Carer’s Assessment

Ask for a Carer’s Assessment

The Care Act gives all unpaid carers of an adult the legal right to an assessment of their needs, called a Carer’s Assessment. This gives you the opportunity to talk about your needs as a carer and what would help you with your caring responsibilities.

Carers are entitled to an assessment in their own right regardless of whether or not the person they care for has had one or wants one.

There is no charge for an assessment. Many councils use guidelines to determine if people are able to receive services, which means the needs identified in the assessment will be compared against the council’s eligibility criteria.

Carers who are not assessed as being able to receive services should be given information about local voluntary organisations and services that can be accessed independently.

About the Assessment

A Carer’s Assessment is not a test and there are no right or wrong answers. It gives you the opportunity to reflect upon how caring affects your life and how your needs may be met by social services or other support agencies.

It will include:

  • Tasks undertaken and time involved
  • Difficulties encountered in caring
  • How you feel about your caring role
  • How you are coping with the level of care you are providing
  • What impact caring is having on your health and well-being, employment, study and leisure interests
  • What help and support would improve the situation
  • What would you do in an emergency

How to get the most out of an assessment

You should think of an assessment as your chance to tell social services about the sorts of things that would make caring easier for you.

It may be helpful to think about the sorts of tasks undertaken for the person you care for, such as:

  • Help with dressing, washing, shopping, banking, medication
  • How it’s affecting your relationships with other people
  • If the person being cared for is getting enough help
  • If you are getting enough or any time to yourself to take a break or enjoy a hobby or leisure activity
  • If caring is having an impact on your own health.

What sort of help could I get?

The sort of help you may get include:

  • Practical support to help look after the person you care for
  • Respite care, breaks and a personal budget to help relieve the stress of caring
  • Adaptations, alarms and equipment
  • Advice and support on managing stress and looking after your health
  • Emergency back-up planning.

Carer’s Personal Budget

When Reading Borough Council look at your Carer’s Assessment, they may offer you:

  • advice and support to help you manage caring and look after your own health
  • information about local organisations and groups supporting carers
  • a Carer’s Personal Budget

If you meet the eligiblity criteria set out in the Care Act and if you have identified things you would like to buy to help you in your caring role, Reading Borough Council may offer you a Carer’s Personal Budget.

The sorts of things that carers have used a Personal Budget for in the past include:

  • kitchen equipment
  • IT equipment
  • massage sessions.

If you are caring for an adult with a learning disability and/or autism, please contact Reading Mencap for a Carer’s Assessment. Call us on 0118 926 3600 or email carers@readingmencap.org.uk