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The National Black Carers and Carers Workers Network (NBCCWN) was launched in 1998 and aims to develop and maintain an effective network of BME carers and carers workers to facilitate the voice of BME carers. This voice is implemented to improve services, policies and practice both locally and nationally to meet the evolving needs of BME carers.

Hosted by The Afiya Trust, the network was concerned at the fact that ‘Caring about Carers – A National Strategy for Carers’ in 1999, only made a passing reference to BME carers.

The network works closely with Carers UK, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Department of Health and the regional and London network representative organisations in both the voluntary and statutory sectors. The network holds rotating regional meetings as well as specific meetings for BME carers.

In 2002, Afiya and the network produced ‘We Care Too: A Good Practice Guide for People Working with Black Carers’. This good practice guide has been distributed to primary care trusts, social services departments, voluntary organisations, health and social care professionals and interested individuals.

Six years later Afiya and the network published ‘Beyond We Care Too, Putting Black Carers in the Picture’. Based on a survey of 300 BME carers and BME voluntary and community organisations, the report revealed that BME carers:

• Preferred to be contacted in a personal, face-to-face way.
• Found it hard to identify with the term ‘carer’.
• That over 80 percent of those they cared for was not receiving Direct Payments to purchase services.
• Had a poor knowledge of service provision.

Despite these activities, support for carers still remains woefully inadequate. The experience of BME carers is further compounded by structural disadvantage and the marginalisation of race equality in government social policy.

On Tuesday 21st July 2009 the network launched the UK’s only national panel to give a voice to all BME carers who are often isolated without access to culturally sensitive services. Initially ten carers were trained by the network to be members of the National BME Carers Panel. Funding was also provided by the Department of Health’s National Carers Strategy to recruit, train and mentor 20 more carers up to 2011 to serve as national ‘ambassadors’.

• Raises the profile of the cultural issues affecting BME carers nationally.
• Creates opportunities for practitioners to hear the experiences of BME carers.
• Advises practitioners on how best to support BME carers and supply relevant information locally.
• Is assisted by the National Black Carers and Carers Workers Network to recruit and train new carers to debate with national charities and government bodies.

Recent government ministers with responsibility for social care have praised the contribution made by BME carers. But they have also acknowledged that more has to be done to provide support to meet their specific and individual needs. At Afiya’s Carers Roundtable event on 28 June 2010, the coalition government’s Secretary of State for Social Care Paul Burstow MP said that "access has to be improved". He conceded that "service providers should be more aware of cultural differences" and that "not everyone recognised the label of carer".

Mr Burstow heard recommendations from The Afiya Trust and BME carers, which may influence the government’s plans to refresh the current National Carers Strategy and plans on the funding of long term care.

The outcome of the BME Carers Roundtable event will inform The Afiya Trust’s recommendations outlined in its recently published framework for action ‘Achieving Equality in Health and Social Care’.

Afiya also submitted evidence under the ‘Refreshing the National Carers Strategy.

Our future plans will be assisted by the NBCCWN’s new Interim Chair Shazia Butt who wants to ensure that the network continues to play a crucial role in eliminating discrimination for BME carers, and work towards the vision where BME issues become the core business of all carers services.