§ Lord Astor of Heverasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to extend their consultation on the carers practice guide relating to the Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 beyond local authorities to users, interest groups and relevant charities. [HL205]
§ Lord WarnerWe understand that the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) will use the evidence from its current knowledge review on the participation of carers in changing and improving social care, to produce a practice guide for local authorities. The practice guide will include advice on how to implement the Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 and will be developed in consultation with key stakeholders. It is likely to be published in summer 2005.
In developing practice guides, SCIE consults extensively with a range of stakeholder groups. SCIE places particular emphasis on the participation of service users, carers and will also include a range of organisations with an interest in this area.