For many the experience of providing unpaid care can be both incredibly rewarding and challenging. That’s why it is so crucial to have access to all the support you can as a carer, which is where the Carer’s Assessment comes in.

The Carer’s Assessment is a free service that assesses how an individual providing care is coping with the experience, and what can or should be done to support them. The assessment is available for anyone over the age of 18 who regularly provides unpaid care for someone.

Taking the assessment can be the first step towards you receiving vital support for yourself and the individual that you care for. The Carer’s Assessment is not about testing whether you are good enough at caring, rather it is about seeing what can be done to make your life and caring responsibilities easier to manage.

What is the Carer’s Assessment?

The Carer’s Assessment involves an individual from the council, or an organisation working with the council, asking you about how you are dealing with being a carer. Questions and conversations throughout the discussion will unpack how providing care is affecting your life, including your ability to work, your relationships with others, your free time, and both your physical and mental health.

Typically, the assessment will last around an hour but can be more or less depending on the complexity of the care you provide. During the assessment, be sure to give as much detail as possible about how caring impacts your life, as the more information you give provides your council with more reasons to give you support.

You can have someone attend the assessment with you if you would like, this person could be the individual you are caring for or a friend/relative of yours. If you struggle with understanding or speaking up about the care that you provide then you can use an advocate. Advocates can help you understand the process of care and support, discuss how you feel about caring, and act as spokespersons for you during the Carer’s Assessment.

To get a Carer’s Assessment, you should contact adult social services at your local council. The assessment itself can be done in person, over the phone, or online- whatever suits you best.

What Counts as Being a Carer?

Care looks and feels different to everyone providing or receiving it, but it’s important not to doubt your experience.

Caring can look like:

• Providing support for someone with everyday tasks, like dressing, eating, or washing
• Helping get someone out of their home and accompanying them to doctors or dentist appointments
• Providing household support, like cleaning, cooking, shopping
• Supporting individuals with their finances
• Giving an individual emotional support

How to Prepare for a Carer’s Assessment?

Think about, or make a list, of all the ways you provide care or support to the individual you are looking after. It is also important to consider how providing care is affecting you and your life, including your emotional wellbeing.

Key questions to think about before having the Carer’s Assessment:

• Do you have enough free time?
• Is your physical or mental health being affected by caring?
• Can you juggle your work/education with your care responsibilities?
• Does caring negatively impact your emotional wellbeing?
• Have your social life or relationships been affected by being a carer?

What to Bring to a Carer’s Assessment?

• Your contact details, including email and phone number
• Your NHS number (if possible)
• The name, address, and phone number of your GP
• The contact details of anyone who is attending the assessment with you
• The name, address, date of birth, and NHS number of the individual that you are caring for

What Happens After Your Carer’s Assessment?

Your council will inform you of the results of your Carer’s Assessment and, if you qualify, write you a Care and Support Plan that entails how they can help you.

After the assessment you may also be eligible for other support, including:

• Training to help support you with your caring role
• Respite care for the individual you look after, so you can have a break
• Signposting to local charities or support networks
• Emotional support or counselling
• Specialised equipment
• Financial support
• Carer’s Benefits