What is a carer’s assessment?
A carer’s assessment is a conversation to talk about your needs as a carer and how it affects your life. It looks at what could help you carry on caring – it is not an assessment of how well you care for someone.
Am I a carer?
A carer is someone of any age who provides unpaid care, for a few hours a day or more, to a friend or relative who could not manage without their support.
The care they give may be due to age, illness, disability, mental health problems, or substance misuse
What is a carer’s assessment?
A carer’s assessment is a conversation to find out what support you may need in your caring role. It will look at the ways in which caring affects your life and what support you might need to continue in the role.
A carer’s assessment is completed by a social worker or social care assessor. They are professionals who work with individuals and families to address the needs of carers.
How is a carer’s assessment carried out?
You can be assessed on your own or together with the person you care for.
We will talk with you by phone, video, or during a visit about what matters to you and what you find difficult in your day-to-day life. You can also complete a Carer’s Assessment via the online social care portal.
You are welcome to have someone with you during your assessment. This could be a family member, friend or advocate. An advocate, who is someone who can help you express your needs and wishes and make decisions. Please let us know if you need support during the assessment.
We apply the Care Act 2014, which means your caring role must be significantly impacting on your physical and mental health, or may do in the future, meaning you are unable to achieve certain outcomes. A carer’s assessment is a conversation to talk about your needs as a carer and how it affects your life. It looks at what could help you carry on caring – it is not an assessment of how well you care for someone.
Some information that we ask about is of a sensitive nature, but we use this to ensure our support meets your needs, and so we can provide you with personalised information and advice; this is in line with our Privacy Notice.
What happens after a carer’s assessment?
If you are eligible, we will work with you to agree a support plan that sets out what support you need, who will provide it, and your personal goals.
You’ll be offered another carer’s assessment usually within 12 months, or sooner if things change, to review your plan to make sure it still meets your needs.
If you are not eligible, we will provide information and advice about what support might be available to help you in your caring role.
You can come back to us at any time if your needs change by contacting Staffordshire Cares on 0300 111 8010
What are the benefits of a carer’s assessment?
It is a chance to discuss your caring role and how it affects you.
It enables you to be formally recognised in your role as a carer. A carer’s assessment can help you feel more supported, less isolated and more aware of the help that is available to you in your caring role.
Support could include:
- Practical help with housework or gardening
- Breaks from caring via respite care for the person you care for
- Support to improve your wellbeing (e.g., emotional support, exercise classes, social activities or
- Advice about benefits, including carer’s allowance
- Information on local support group
Will I have to pay?
A carer's assessment is free of charge, and any services set up specifically to support you as a carer will also not be charged.
If the person that you care for has any support services, we will complete a financial assessment to see if they might need to pay.
