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After the assessment

Following your meeting you will be sent a letter telling you of your eligibility decision with a copy of your assessment.  

This will include information about:

• actions agreed with you to meet some
• or all, of your needs

If you do not have needs that are eligible, we will give you information and advice about what care and support is available to help you.

Eligibility

There is a different set of eligibility criteria for carers. 

In order to qualify for support, you must meet all three of the conditions below:

1. your needs must come from providing essential care for an adult
2. you are unable to achieve one or more of the everyday tasks or activities (also known as outcomes) as a result of your caring responsibilities
3. there is, or there is likely to be, a significant impact on your physical and/or mental wellbeing as a result of not being able to do one or more of the everyday tasks or activities

Everyday tasks:

• looking after a child
• caring for other adults
• maintaining your home and keeping it clean and fit to live in.
• eating and drinking
• maintaining, improving or building relationships personal relationships
• managing and maintaining work or volunteering role or participating in training or education
• getting out and about
• engaging in a hobbies or activities that are important to you

For further information take a look at support for adult carers.

Having a conversation with ‘Carers Hub’ is an opportunity to talk about your needs and feelings as a carer. This will help to better understand:

• how your caring role and responsibilities impacts on your life
• the support needed to help you to continue to provide care or to decide who should provide this if you are unable to continue or if it is not appropriate
• the impact your caring role is having on your own mental and physical health and wellbeing and family commitments as well as your work, education, and/or training needs
• if the person you support does not get any help from the council, you are still able to access support and advice as a carer

Support for you can take different formats such as:

• face-to-face contact
• peer-to-peer support
• on the telephone
• contact you with key information, such as emails or newsletters
• 91ÖÆƬ³§County Council and

Becoming a carer can often be overwhelming. You have extra responsibilities, yet you may not know where to turn for support. 

If you would like information and support regarding:

• your own well-being
• assessments you are entitled to
• how your support needs can be met

Please contact the helpline on 0300 012 4272.

Helpline hours are:

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 9:00am to 5:00pm
• Wednesday: 9:00am to 8:00pm

Alternatively, you can email mail@carersandcommunities.org.uk or visit .

Carers assessments

The Care Act 2014 gives carers the same rights as the people they care for.  

This includes a right to an assessment of the impact caring may be having on your ability to have a life of your own, on your physical and mental health and wellbeing and to ensure you are caring safely. Consideration will be given to contingency arrangements and future planning for the caring role you are providing. A plan to support the carer will be devised.  

Carers assessments help identify if you have . This might include financial support such as direct payments that can be used to help you pay for things which have been agreed in your support plan. You may also want to consider someone speaking up for you (advocacy).

For more information visit: .

Carers support plan

A carer's support plan is a plan of action for you, outlining what you can expect to happen following on from your carer's conversation with the Carers Hub. The plan will look at how support can be provided to ensure carers feel:

1. recognised and valued
2. a life of your own
3. support to be mentally and physically well
4. caring safely

Carers review

The review offers an opportunity for you to consider whether your goals or outcomes and support identified during your carer's conversation and support plan are:

• still meeting your needs
• highlight any changes in circumstances
• ensuring that the caring role is sustainable, appropriate and the carers is still willing and able to continue caring

Reviews will be undertaken annually (as a minimum) and as and when requested or when there is a change in circumstance.

Carers rights

As a carer, knowing your rights empowers you with information about what you’re entitled to. This helps you feel confident asking for what you need, as well as challenging things when your rights are not being met – whether that be in the workplace or education, in accessing health or social care, or when interacting with other professionals or at home.

Your Carer Rights:

• The Right to unpaid Carers’ Leave
• The Right to request flexible working
• The Right to ask your GP to identify you’re a carer
• The Right (and choice) to request a free flu jab
• Protection against discrimination or harassment
• Requesting a Carer’s Assessment
• Being consulted when the person you care for is being discharged from hospital

You can find out more about your Carer Rights here: .

