Measuring outcomes for carers

Government policy and legislation increasingly promotes the recognition of the contribution of unpaid carers and relatives to social care. There are two main approaches to supporting carers. Support that focuses on ensuring appropriate services are in place for the person they care for and support that is aimed specifically at the carer themselves. At the same time as greater attention is focused on the needs of carers there is a general shift towards the state and local authorities measuring the impact and outcomes of services on people’s lives.

In 2007 Kent County Council commissioned the PSSRU to design a survey of adult carer’s experiences to be conducted in the summer of 2008. The development work included focus groups and cognitive testing interviews and built on an existing approach to measuring outcomes. This paper will describe some of the methodological issues identified about surveying carers and developing questions and indicators of quality and outcomes, before outlining the approach this study took to eliciting the views and experiences of carers.