Under the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995, and the Carers and Disabled Children's Act 2000, carers have specific rights. One of these is the carer’s right to have an assessment of their own needs.

A carer's assessment is an opportunity for you to meet with a social worker or health worker to:

  • look at what help you need to support you as a carer
  • find out what help and support may be available
  • make a decision about what to do next

To be eligible for a carer's assessment you must:

  • be looking after, or intending to look after, someone who has community care needs (even if they have not had a community care assessment or are not receiving services themselves); and
  • be providing or intending to provide a substantial amount of care on a regular basis

How do I get an assessment?

You can ask for a separate assessment of your needs as a carer at any time. If the person you care for is having an assessment you may choose to have your needs as a carer taken into account as part of this assessment process. You can contact Social Services to ask for an assessment or you can ask your GP or District Nurse to contact them on your behalf.

Young carers are entitled to a carer's assessment even if the person they care for does not have an assessment.

During the carer’s assessment you will have an opportunity to discuss the help you are giving, your own needs, any difficulties you may be having, and find out about available services.

The carer’s assessment will not automatically provide you with additional services. However, it will help Social Services to make a proper informed decision about the level of support and services that are required. It will also give you an opportunity to make clear what help you need.

Things to think about before an assessment

Before the meeting talk things over with the person you are caring for. Agree, as far as possible, what kind of support you both need.

  • You can have a friend or adviser at the meeting
  • If you wish, the person you care for need not be present so that you can express your wishes more freely
  • You may find it useful to have a note of what you do every day so that everyone can see what you do, and which times of the day are most stressful
  • The meeting is an ideal opportunity for you to explore alternative forms of care if you are unable to continue
  • Think about what would really help you to continue to manage your caring role and discuss this with the assessor

Things to think about when having an assessment

  • Do you get enough time for yourself?
  • Is the person you care for getting enough help?
  • Do you get enough sleep?
  • Is your health affected by being a carer?
  • Are you able to get out and about?
  • Are your relationships with other people affected?
  • Do you want information about benefits?
  • Are you worried you may have to give up work?

After the assessment

Deciding your eligibility

There are eligibility criteria to make sure that services are provided fairly to support those people who need them most. To help decide who can get support, Social Services use a government framework called Fair Access to Care Services. For carers, Social Services base their decision on your individual needs and the risks posed to your ability to sustain your caring role. In coming to a decision they will pay particular attention to:

  • Health and safety: is this suffering/deteriorating due to maintaining your caring role
  • Autonomy: your freedom to chose the type of tasks you perform, and time you can give to your caring role
  • Daily routines: the ability to manage your own domestic tasks and other daily routines while sustaining your caring role
  • Involvement: the extent to which carers are able to maintain relationships, employment, interests and commitments alongside caring responsibilities

The risk factors are grouped into four bandings, critical (the highest), substantial, moderate and low. Social Services can provide funded community care services for critical and substantial risks only. They can also provide services to stabilise risks that are moderate now but could increase in the future and become substantial or critical.

Direct Payments - Arranging your own care

Once you have been assessed as eligible for community care services, Social Services will offer you the choice of a Direct Payment. This is money paid to you to arrange and buy the services you have been assessed as needing. This is an alternative to having services arranged by Social Services. The benefit of this option is the increased control and choice you have over your services.

For more information about Direct Payments please click here.

Care plan

Your assessed needs and the services you can get will be summarised in a Care Plan. You will be given a copy of this.

Charging

As a Carer you will not be assessed to pay a contribution towards your support although for Residential Respite care a contribution or/and top up may be payable Please discuss with your social work office or/and see information on charging.