It is also important to recognise a carers right to care safely. We all have the right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.

You can find more information here: .

Your caring role may entitle you to apply for certain benefits. 

You can find out more here: .

Examples include:

• is a benefit paid by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP)
• is not a payment of money, but instead it provides a credit to your national insurance record if you have had to work reduced hours because of your caring responsibilities
• you may be able to get a if you are on a low income. To apply for this, you would need to contact your local district council benefits department

Other financial support that may be available to you

• to find out what benefits and allowances exist for carers, including
• for financial advice
•  is an independent, free and anonymous benefits calculator to check what you could be entitled to
• Carers Trust:
• Carers UK:
• GOV.UK:
• Macmillan Cancer Support:
• as a carer you may be eligible to apply for a to help you study for an Open University qualification for free
• Bus pass application

Local financial support

• provides free and impartial advice to householders and small businesses in Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull and surrounding local areas
• is a partnership of local advice agencies. We are working together to provide free confidential, impartial and independent advice to help you with everyday problems such as benefits, housing and debt
• Local organisations offering support on money matters can be found on the Cost of living support page

There is support available to help you to take a break. To do this we may be able to support carers to access replacement care (sometimes referred to as ‘respite care’). 

For more information about taking a break please visit our breaks from caring page.

What would happen if:

• you became ill?
• had an emergency to deal with?
• you had to go into hospital?
• you had an accident?
• you were no longer able to care?

Planning in advance and talking about who could provide care on your behalf makes an emergency easier to deal with.

Visit .

Those at risk of going missing

Additionally, for carers of people who may be at risk of going missing (e.g. due to a mental health, learning disability or dementia), it is useful to collate key information about the person in advance.

This information can be given to the Police immediately in the event of them going missing, to save valuable time. 

This is referred to as the .

Nearly 1 in 7 workers is a carer and close to 70% of carers have quit work or reduced their hours due to the stress of juggling work with care. Changing demographics and an aging population mean that 3 in 5 of us will end up looking after a loved one at some point in our lives.

Supporting the carers in your workforce isn’t just good for your employees; it’s good for business. Research shows that supporting staff to effectively juggle their home and work life, and continue in employment, holds valuable benefits for the business, including:

• staff retention
• reduced absence
• increased productivity
• improved morale

Carer Friendly Employer Network is a membership and accreditation scheme for businesses. We have joined the Care Friendly Employer Network to become a more carer friendly employer. 

For more information and contact details please visit: .

Tell your GP you are a carer as they will be able to provide advice, support and may also be able to tell you about services that can improve your caring situation.

Looking after yourself as a carer is important. Here are some useful links to find guidance and support.

Resources for you to read and use

• NHS England, Age UK and partners have produced a 
• as an older carer you can  from
• please read our Flu and COVID-19 guidance.
• Herefordshire and 91ÖÆƬ³§Health and Care Trust have produced a range of resources to support carers:
• Herefordshire and 91ÖÆƬ³§Health and Care Trust have also produced a range of videos: 

Local Charities and Organisations

•  service can support carers with their wellbeing, mental health and strategies for coping with stress and anxiety.
•  is a charity which offers a counselling service for carers for a small donation.
• Worcestershire's mental health relative and carers support group, 
• Information and advice on a range of issues e.g., benefits (include disability benefits and carers allowance etc) Benefits, debt and money matters
• Worcester branch. 
• Age UK dementia centres
• Redditch Carers helpline:
• Support for young Carers and young adult carers:
• Herefordshire and 91ÖÆƬ³§Involvement
• Carers Reference Group relating to the Integrated Care system hw.personalisedcare@nhs.net
• NW Autism Parents Support Group North 91ÖÆƬ³§Autism Support Group (Facebook support group)
• Local organisations offering guidance can be found on the Community Services Directory where you can find the organisations closest to you by searching on your postcode

National Charities and Organisations 

• have a whole range of products available which can make caring for someone more manageable

  is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.