Carers Assessment
As a Carer you have a right to your own assessment. If you regularly provide a substantial amount of care for you friend or relative, you have a legal right to ask Social Care and Health to carry out a Carer’s Assessment. The Carer’s Assessment should look at your ability and willingness to continue to provide care. It should take account of your circumstances, age, views, preferences and the amount of support you already have. It should not assume that you want to continue providing the same amount of care.Before the Assessment:
We suggest you take a little time to read the Guide to Carers Needs Assessment
- Think about what you want to talk about and write this down
- Ask for an assessor to work through the form with you rather than fill it out on your own
- Do you need a friend, relative or someone else (such as a CASS Outreach Worker) with you during the assessment to help you put your views and concerns forward?
- Can you understand any letters or forms about the person you are helping to care for, or are they too complicated? Too much jargon?
- Does the person you care for have needs you wish to discuss e.g.transport needs?
- Ask the assessor for names and telephone numbers which may be helpful
Emergency Duty Team at Social Care and Health
Social Worker
NHS Direct
Social Worker
NHS Direct
Disability Team
If there is someone in the house who is under 18-years of age and they are providing regular and substantial care for someone with a disability or illness – they are a young carer.
Remember
Remember
The Carers Assessment is your right. It is not a test to see how good you are, but used to identify any support that can be put in place to enable you to continue to care if you want to.
Benefits of a Carers Assessment
- Recognition of your role as a carer
- An opportunity to flag up concerns that you have with your caring role or the care provided to the cared for from other sources such as Social Care and Health
- The opportunity to discuss what you would want to happen if you were unable to provide care e.g. because of illness
- Gets you into the system so the professional know you are there
- Gives service planners a better idea about how many carers there actually are when planning services
CASS Guide to Carers Needs Assessment:
Staffordshire County Council - Carers Assessment Information:
www.staffordshire.gov.uk/health/carers/getsupport/
www.staffordshire.gov.uk/health/carers/getsupport/
Direct Gov – information on Carers Assessments:
www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/CaringAndSupportServices/DG_10026286
Carers UK – Carers Assessment Guide:
http://www.carersuk.org/professionals/order-publications/item/289-how-do-i-get-help?-assessments-made-clear-ew1017
http://www.carersuk.org/professionals/order-publications/item/289-how-do-i-get-help?-assessments-made-clear-ew1017
Staffordshire County Council: Carers - How to get support:
www.nhs.uk/CarersDirect/carerslives/updates/Documents/flashcard-carers-assessment.pdf
NHS Carers Direct - Information on Community Care Assessments for the cared for:
