The Carers Network is well-established and includes adult social carer leads from each of our 14 councils along with representation from health and voluntary sector partners.
Carers' conference 2025: 15 July at the Priory Rooms, Birmingham
I felt welcome and included. The sessions were informative, thought-provoking and paced well to maximise engagement. It was a fantastic opportunity for me to attend and I'm grateful for the inspiration that it has given my colleague and me
Delegate feedback
Our conference brought together 40 people - carers, carers leads, social workers, commissioners, policy makers, and people with lived experience from across the region.
The theme this year was carers’ direct payments - money given directly to the carer to support their own needs and wellbeing.
Our approach
Our approach to developing the conference was to understand and address the barriers and success criteria for effective direct payments for carers. We learnt that there were wide policy and process variations across the region, from differences in assessment processes right through to approvals and evaluation. More fundamentally differences in interpretation of the Care Act mean that the definition of a carer direct payment varies between authorities.
Our speakers
We were able to invite a range of speakers to offer their insight and experience to the group:
First and foremost, carers with lived experience gave us their vision for direct payments, the importance of communicating the offer to carers, of reducing bureaucracy and of understanding the true value of the impact of purchases made through direct payments.
Our directors gave national, local and personal context to frame the day and our activities and help us understand how our work fits into the wider health and social care picture.
Expert carers leads explained clearly the statutory duties and responsibilities under the Care Act, which helped to clarify the difference between law and local policy.
We were also fortunate to have a local authority explain how they use a number of expert local organisations fulfil key direct payment functions- recruitment, payroll and brokerage. This approach has reduced the burden on social workers and the numbers and quality of direct payments have flourished as a result.
Front line workers gave us colourful examples of the innovative ways they have used direct payments from support for education and days out to flying lessons and chicken feed! Such different and varied examples that all had a common theme- a seemingly small amount of money made a big difference to that carer’s wellbeing.
There is often much discussion about avoiding carer breakdown, but the mood at the conference was more positive, focussing on a carer’s own identity outside of caring, how they can have time to remember who they are as a person, and how direct payments offer the flexibility to achieve this.
Our workshop
Our final session of the day was a workshop in which we put the expertise and experience of our delegates to good use. We provided them with a simple grid to complete
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Direct Payments for Carers |
Key challenges |
How to overcome |
Key principle for the region |
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Access |
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Range of uses |
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Eligibility |
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Approval process |
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Evaluation/ outcomes |
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Our delegates set to work and quickly identified key principles they would like to see:
- Clear, transparent processes and eligibility criteria
- Person-centred guidance and interpretation of the Care Act
- Flexible, meaningful use of DPs
- Emergency pathways for carers at risk of breakdown
- A shift from valuing savings to valuing lived experiences
Outcomes
The energy, enthusiasm and sense of community in the room was palpable, although impossible to measure. There was a real sense that between all the stakeholders, we each had a piece of the puzzle that was working really well, we just need the space to fit that puzzle together.
Feedback from delegates was overwhelmingly positive, one comment reads:
“As a non-member of the network, I felt welcome and included. The sessions were informative, thought-provoking and paced well to maximise engagement. It was a fantastic opportunity for me to attend and I'm grateful for the inspiration that it has given my colleague and me. I would be very happy to support with the development of regional principles and attend future events based around DPs”
Next steps
There is a strong desire to develop key principles for Carers Direct Payments across the region, and a wide range of delegates offered their commitment to take this forward and develop these principles.
It was noted that whilst we had great social care and carer representation we were missing links with NHS colleagues and organisations, and wider national policy networks. We will need to make and cement these links to ensure any principles/ guidance produced fits into the wider policy agenda.
Conference summary by Anna Walker
WM-ADASS Improvement Director Pete Jackson attended the event and wrote some reflections:
The Courage to Show Up: Reflections from the West Midlands Carers' Leads Conference
This quote stayed with me throughout the West Midlands ADASS Carers' Leads Conference. The day was a reminder that improving support for carers requires just that — showing up, listening deeply, and accepting that the way forward isn’t always clear, but progress depends on us being present.
We brought together carers, carers leads, social workers, commissioners, policy makers, and people with lived experience from across the region. The energy was tangible: stories shared, assumptions challenged, and experiences honoured.
Learning from Lived Experience
One of the most inspiring conversations I had was with a mother caring for four children — three with autism and one with a learning disability. Her positivity about her children and her role as a carer was matched by her activism. She sits on multiple forums, using her experiences to shape policy and practice. It was a humbling reminder that carers are not just people needing help — they are leaders and advocates in their own right.
A phrase that resonated through the day was:
“We all need a Sam.”
A Sam is that vital person who can navigate the space between carers, social workers, and commissioners — making the complex system of support clearer, kinder, and more accessible.
There was rich discussion about Direct Payments (DPs) and their transformative potential when used flexibly. The ‘chicken feed’ analogy captured this perfectly — sometimes a small amount of money can make all the difference, like buying feed for chickens that give a carer a reason to get up in the morning. Others mentioned air fryers, hairdresser appointments, even skydiving. It reinforced that personalisation means recognising that relief and wellbeing look different for everyone.
Yet, we still too often measure value in £ saved, rather than in the lived relief and joy these small supports bring. That’s a perspective we need to shift.
A poignant theme was the uncertainty carers face about the future — especially what happens when they can no longer care. One parent asked, “Who will care for my children when I’m gone?” It’s a question we cannot shy away from — we need systems that plan with families, not just for them.
I was personally touched by those who told me they’d followed my own cancer journey. It’s a reminder that our personal stories travel further than we think, and that connection is built in unexpected ways.
There was also recognition that health colleagues were notably absent from the room. Their perspectives are critical — especially when so much of caring is intertwined with health needs.
Towards Regional Principles
A clear call emerged: the need to co-produce regional principles for carers support — a foundation that all 14 West Midlands councils could adopt. Not a rigid model, but a shared commitment to:
Clear, transparent processes and eligibility criteria
Person-centred guidance and interpretation of the Care Act
Flexible, meaningful use of DPs
Emergency pathways for carers at risk of breakdown
A shift from valuing savings to valuing lived experiences
The Team That Made It Happen
A huge thank you to my colleagues Anna, Keymn, and Kieran, who made the day happen with such professionalism, energy, and compassion. They created a space where every voice mattered, where carers, commissioners, and practitioners could speak openly and leave with purpose.
Their dedication behind the scenes ensured that this wasn’t just a conference — it was a catalyst.
Final Thoughts
What I took away is simple: caring is undervalued, yet it makes the world go round. A little support can go a long way — but only if we keep showing up, listening, Participants from across the West Midlands — carers, carers leads, commissioners, and social workers — gathered with a shared commitment to improve support for carers across our region.and acting with humanity.
As Brené Brown says — we can’t control every outcome, but we can control our willingness to show up.
About the Network
The Network meets bi-monthly online to support the West Midlands Improvement Programme, providing information, improvement and best practice sharing for carer leads across the region.
The Network recognises family carers as a key part of building a sustainable care market and social care workforce and works to:
- enable the successful implementation of national policy on health and care
- support carers in building a resilient adult social care and NHS system supporting people to live active and purposeful lives
- promote carers as part of the WM ADASS commitment to promote social justice and narrow the gap in health outcomes for those facing inequalities
The Network is sponsored by Peter Tomlin, Director of Adult Services, Stoke City Council and co-chaired by Caroline Potter, a strategic commissioner at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and Sue Eagle, a commissioning team manager at Sandwell Council. The network is supported by WM ADASS Associate Anna Walker.