)

Strategy Actions covered by this action are:2.1.7

The Health Research Board has been asked to carry out evidence review to examine the regulation and funding of home care services in three or four countries or jurisdictions and to use this information, alongside other inputs, to arrive at an informed position regarding regulation and funding of home care services in Ireland.