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Main Content: Carers UK Chair appointed to Prime Minister’s influential Commission on Carers
Today, Don Brereton, Chair of Carers UK was announced as one of the permanent members of the influential Standing Commission on Carers which was set up temporarily by the Prime Minister in September 2007.
The purpose the Standing Commission is to ensure that the voice of carers is central to the development of Government policy and look at how carers will be affected by our changing society. The Commission’s terms of reference is to also monitor the implementation of the carers’ strategy and the new deal for carers.
Don, who cares for his disabled son, Sam who is now 32, said, “I am delighted that I will be serving as a permanent member of the Standing Commission on Carers helping to ensure that the Government delivers its pledges for carers that really improves their lives.
I know only too well from personal experience about the huge stresses and strains that families face if they don’t get the right support and understanding. Despite the fact that we provide care, unpaid, to the tune of £87 billion a year, many of us still feel unrecognized and unsupported and have to battle to get the right support. We know that carers’ health suffers, one in five has to give up work to care for someone and families can be brought to the brink of crisis.
Carers want change and they want to see it now and I look forward to scrutinizing how Government will progress their pledges for carers set out in the National Carers Strategy. As a priority, I believe Government should be setting out a clear timetable about how they will tackle carers’ financial hardship."
The National Carers Strategy, Carers at the heart of 21st Century families and communities’ in June 2008 and launched by the Prime Minister. It set out several pledges to that by 2018:
- carers will be respected as expert care partners and will have access to the integrated and personalised services they need to support them in their caring role;
- carers will be able to have a life of their own alongside their caring role;
- carers will be supported so that they are not forced into financial hardship by their caring role;
- carers will be supported to stay mentally and physically well and treated with dignity; and
- children and young people will be protected from inappropriate caring and have the support they need to learn, develop and thrive, to enjoy positive childhoods and to achieve against all the Every Child Matters outcomes.
Don Brereton has been Chair of the Board of Trustees of Carers UK since 2005. Don lives in London and with his wife cares for his son who was born with Downs Syndrome. His career began in 1968 with the Ministry of Health and he continued to work in the civil service until 2003. His senior roles within the Civil Service included Principle Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Social Services and Head of the Prime Minister’s Efficiency Unit. In his last post in government Don led the Disability and Carers Directorate in the Department for Work and Pensions.
In 2003 he became Director of the charity Motability where he remained until the beginning of 2009. Don is a lay member of the NHS National Quality Board and was also a member of the first phase of the Standing Commission on Carers. Don was made a Companion of the Bath (CB) for his services to the public and voluntary sector in 2001.
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Contact: Emily Holzhausen, Director of Policy and Public Affairs on: 020 7378 4935 or Emily.holzhausen@carersuk.org for interviews with Don Brereton.
Notes to Editors
1. Standing Commission on Carers was set up temporarily in September 2007. The permanent Chair was announced as Dame Philippa Russell who was appointed on 10 June 2009 for three years.
2. The Strategy ‘Carers at the heart of 21st Century families and communities’ can be downloaded from:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/SocialCare/Deliveringadultsocialcare/Carers/NewDealforCarers/index.htm
3. Carers UK is a campaigning, policy and information organisation of and for carers. Carers UK makes a difference to carers' lives by:
o Campaigning for a better deal for carers;
o Informing carers of their rights and what help is available
o Training and advising professionals who work with carers
o Working across the UK through its membership and networks of branches and affiliates.