Standing Commission on Carers

The Standing Commission on Carers was an independent advisory body providing expert advice to ministers and the Carers Strategy Cross Government Board on progress in delivering the national carers strategy.

This group has closed

The Standing Commission on Carers was set up in December 2007 to advise on the final version of the Carers Strategy (published in June 2008) and its implementation. It was chaired by Phillipa Russell until early 2014. Under a new chairman in 2014, David Croisdale-Appleby, the group was renamed the Independent Advisory Group on Carers for a time limited period to support the development of a new cross-government national carers strategy as mentioned in the Conservative Party Election Manifesto 2015..

The original commitment was to publish the new Carers Strategy in autumn 2016. This was subsequently delayed to spring 2017 following the Budget announcement that there would be a green paper on older people’s care. No conclusion had been reached about the new Carers Strategy when the 2017 General Election was called, and the group was disbanded in 2017 due to pressures on budgets.

Role of group

The Standing Commission was established in December 2007. It identifies strategic challenges and opportunities associated with caring, paying particular regard to:

  • demographic changes
  • developments in public policy
  • changing relationships in families
  • equality and diversity
  • improvements in technology

Membership

  • Professor David Croisdale-Appleby, OBE Chair (Former Chair, Skills for Care & National Skills Academy for Social Care)
  • Anne Smyth, OBE Deputy Chair (Harrogate & Craven, Bradford & Airedale)
  • Gary Ames (Luton Clinical Commissioning Group)
  • Penny Banks
(Researcher on carers issues)
  • Beth Britton (Freelance Campaigner and Consultant)
  • Dr Helen Brown (Carers Trust, Cambridgeshire)
  • Francis Davis (Cathedral Innovation Centre)
  • Jenny Frank (The Children’s Society)
  • Dr Mary Larkin (The Open University)
  • Robina Mallett 
(Family Carers Hft)
  • Dr Alison Milne
(University of Kent)
  • Dawn O’Rooke 
(member of a Mental Health review tribunal)
  • Dr Robina Shah (Frenkel Topping PLC)
  • Katie Tempest
(SCIE)

Co-opted members:

  • Melanie Henwood OBE (Independent Health and Social Care Research Consultant)
  • Philip Lewer (NHS Leeds South and East Clinical Commissioning Group)
  • Rita Ross (Barclays Bank)
  • Grainne Siggins (London Borough of Newham)

Code of Practice

Members code of practice (PDF, 65.1 KB, 8 pages)

Publications

Terms of reference

Terms of reference (PDF, 15.4 KB, 1 page)

Contact details

SCOC@dh.gsi.gov.uk