Carers and Carers Assessment

Am I a Carer?

It takes two years on average for someone to identify themselves as a carer. Many people consider caring as part and parcel of family life and see themselves primarily as a partner, wife, son, sibling, cousin, parent or a close friend. As a result they might not see the need to identify themselves separately as a carer.

But identifying as an unpaid carer can bring benefits such as access to support services, information, validation and access to carers rights.
Overall, identifying as a carer and accessing support can help to enhance wellbeing and many carers feel a greater sense of fulfilment when their role is recognised and valued.

Am I entitled to a Carers Assessment?

The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force on the 6th April 2016.
The Act in Wales applies to people in need, of any age and introduces equivalent rights for carers to those they care for.

If you provide unpaid care for someone you are entitled to a Carers Needs Assessment whether or not you live with the person who you care for, and you can have an assessment regardless of whether the person you care for has had their own assessment, or whether the person you care for is having social care support.

The purpose of a Carers Needs Assessment is to find out what your needs as a Carer are and to help you to access services or support that you may need to help support your wellbeing while you carry out your caring role.

The local council, usually a Social Worker, will carry out the Carers Needs Assessment and there is a clear legal duty on the local council to consider the following:

• they must assess whether you have needs for support or are likely to do so in the future.
• the extent that you are able and willing to provide care and will continue to be able and willing to do so.
• what matters to you and the personal outcomes that you wish to achieve.
• the extent to which support, preventative services, provision of information, advice and assistance can assist you with achieving those outcomes.
• the assessment must also have regard to whether you work, wish to work and whether you are participating or wish to participate in education, training or leisure activities.

A Carers Assessment could result in a Care & Support Plan to help you manage your caring role including accessing breaks from caring.