National News
		Please click here to read the National Family Carer Networks response to the Personal Care at Home consultation on proposals for regulations and guidance.
		To read the first report from the family carers who attended the Learning Disability Advisory Board please click here
		The National Family Carer Network has recruited two family carers to the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) Learning Disability Advisory Board The two family carers who scored highest in the NFCN's recruitment process are both looking forward to taking up their role as family carer representatives on CQC's Learning Disability Advisory Board. Both family carers, who live in Oxfordshire and Buxton, have experience of a range of health and social care support arrangements, embrace personalisation and are well networked with other family carers. One cared for her sister, who had Downs Syndrome and dementia, towards the end of her life and has a son with Downs Syndrome herself. She is an elected member of a locality partnership board, sits on the county Learning Disability Partnership Board, has begun to go to the Regional Programme Board and is a member of the Local Information Network (LINk) and county carers group. She has also been a local authority implementation lead officer for Valuing People. The other has a son of 18 who is on the autistic spectrum and has severe learning disabilities; her daughter (who had complex health needs and severe learning disabilities) died aged 25 four years ago. In her time she has campaigned for inclusive education, against the closure of valued short breaks services and on Mencap's Breaking Point campaign; she is working on a scoping project for older family carers and a changing places campaign. She is also networked with further families via a district Mencap committee, her local parents' forum and her county carers' forum. After each of the CQC Learning Disability Advisory Board meetings the two family carer representatives will give a short report which will be posted on this site. If they need information from family carers to tackle a future agenda item the NFCN will let you know!
		Changes to Direct Payments From 9th Novemeber 2009 there will be changes to who can get Direct Payments. You can read about those changes by downloading the leaflet here.
		Report of the Standing Commission on Carers The Standing Commission on Carers has released it's first report. Click here to download a copy and if you would like to feedback your thoughts please email us.
		Communication and people with the most complex needs Researchers from the Manchester Metropolitan University are carrying out a research project for Mencap and the Department of Health and would like to hear the experiences of parents of adults and young people with profound learning disabilities, severe autism, severe learning disabilities and challenging behaviour.  Please click here to find out more about the project.
		Information on Learning Disability and Dementia This report was the result of a joint working group of the Learning Disability Faculty of the British Psychological Society and the Royal College of Psychologists. It is very much aimed at the health professionals but is an important report. You can read it or download it here.
		NFCN Responds to Ordinary Residence Consultation The National Family Carer Network's submission to the Ordinary Residence Consultation draws on the experiences of families that include an adult with a learning disability and cites cases which illustrate the need for new definitions of "ordinary residence" which take account of personal budgets and other changes in provision for people with learning disabilities, families' wishes or needs to move to another area and the assurance that "health" as well as "social" care will be included; clearly stated protocols for transferring responsibilities between two local authorities, which include timescales, full information exchange between all interested parties (ie. including the person with a learning disability and their family or other carers), an agreed appeals procedure and clarity about procedures if final adjudication continues to rest with the Secretary of State. You can download or read the National Family Carer Network's response by looking at our resources page.
		All Together Better is a new national course that will identify, train, support and sustain a national network of champions in Personalisation. Click here for more information or to download an application form.
		Recognising fathers: a national survey of fathers who have children with learning disabilities A new report from the Founation for People with Learning Disabilities argues that current policies and practices often fail to acknowledge or support fathers in their roles as carers. For more information click here.
		Equal rights for carers: Discrimination against carers to be outlawed in forthcoming Bill Lobbying by Carer's UK has paid off - the Government has conceded that carers will be protected from discrimination by association (in particular to goods and services as well as in employment) within the forthcoming equalities legislation! With law on the side of family carers their roles in the personalisation agenda are much more likely to be actively considered - it should not be a case of putting people first whilst putting carers second. If you would like to read more about this then please visit the Carers UK website.
		The Valuing People Team funded the NFCN to hold two free seminars in London and in York during March. This was a chance to learn more about Valuing People Now (this year's three year national strategy for learning disabilities), the Carers Strategy, Personalisation and their implications for family carers and those who support family carers. We also covered the NFCN's activities, membership and proposals for family carer representation on working groups etc. Philippa Russell, the Chair of the Standing Commission on Carers and Cally Ward, family carer lead on the Valuing People Team gave presentations. If you would like to view them or use them for training purposes please click on the presentations below. 'Carers at the heart of 21st Century families and communities - The National Carer Strategy' - Philippa Russell 'Making it happen for everyone including families' - Cally Ward
		Common Assessment Framework for Adults - Your invitation to join the consultation process  Common Assessment Framework (CAF) for Adults is a generic approach to assessing the health and social care needs of individual adults. The Department of Health are inviting organisations and their members to contribute to the CAF for Adults consultation on proposals to improve information sharing around multi-disciplinary assessment and care planning. You can have your say through an online consultation facility or by attending one of the regional events which will be held over the coming months. Please click here for more information or visit the Department of Healths CAF website.
		Carers given immediate protection against discrimination and harassment at work The Employment Tribunal in London has ruled that protection for carers against discrimination "by association with disability" can be given under existing UK law, paving the way for carers to make immediate claims against their employers if they are treated unfairly. Please click here for more information and to read the press release