Informal carers’ employment rights and support
An overview of the employment rights and support available to informal carers, and public policy reviews on this topic in recent years.

Summary of the Government's proposals for reform of children's social care in England.
Reform of children's social care in England (515 KB , PDF)
On 2 February 2023, the Government published an implementation strategy and consultation on reforming children’s social care in England: Stable Homes, Built on Love.
The strategy is based on, and formed the Government’s response to, three independent reports published in 2022:
The strategy set out reforms across six “pillars”, which will be implemented in two phases:
The strategy said the Government will provide £45 million to launch a ‘Families First for Children Pathfinder’ programme in up to 12 local areas in England over the next two years. In July 2023, the Government announced that Dorset, Lincolnshire and Wolverhampton would take part in the first wave of pathfinders. A second wave, in up to nine additional local authorities, will run from April 2024.
The pathfinders will test:
The Government’s other proposals range across children’s social care and include:
Alongside the strategy, the Government also published a consultation on whether to set national rules on the use of agency social workers, including potential price caps. A response to this was published in October 2023 and a consultation on proposed statutory guidance for local authority use of agency social workers closed at the end of February 2024.
Aspects of the Government’s reform proposals received a broad welcome, but some stakeholders raised concerns that the proposals amounted to a “piecemeal approach” rather than the required whole-system reset.
In response, the Government said it is taking a “test and learn” approach and the strategy marks “the start of the journey.”
Reform of children's social care in England (515 KB , PDF)
An overview of the employment rights and support available to informal carers, and public policy reviews on this topic in recent years.
An overview of the current system of support for children and young people with special educational needs, and pressure on the system
Information on local authority support for unpaid carers in England, including young carers and parent carers of disabled children.