Carers Assessments

You may have heard the term ‘Carers Assessment’ in the media or been advised to have one by a doctor, or social worker etc but you may be unsure what one actually entails? Firstly it is not a way of judging you as a spouse, parent or child: it is an opportunity for you to express your feelings and needs as a Carer. The purpose is to find out what impact your caring responsibilities have on you and what support you might need to continue your caring role should you wish to do so. It is not about imposing things on you but it will hopefully present you with options that can help you in your caring role.

There are many ways to have a Carers Assessment. We aim to offer you an individualised assessment so offer a wide-range of methods to suit your individual needs:

• We offer an online-self assessment which may be a good option if you are busy during office hours or are looking primarily for advice and information.
  
• Our Carers Support Line can provide a telephone assessment which again is ideal for those who want quick access to advice and information.
  
• We are rolling out group assessments and support planning. This is great if you are happy discussing your caring role with other Carers with the aim of getting ideas and mutual support from those in similar situations. Of course this isn’t for everyone and all other assessments are entirely private.
  
• We have a team of Carer Support Workers who are based throughout the county and can complete a Carers Assessment with you. You can self-refer or refer someone else (with their consent)
  
• If required we also offer an easy read Carers Assessment. Please contact our Support Line if you need assistance with this or any aspect of your Carers Assessment.
  
• We have been carrying out Carers Assessments for Northamptonshire County Council for many years. The legal right to an assessment for Carers has been reinforced in the 2014 Care Act and we are continuing to work with the County Council to provide these. If you want more detailed information on Carers Assessments and their legal underpinning, please view our fact sheets.

Although we are funded by the County Council to provide Carer Assessments we realise that an assessment is nothing without the services that can make the subsequent support plan worthwhile. To do this we rely on different types of help from individuals and organisations. To see how you may be able to help us click here.

Advocacy

Under the 2014 Care Act you may be able to receive an advocate to support you through your Carers Assessment. These are provided by Total Voice Northamptonshire.