Leaflet 2 - Carers Rights

Community Care Assessment

What is Community Care?
Community Based Services (part of Gateshead Council) is responsible for arranging support for those people who need it because they are elderly, ill or disabled. The support may be personal or practical help.

The main aim is to help people to live as independently as possible in their own homes, or in other accommodation in the community.

What is a Community Care Assessment?
An assessment is meant to find out:

• What kind of help is needed to allow a person to cope more easily.
  
• How urgently the help is needed.
  
• What services the person would like, and how they would like them to be provided. This should include holidays or short breaks, and should consider Direct Payments (see Section 4 - Money matters).

Who is involved?
An assessment is carried out by a trained Social Worker or Domiciliary Care Officer (DCO).

If necessary, specialist staff can be involved in the assessment, for example, an Occupational Therapist or GP. If the person appears to have housing needs, a Housing Officer should be involved.

If Direct Payments are to be explored, refer to Section 4 - Money matters.
Asking for a Community Care Assessment
The person who needs support should contact their nearest Community Based Services office and tell them that they want a Community Care Assessment.

A carer, friend, GP or District Nurse can contact Community Based Services on their behalf. Anyone can call in, telephone or write to one of the Community Based Services offices in Gateshead. (See section 13 - Caring contacts)

What happens after the Community Care Assessment?
When the assessment has been completed and agreed by the individual and the Social Worker or DCO, a Care Plan will be written.

A copy of the Care Plan will be given to you or the person you care for and will state:

• What the person's needs are
  
• What services, if any, Community Based Services can arrange
  
• What other help may be available locally
  
• What the cost will be, if any
  
• The name of the worker who will be looking after the case
  
• A review date when the named worker will meet with the individual and their carer to see whether the services are still meeting requirements

Carers Assessment

If you regularly provide, or intend to provide, a substantial amount of care for a relative, friend or neighbour, you have the legal right to ask for a Carers Assessment.
This assessment should see whether you are able and willing to provide care.

There is no upper age limit on Carers Assessments, you do not have to be living with the person you care for and you do not need to be receiving any benefits for looking after a person.

What is a Carers Assessment?
The Carers Assessment is an opportunity for you to tell Community Based Services what help you need to continue in your caring role.

The Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 means that local authorities are now able to provide carers with services in their own right.

What kind of help can I get?
The Council should provide any service that either:

• Supports the carer, or
  
• Helps the carer to look after their own health and well being

Types of services could include: access to a break, counselling, moving and handling training, mobile phone, gardening, laundry services and dog walking.

Although Gateshead Council does not provide many of these services themselves, carers may be able to access Direct Payments to allow them to pay for these services privately. (See Section 4 - Money matters)

How do I get a Carers Assessment?
If you are a carer over the age of 16 and you care for someone over 18 years old, you can ask for an assessment of your own needs, even if the person you care for does not want to be assessed. They must, however, be eligible for services. The cared for person could be classed as eligible if they have been assessed in the past, if a GP or other worker is prepared to give supporting evidence or at the discretion of the local council.

Contact your nearest Community Based Services office. A Social Worker will visit you and the person you care for. You can ask to be seen separately if there are issues that you do not want to discuss in front of each other.

Preparing for a Carers Assessment
You can only be assessed on the information you provide, so try not to forget anything. Make a list of everything that you do for the person and the amount of time that you spend with them, it can add up to a lot. Also note down anything that would make it easier for you, for example, aids to help with bathing or a regular break for yourself.

Gateshead Carers Association produce a DIY Guide to Carers Assessments that helps you to prepare for a carers assessment and get a clear picture of exactly what you are doing on a daily basis. Copies are available from Gateshead Carers Association. (See Section 13 - Caring contacts)

How much will I have to pay?
It costs nothing to see a Social Worker, have an assessment or receive advice.

