Dept of Health leaflet for carers on Carers Assessments is online at http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/08/02/37/04080237.pdf
Carers Assessments should be available to all carers but not all areas have the system or staff in place yet.
The most relevant bit I think is - What your assessment is for
Your carer’s assessment is your
opportunity to tell social services
about the things that could make
caring easier for you
Some things you may want to think
about :
➢ Do you get enough sleep?
➢ Is your health affected in other ways?
➢ Are you able to get out and about?
➢ Do you get any time for yourself?
➢ Are your other relationships affected?
➢ Do you want information about
benefits?
➢ Are you worried you may have to give
up work?
➢ Is the person you care for getting
enough help?
THEN WHOLE TEXT IS :-
How to get help in
looking after someone
A Carers guide to a carers
assessment
If you look after a relative, disabled child or
friend and caring has a major impact in your
life then a carer’s assessment could help you.
1. You are a “carer” if you look after a
relative, friend or disabled child who
needs support to live at home. Your
local council Social Services
Department may be able to help to
make things easier for you.
2. They can provide services to the
person you care for. They can also
provide services for you.
3. To work out what services would be
helpful in your situation, social
services need to discuss
• The help the person you care for
needs
• The help you are giving at the
moment
• The services your council may
provide.
The way this is done is called an
“assessment”
4. You as a carer may be involved in
several ways:
• If you care for a disabled child
your needs will be considered as
part of an assessment of needs of
your child and family
• If you care for an adult you can
have a carers assessment to discuss
the help that you need. This can
happen even if the person you care
for refuses help. You should also be
able to contribute to the
discussion of the needs of the
person you care for (their
Community Care assessment).
5. What your assessment is for
Your carer’s assessment is your
opportunity to tell social services
about the things that could make
caring easier for you
Some things you may want to think
about :
➢ Do you get enough sleep?
➢ Is your health affected in other ways?
➢ Are you able to get out and about?
➢ Do you get any time for yourself?
➢ Are your other relationships affected?
➢ Do you want information about
benefits?
➢ Are you worried you may have to give
up work?
➢ Is the person you care for getting
enough help?
6. What sort of services might help you:
• services that give you a break
• emotional support from other carers
or people who understand
• help with household tasks
• help with caring tasks during the
day/night
• benefits advice
• activities for the person you care for
However all carers are individuals and your
local council may provide any service to
you that they think will help you care or
help you maintain your wellbeing. So you
may have some ideas of your own about
services that would help you that you want
to talk through with social services. Other
services that you might want to discuss
with them are those that may help the
person you look after.
Other things you may want social
services to tell you about :
• Local or national support organisations
you could contact
• Other help you could get
• Any charges for services
• What to do if you wish to complain
Contacting social services
to ask for an assessment.
The telephone number of your local council social
services department will be found in your local
telephone directory under local authority and then
community information, or speak to your own GP.
Other useful contacts for carers
Carers National Association 0808 808 7777
(CNA) www.carers.uk.demon.co.uk
Contact a Family 020 7383 3555
www.cafamily.org.uk
Crossroads caring for carers 01788 573653
www.crossroads.org.uk
Princess Royal Trust for 020 7480 7788
Carers (PRTC) www.carers.org
Your local social services department will tell you
about other local organisations.
The Department of Health carers web site may
be found at www.carers.gov.uk
Carers Assessments should be available to all carers but not all areas have the system or staff in place yet.
The most relevant bit I think is - What your assessment is for
Your carer’s assessment is your
opportunity to tell social services
about the things that could make
caring easier for you
Some things you may want to think
about :
➢ Do you get enough sleep?
➢ Is your health affected in other ways?
➢ Are you able to get out and about?
➢ Do you get any time for yourself?
➢ Are your other relationships affected?
➢ Do you want information about
benefits?
➢ Are you worried you may have to give
up work?
➢ Is the person you care for getting
enough help?
THEN WHOLE TEXT IS :-
How to get help in
looking after someone
A Carers guide to a carers
assessment
If you look after a relative, disabled child or
friend and caring has a major impact in your
life then a carer’s assessment could help you.
1. You are a “carer” if you look after a
relative, friend or disabled child who
needs support to live at home. Your
local council Social Services
Department may be able to help to
make things easier for you.
2. They can provide services to the
person you care for. They can also
provide services for you.
3. To work out what services would be
helpful in your situation, social
services need to discuss
• The help the person you care for
needs
• The help you are giving at the
moment
• The services your council may
provide.
The way this is done is called an
“assessment”
4. You as a carer may be involved in
several ways:
• If you care for a disabled child
your needs will be considered as
part of an assessment of needs of
your child and family
• If you care for an adult you can
have a carers assessment to discuss
the help that you need. This can
happen even if the person you care
for refuses help. You should also be
able to contribute to the
discussion of the needs of the
person you care for (their
Community Care assessment).
5. What your assessment is for
Your carer’s assessment is your
opportunity to tell social services
about the things that could make
caring easier for you
Some things you may want to think
about :
➢ Do you get enough sleep?
➢ Is your health affected in other ways?
➢ Are you able to get out and about?
➢ Do you get any time for yourself?
➢ Are your other relationships affected?
➢ Do you want information about
benefits?
➢ Are you worried you may have to give
up work?
➢ Is the person you care for getting
enough help?
6. What sort of services might help you:
• services that give you a break
• emotional support from other carers
or people who understand
• help with household tasks
• help with caring tasks during the
day/night
• benefits advice
• activities for the person you care for
However all carers are individuals and your
local council may provide any service to
you that they think will help you care or
help you maintain your wellbeing. So you
may have some ideas of your own about
services that would help you that you want
to talk through with social services. Other
services that you might want to discuss
with them are those that may help the
person you look after.
Other things you may want social
services to tell you about :
• Local or national support organisations
you could contact
• Other help you could get
• Any charges for services
• What to do if you wish to complain
Contacting social services
to ask for an assessment.
The telephone number of your local council social
services department will be found in your local
telephone directory under local authority and then
community information, or speak to your own GP.
Other useful contacts for carers
Carers National Association 0808 808 7777
(CNA) www.carers.uk.demon.co.uk
Contact a Family 020 7383 3555
www.cafamily.org.uk
Crossroads caring for carers 01788 573653
www.crossroads.org.uk
Princess Royal Trust for 020 7480 7788
Carers (PRTC) www.carers.org
Your local social services department will tell you
about other local organisations.
The Department of Health carers web site may
be found at www.carers.gov.uk
