To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for the number of (i) carers; and (ii) carers assessments, in each Health and Social Care Trust area in 2014.

Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts do not hold figures on the total number of carers in Northern Ireland.

However, the 2011 Household Census contained a question related to carers. There a person was defined as a carer if they gave help or support to family members, friends, neighbours or others because of long-term physical or mental ill-health or disability, or problems related to old age. These figures are shown in the table below.

Table 1: Carers at 27th March 2011 by HSC Trust Area

Source: 2011 Northern Ireland Household Census

Please note that a number of these carers may not qualify for a carers assessment under the terms of the Carers and Direct Payments Act (Northern Ireland) 2002. Under this Act HSC Trusts have a duty to inform carers, aged 16 or over, of their statutory right to an assessment of their ability to provide care and continue to provide care where they provide or intend to provide a substantial amount of care on a regular basis for another individual aged 18 or over. HSC Trusts must also be satisfied that the person cared for is someone for whom they may provide or arrange for the provision of personal social services.

Figures for the number of completed carers’ assessments in each HSC Trust area are detailed in Table 2. Information on carers’ assessments is published on the Departments website in ‘Quarterly Carers’ Statistics for Northern Ireland’. The latest publication can be found at the following link:

http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/statistics/socialcare/carers-assessments-and-reassessments.htm

Table 2: Completed carers’ assessments during 2014 (January – December) by HSC Trust area

Source: Community Information Branch Return CA1