A carer’s needs assessment looks at what you need to help you look after the person you are caring for. It is not an assessment of your ability to provide care.
It could give you the chance to think about what help you need in order to make your role as a carer easier for you.
There may be specific services which could help if you provide regular and substantial care and support to someone with long term health or social care needs.
How do I know if I can have a carer’s needs assessment?
You can have a carer’s needs assessment if you provide regular and substantial unpaid care for someone who has long term health or social care needs. You can also have an assessment if you are intending to look after someone with long term health or social care needs, for example if they are due to come out of hospital.
Parent carers
Carer’s needs assessments are also offered to parents who have children under the age of 18 years who are known to children's services. Assessments are offered on request or when carer’s issues are identified during discussion with the family. In particularly complex cases, children’s services will undertake a carer’s needs assessment as part of the child's assessment. You can request a carer’s needs assessment from your child's social worker.
Young carers
Carers who are under the age of 18 are generally referred to as young carers and are also entitled to an assessment. Denbighshire children's services have a responsibility to assess the needs of young carers, but support is also available from action for children, a voluntary organisation which provides support to young carers from the age of 5 to 18 years. For more information contact the first contact team or action for children on 01745 350555.
Does the person I care for have to be receiving help from social services or a community mental health team?
No. Your needs as a carer will be assessed in your own right even if the person you care for chooses not to receive any help from social services or a community mental health team.
Who will carry out the assessment?
The assessment will be carried out by a social worker, or, if you are caring for someone with a mental health condition, by a community psychiatric nurse. However, you can choose to have your assessment carried out by an independent carer assessor. These assessors work with NEWCIS and are not employed by social services or health services.
Will I be charged for having an assessment?
There is no charge for the assessment. You won’t need to give any information about your personal finances, and your benefits won’t be affected.
What kind of things will we talk about?
You will have the opportunity to discuss how you are feeling and how your caring role affects your life, including your health, social life, emotional needs, interests and work.
You can also discuss:
• how things are at home,
• dealing with every day tasks
• the future,
• practical help,
• breaks from caring, and
• dealing with emergencies.
Before the meeting you should think about things that would help you cope with your caring role and what you would find helpful.
When and where can the assessment take place?
The assessment can be carried out at different stages; for example:
• when you first take on a caring role, or
• at a later date when your caring circumstances change.
You can choose when and where the assessment is carried out. It will usually take between 1 - 2 hours.
Who else will be there?
The person you care for would not normally be present during the assessment, but they can be present if you would like.
Usually there is just you and the person carrying out the carers needs assessment, but you can choose to have someone else there to support you.
What will happen after the assessment?
Once the assessment has been completed, a written plan of what might help will be agreed with you. You will be given a copy of the plan to keep.
Arranging a carer’s needs assessment
If you or the person you care for has a social worker or a community psychiatric nurse, you can ask them, or contact the first contact team.
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