Background to the Research

• Carers provide a vital role in looking after those who are sick, disabled or frail. It is estimated that in NI there are 250,000 carers and that 18% of households contain a carer. The Personal Social Services Training Strategy 2000-03, 'A First Class Service' was developed by TOPSS NI to provide a strategic focus for education, training, occupational standards and qualifications and includes targets for qualifications for staff. This Strategy was the result of extensive consultation with employers, employees, organisations, users and carers across NI. However, consultation with carers was limited due to the tight timescale. During the consultation process, carers identified that little was known about training which was available to carers themselves. As a result of this feedback, the TOPSS NI Committee supported a bid to the Department for Education and Employment for funding to examine current training provision for carers in partnership with CNI (formerly Carers National Association).
• The research was commissioned by CNI and TOPSS NI in October 2000. The aim was to identify current training provision available to carers in NI and to examine the extent to which it was accessible and relevant to the needs of carers.
• The survey provides a snapshot of the opinions of carers on training provision across NI.
  

Research Approach

• The views of 52 individual carers and 32 organisations were sought.
• The survey used a variety of methods including face-to-face meetings, group discussions with carer groups, telephone interviews and postal questionnaires.
• Data were collected from November 2000 to February 2001.
• The survey coverage reflected opinions of carers across NI.
• Carer Groups were asked to provide information on how they were funded, their client group, the services they offered to carers, and what training they provided.
  

Main Findings

Carer's Survey Responses

• Most (87%) of the respondents provide care full-time while 13% provide care part-time.
• While acknowledging the drawbacks associated with the caring role, 63% of carers said they enjoyed caring for dependants.
• 65% of carers receive carer support delivered in many ways including home help, contract nurse, family and friends, respite care, carer's groups.
• 75% of carers suffered some degree of stress with 14% indicating that they found caring very stressful.
• Some of the reasons given as the causes of stress included communication and lack of information, carer's personal problems (isolation, illness, depression etc.), need for relief for carers, crisis management situations, declining medical condition of the person cared for.
• The vast majority (92%) of carers said that caring has had a massive or moderate impact on their lifestyles.
• 75% of carers offered opinions on what they considered as 'training for carers'. However, there appears to be wide variation and confusion about what training actually is.
• 62% of carers said that training was needed.
• Most carers (62%) had not received any training.
• Of the 18 carers who said they had received some training, the training included specialist support (e.g. sign language, lifting and bathing), medical awareness, role play and behavioural management.
• Overall, 79% of carers mentioned more than 40 specific areas where they would like to receive training.
• 65% of carers felt that funding for care training should come from the public sector.
• 77% of carers felt that they could offer support to other carers in a range of ways, including providing personal support, relating their experiences, how and where to seek help, networking and socialising, dealing with frustration, isolation etc.

Organisations Proving Training

• The organisations providing training to carers are for the most part voluntary, and coverage is very patchy across NI.
• Most Health and Social Services Trusts have devolved the role of training to carers groups and voluntary organisations, often providing a large part of their funding.
• There was no identified private sector training nor any identifiable vocational courses for carers at present.
• Evaluation of the training provided for carers tends to be informal, and is therefore hard to quantify in terms of cost, availability and relevance. However, those involved in these groups undoubtedly receive a dedicated service which would be difficult to replicate at a central level.

Conclusions

• It is clear from the research that here is considerable confusion about what training is and how it is delivered, but that there is also a considerable demand for training. The full report clearly identifies the training that has been beneficial and the gaps that presently exist.
• The research found that carer training provision in NI is not adequately meeting the needs of carers.
• More needs to be done now to lessen the already heavy burden on the carer community. Appropriate and accessible training is an important way forward.

Recommendations

• The report offers a practical mix of short-term and long-term recommendations that will improve the position of carers in Northern Ireland.