Assessing Your Needs

Carers Needs Assessments

Are you caring for a relative or friend without being paid?

If you are a carer, or you think you might be taking on a caring role in the near future, you are entitled to a carers needs assessment. This may be offered at the same time as the person you care for has an assessment or you may ask for it at a later date.

Why should I have a carers needs assessment?

A carers needs assessment is exactly what it sounds like - it is a way for us to find out what your needs are as a carer. It is a chance for you to think about yourself, and your caring role. It is not an assessment of how 'good' you are as a carer.

It is an opportunity for us to recognise and acknowledge the contribution that you make to the support of the person you care for, and to record what your needs are as a carer. It's also a chance to think about the kind of help you may need, or any services which may help you or the person you care for.

Most importantly, you can discuss whether you are willing and able to continue to care. It may have become too physically or mentally difficult for you, or you may be finding it hard to juggle work / studying with caring.

Who qualifies for a carers needs assessment?

To be eligible for a carers needs assessment, the following criteria usually have to be met:

• The person you care for must be eligible for support from social services
• The carer must be over the age of 16
• The carer must be providing (or intending to provide) a substantial amount of care on a regular basis

The person you care for doesn't necessarily have to be getting support from social services, but they must be eligible for it. For more information on the eligibility criteria, please click on the 'Needs Assessment' link on the right hand side.

You also qualify for an assessment if you are expecting to become a carer for example, if someone is coming out of hospital or moving to live with you. Parent carers of disabled children are also entitled to a carers assessment.

It is recommended that carers assessments should be reviewed annually or whenever there is a change in circumstances.

What will happen during the assessment?

You can choose where you would like to have the assessment, it doesn't have to be in your home. You will have the opportunity to talk about your caring role with a qualified person. This is usually a social worker or care manager, but it can also be someone from Islington Carers Centre or Centre 404. You can have a relative, friend or advocate with you for support if you like. The person you care for may also be present, but carers often find it easier to talk openly about their needs away from the person they care for.

Is there anything I can do to prepare for the carers assessment?

Many carers find it hard to list all that is involved in caring, as some tasks can also be thought of as a natural part of the relationship they have with the person they look after. This is especially true when looking after someone with mental health needs. Before the assessment you may want to agree with the person you care for which points you plan to raise.

Think carefully and maybe make notes about all you want to tell the assessor about your situation or keep a diary tracking the caring tasks you do for a week or two prior to your meeting. The information you share should include all the tasks you do on behalf of the person you care for, as well as information about the impact this has on you - mention everything that is worrying you, even if you think it might not be possible to find answers/solutions to your problems.

Take a look at the Carers Self Assessment Questionnaire - you can download it at the bottom of this page.

Some things you might like to think about before the assessment:

• Does the person you care for live with you, or at a different address, or in a care home?
• Total time you spend caring
• The type of caring tasks you undertake and the physical and emotional pressures they put on you
• Do you have extra household duties, such as more washing?
• The intensity and pattern of caring – can you leave the person you look after?
• Are you able to go out and about?
• The care and support you and the person you care for are already receiving from relatives, friends or professionals
• Are other family members, including your children, affected by the caring situation?
• Are your relationships with other family members affected by your caring role?
• Have you had to give up employment or would you like to return to employment?
• Do you have any financial worries?
• Are you or the person you are caring for currently receiving any benefits?
• Do you spend time travelling to and from the caring situation?
• Your state of health, your level of fitness and ability to carry out caring
• Do you get any time for yourself?
• Is your natural sleep pattern disturbed?
• Do you have aches and pains due to lifting?
• Do you feel stressed, depressed, worried, nervous, exhausted or troubled?
• Do you feel isolated or lonely?
• Do you want to continue to care / are you able to continue to care?

Do I have to pay for a carers assessment?

No, you do not have to pay for the assessment or for advice or information but you might have to make a contribution towards other services provided. If this is likely, it will be explained in your assessment.

What might be the possible outcomes of a carers assessment?

You may be able to get more help for the person you care for, if they agree, such as:

• A Personal Budget to meet their needs. For more information on this, please see the 'Choice and Control' pages on the right
• Personal or practical care at home, day or night
• Meals on Wheels
• Day Care, including activities and social contact with other people
• Adaptations to the home
• 24 hour emergency alarm system

As a carer you may be able to get help with:

• A Personal Budget. These are cash payments that are given to you instead of a service from social services. For example, if your carer's needs assessment shows that you need regular breaks, but you don't want to use our services, you can opt to have the cost of this service paid to you instead. Personal Budgets are not a benefit and will not affect any benefits you are already receiving. If you are able and willing to manage a Personal Budget it may give you greater flexibility, control and choice over the support provided.
• Carers Emergency Card - please see the website on the right for more information on this.
• St John Ambulance Carer Support Programme and other support programmes- a support programme for carers covering basic first aid, moving and handling, stress management, continencec management and benefits advice. Click on the 'Support Programmes' link to the right for more information.
• Finding support groups and other organisations that would be able to offer emotional support, information and practical help, for example the Islington Carers Centre.
• Advice on benefits available to carers - Carer's Allowance, Pension Credit, Income Support or Housing Benefit.
• Training or adult education.

Who do I contact if I want to request a carers assessment?

• If you are caring for an adult, contact the Access Service on:
  Telephone: 020 7527 2299
  Email: access.service@islington.gov.uk
  Address: Calshot Community Care Centre, 57 Calshot Street. N1 9XH
• If you care for someone with mental health needs, contact your relevant Community Mental Health Team. A list of these can be found on the 'Mental Health Services' page on the right
• If you care for a disabled child a carer's assessment may be done as part of an assessment of needs of your child and family. For advice on which specialist team you need, contact them at 292 Essex Road, London. N1 3AZ
  
• Your GP or district nurse may contact social services on your behalf

Further Information

There is a leaflet you can download from the bottom of this page called 'A Guide to Carers Needs Assessments'. This leaflet is also available to download below in community languages.

If you want to have a look at the carers needs assessment form itself, you can also download it from the bottom of this page. You can complete this yourself if you like and send it back to the Information and Access team at the address above.

Follow the links on the right for more information on adult and children's social services and information from the government on carers assessments.