What is a Carer’s Assessment?
A Carer’s Assessment is a structured conversation to see if there’s anything that can make a carer’s life easier. It is free and anyone over 18 can ask for one.
During the assessment, the carer has the opportunity to talk about the care they provide and the impact it has on their life. This includes how it affects their physical and mental health, work, free time and relationships.
The assessment can be by phone or face-to-face and will usually take about an hour.
Following the assessment, the assessor will let the carer know about the support they could get and who will provide it.
Who do we provide Carer’s Assessments for?
When you refer a carer to Islington Carers Hub, we will work out who should complete the Carer’s Assessment.
If the person the carer is looking after receives a personal budget from Adult Social Care, they will need to do the Carer’s Assessment.
If the carer is looking after someone who is being supported by an NHS Mental Health Service or this person has only been discharged within the past 12 months, it’s the relevant NHS service rather than ours that would do the Carer’s Assessment.
In any other situation, we will complete the Carer’s Assessment.
Don’t forget, we offer a lot of valuable support apart from Carer’s Assessments, so we ask all professionals to always refer a carer to register them with Islington Carers Hub via our Professionals Contact us form.
Why offer a Carer’s Assessment?
During a Carer’s Assessment your might recommend things such as:
- home-based respite so that the carer can get a break
- gym membership and exercise classes to relieve stress
- help with taxi fares if the carer doesn’t drive
- help with gardening and housework
- advice about benefits for carers
- an emergency carers card
- referring them to the Islington Carers Hub to:
- access local carer support groups
- receive updates about carers’ rights
- join in with carer activities
- refer to Sadler’s Wells for low-cost theatre tickets
- refer to Carefree for free weekend breaks
- help with form filling (excl. benefits forms)
- apply for grants
- carer-specific help & advice from Carers Hub caseworkers
Following a Carer’s Assessment, the carer might want to apply for a carer’s parking permit for the area where the person they care for lives. They will still need to pay for the permit, but it gives them the option to get one. You will need to provide them with a copy of their carers assessment as they will need that to apply for the permit.
How to refer to Islington Carers Hub
To refer a carer to Islington Carers Hub for support, please contact us. You can either call us with details of the person you would like to refer or complete our online form with their details and we will contact them.
