Do you need help looking after a relative or friend?
Are You a Carer?
A carer is someone who looks after a relative, friend or disabled child who needs support.
What is a Carers Assessment?
A Carers Assessment is your opportunity to talk about the things that could make life easier for you and look at what would be helpful in your situation. It isn't about testing you as a carer. An assessment may take into account:
• the help the person you care for needs;
• the help you are giving at the moment;
• the impact of caring on your health and opportunities for work, education, training or leisure activities;
• any cultural ,spiritual, gender lifestyle or other needs you may have; and
• what support we can give you as a carer, if you are eligible.
Are you entitled to a Carers Assessment?
As a carer you will be entitled to an assessment if you provide or intend to provide regular and substantial amounts of care.
You will also be able to contribute to the assessment of the person you care for, although if they refuse this assessment you are still entitled to a carers assessment in your own right.
Regular and substantial amounts of care
Regular and substantial amounts of care is where a carer provides personal and physical help through a range of helping activities - approx 20 hours or more a week. You should tell the person who makes the assessment if:
• your caring role is substantial
• your caring role involves more supervision, emotional support and responsibility for somebody with mental health issues.
This includes people who care for someone who misuses drugs or alcohol.
• you are a young carer.
• your caring role is less than 20 hours per week but intensive, or other family members or friends contribute to that level of care.
• there is a risk to your caring role not being kept up.
If you want more information or want to request an assessment, contact us at one of our offices or email us at: social.services@staffordshire.gov.uk so we can arrange to assess your needs. You can also ask for a service or ask for more information online.
"Staffordshire County Council is not responsible for any content in external links from this page."
Information about your caring role is also available from:
North Staffs Carers Association Carers Association Southern Staffordshire Free Mental Health Helpline 0808 800 2234
Crossroads Carers UK - for details of the Right Care, Right Deal campaign, which hopes to build public awareness and support for the need for brave and innovative solutions for the social care system for older and disabled people, their families and carers.
We also have a strategic plan below which aims to develop and improve services to support carers.
A Strategy for Carers 2005 -2008
Our first newsletter for carers is attached below. Future editions will be produced quarterly.
Staffordshire Carers Newsletter - November 2008 (pdf, 1732 kb)
Last Modified:
04/11/2008 10:24:38
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