There may be charges for some of the services which are provided to the person you care for and they may be expected to pay towards these costs. This will be decided after a financial assessment of the person you care for. It is the person you care for who is responsible for paying any costs for the services they receive.
By law Community Based Services departments cannot ask a person to contribute more than they can reasonably afford.

Ask your Social Worker for details of Gateshead Council's charging policy or contact the Charging Section on 0191 433 2332.

If you are experiencing difficulties with a Carers Assessment, contact Gateshead Carers Association. (See Section 13 - Caring contacts)

If you would like to have your say about services for carers, or attend meetings to help to influence Health and Community Based Services decisions, please contact Gateshead Carers Association for a confidential chat. (See Section 13 - Caring contacts)

National Strategy for Carers

What is the National Strategy for Carers?
The Strategy was published in February 1999 and covers several government departments. It sets out guidelines for improving support, recognition and rights for carers, both now and in the future.

The Strategy was warmly welcomed by carer organisations, and is a starting point for developing better support for carers. It has already made a difference to many carers' lives, and hopefully support for carers will continue to improve.

For further information and/or a summary of the Strategy, contact Gateshead Carers Association. (See Section 13 - Caring contacts)

Gateshead Carers Strategy Group
This group was formed in 1999 in response to the National Strategy for Carers. The aims of the group are to:

• Promote carers issues, needs, rights and involvement
  
• Ensure that developments for carers are in line with the National Strategy
  
• Make sure local needs are met
  
• Encourage carers and people from various organisations to work together

The Gateshead Carers Strategy Group produced the Gateshead Carers Development Plan in 2002.

Gateshead Carers Development Plan
The development plan is a document that states what organisations are doing now to support carers and what their plans are for the future. All relevant agencies are involved: health, primary care trust, community based services, the voluntary sector and carers.

The plan is used to inform, influence and co-ordinate future policy decisions, and the planning and delivery of services in Gateshead.

Regular updates are produced and distributed by Gateshead Crossroads.

For a copy of the Gateshead Carers Development Plan, a summary of the plan, or an update, contact Gateshead Crossroads. (See Section 13 - Caring contacts)

There are a number of National Service Frameworks (NSFs) and government papers that add weight to the rights of carers. If anyone wants further information, contact Gateshead Carers Association. (See Section 13 - Caring contacts)

New employment rights for carers

Time off for dependants
By law, carers now have the right to take a reasonable amount of time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant (their child or person they care for). This right also includes some protection against victimisation or dismissal.

Unfortunately, this does not mean you have the right to paid leave for these emergencies, this is left to the employers' discretion.

Rights to parental leave (with special extension for parents of a disabled child)
Employees who have completed one year's continuous services and whose child was born on or after 15 December 1999, will be entitled to up to 13 weeks' parental leave to care for their child.

You may take parental leave at any time up to your child's fifth birthday, or five years from the date of adoption.

An important extension for carers is that if your child is entitled to Disability Living Allowance, you will be able to take parental leave at any time up to the child's eighteenth birthday.

However, there is no obligation on an employer to pay an individual on parental leave.

Carers and their GP surgery
GP's and primary health care teams have a duty to identify carers in their practices/areas of work. The aim is to make sure that carers' own health care needs are met.

Inform your GP that you are a carer and ask them to record it on your medical notes. (For further information, see Section 6 - Primary Care and hospital discharge)

Organisations providing information on carers' rights

Gateshead Citizens Advice Bureau
Provide a home visiting service for carers and people who find it difficult to get into the bureau due to old age, illness or disability. (See Section 13 - Caring contacts)

Gateshead Crossroads - Outreach Worker
Outreach Worker can visit carers at home and provide information and advice. (See Section 13 - Caring contacts)

Gateshead Law Centre
Provides free, confidential advice and assistance on a wide range of legal matters, including employment, housing, mental health, community care law and carers' rights. (See Section 13 - Caring contacts)

Gateshead Carers Association
Can provide information and can point you in the right direction to receive help. (See Section 13 - Caring contacts)

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