If you look after someone regularly, you may be able to have a carer’s assessment. This assessment looks at the care or support you provide and how it affects your life. The assessment is for you, the carer, not for the person who needs your support or care.
You must be a ‘regular and substantial’ carer in line with the provisions of the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2004.
What we can do for you
- Offer an assessment of need to the person you look after. The person you look after may be eligible for direct payments to organise their own services, or we can arrange these services for you. A leaflet describing direct payments can be downloaded.
- Offer you a carers assessment of need if you provide regular and substantial care. This looks at your own needs including staying in or accessing employment, training and leisure. The assessment can lead to services to support you such as housework or a short break from caring. You may be eligible for direct payments to organise your own services. Your needs are also taken into consideration when arranging care for the person you look after.
- Offer advice and information about benefits, helpful local resources and organisations, activities and care at home to give you a break.
- Put you in touch with other carers through carers groups organised by Carers Lewisham and other local organisations.
- An out of hours service is available from Lewisham Council on 020 8314 6000.
- Offer an Emergency Alert card and help you prepare a back- up plan to care for the person you look after in case of an emergency.
Who is eligible for a carers assessment?
Provision of different services depends on the needs of the person you care for and on your own needs. Anyone who provides regular and substantial unpaid help to someone who is frail, disabled, mentally or physically ill is eligible for their own carer assessment of need from Lewisham Social Care and Health. You do not have to live in the same house or be related to the person you look after. You are eligible for your own assessment of need even if the person you care for has refused an assessment or services themselves.
Why should I have a carer’s assessment?
It gives you a chance to talk about:
- the support you provide
- how caring affects your life
- what you find difficult at the moment
- any concerns for the future
- the support you may need to carry on caring
- how you might be able to take up employment or training opportunities.
How to get a carers assessment?
- Contact Lewisham Social Services 020 8314 6000 and tell them you would like a carers assessment. We will put you in contact with the local care management team.
- Contact Lewisham Carers centre 020 8699 8686 They will be able to give you more advice and information or ask for an assessment on your behalf.
What will I be asked?
You will be asked:
- What sort of things you do to support the person you care for? For example you might help them dress, use the toilet, move around, make sure they are safe or help them with medicine and hospital appointments.
- How caring affects your life. For example, how caring affects your own health, if it makes it difficult for you to work, how it affects your relationship with your family or friends, or whether or not you get time for yourself.
Before the assessment
It might also help if you keep a diary for a few weeks before the assessment and make a note of what you do to help the person you care for and how caring is affecting you day by day.
After the assessment
Carers find that having a carer’s assessment can be useful. It can help them take stock and think more clearly about their caring situation.
It can also help you to get more practical help and support such as breaks from caring, referrals for complementary therapy, advice, counselling and local support groups. This help could be from Social Services but may also be from other organisations.
Any services that are provided to you as a carer can be provided to you by a direct payment so that you can arrange your own service.
Carers Lewisham
Carers Lewisham is a local organisation which offers support to carers. Support includes advice, information, carers groups, short breaks, help with benefits, counselling and training. For an information pack or other support contact Lewisham Carers Centre whose contact details are below.