Majority of carers express satisfaction with services

The majority of carers say they are extremely, very or quite satisfied with the support and services they and the person they care for receive, according to a survey published today.

Of the 57,800 carers who took part in the survey, 36 per cent reported that they were either extremely or very satisfied with the support and services they and the person they care for received, with 29 per cent said they were quite satisfied.

However, 5 per cent reported they were quite dissatisfied and 4 per cent stated they were either very or extremely dissatisfied. 11 per cent reported that they were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, and 16 per cent reported that they hadn’t received any support or services from Social Services in the last 12 months.

These provisional findings are contained in the Personal Social Services Survey of Adult Carers in England 2012-13 published today by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). The survey is of carers aged 18 and caring for someone aged 18 or over who receives services funded wholly or in part by social services. The biennial survey examines how far carers are able to have a balanced life alongside their caring role and whether services provided by local authorities and other organisations are supporting carers well.

The survey also shows that:
•    43 per cent of respondents felt they were encouraged and supported in their caring role. However, 16 per cent said they had no encouragement or support and 40 per cent reported they had some encouragement but not enough.
•    29 per cent reported they have as much control as they want over their daily lives. 60 per cent reported they have some control with the remainder (12 per cent) stating they had no control over their daily lives.
•    42 per cent of respondents said they had as much social contact as they wanted with people they liked, while 45 per cent had adequate contact. However, the remainder (14 per cent) said they have little social contact and felt socially isolated.
•    60 per cent of respondents said they felt that, in terms of getting enough sleep or eating well, they were able to look after themselves in their current situation. 26 per cent said they felt they couldn’t look after themselves well enough with 14 per cent saying they felt they were neglecting themselves.

HSCIC Chief Executive Alan Perkins said: “Every day thousands of carers fulfil an absolutely vital role in society but their own needs can be too often overlooked. This survey plays an important part in highlighting the importance of support and identifying where provision could be better so that carers can be helped in their invaluable work.”

View the full report at: www.hscic.gov.uk/pubs/psscarersurvey1213