Carers

Support for carers
This information contains details of what you, as a Carer, have the right to expect from the Social Services Department.

Our aim is to provide quality services which are co-ordinated and of a consistently high standard.

The Carers (Recognition and Service) Act 1995 and the Carers and Disabled Children Act, 2000 entitles carers to have their needs assessed in their own right.  When agreeing support services for the cared for person, we also have to take carers needs into account.

Who are carers?
“A Carer is someone who is looking after a family member or friends who need care, help or support.  Carers can be adults caring for other adults, parents caring for ill or disabled children under the age of 18 or young carers aged under 18 who care for another family member.”

As a carer, what can I expect from Social Services?
The Social Services Department is part of a multi agency group which aims to support carers. The key principles of this group are:

 

• Informal carers provide the majority of care in the community and this contribution will be recognised; carers will be listened to and their role recognised and valued.
• Carers have a wealth of knowledge and experience about the care they provide and will be seen as partners in the provision of this care.
• Carers will be empowered to make more choices for themselves and have more control over their own lives, so that individual wishes can be respected.
• Carers will be supported to continue to provide care for as long as they are able and wherever feasible, supported to allow a normal a life as possible.  Not everyone will be able, or wish to be a carer and this will be acknowledged and respected.
• Services will be equally accessible to people regardless of age, gender, disability, culture or race.
• The identification of new carers and provision of assessments will remain an ongoing priority.
• Carers will be respected and valued as people in their own right with their own needs as carers, separate from the needs of the people for whom they care.

Assessment
As a carer your needs will be assessed, if you want this.  This assessment will focus on your needs and how you see your needs being met.  The assessment meeting will be arranged to suit you.

What happens next?
Following the assessment we will discuss the levels of help you provide.  The assessment will list all of the tasks you do and from this we can agree how best to help you.