Carer's assessment

If you regularly provide a lot of care and support for someone, you can get a carer's assessment.

in South Tyneside, carer's assessments are known as 'conversations'.

Your conversation will look at:

• your caring role and how it affects your life and wellbeing
• your strengths
• available resources and local support

A carer's conversation is a chance for you to talk about what support you need.

We will look at how caring affects your life, including your physical, mental and emotional needs and whether you are able or willing to carry on caring.

To get support from the Council, you will need to meet the national eligibility criteria.

Following your conversation, the Council will consider how to support you and decide if you need formal support.

This support can be provided to you, or to the person you are looking after to reduce the impact of caring on you.

For more information, see Carers UK: Carer's assessment

If you are over 18 years old and looking after another adult over 18 years old who is disabled, ill or elderly you can have a carer's conversation no matter how much or what type of care you provide, your financial means or how much support you need.

You don't have to live with the person you are looking after or be caring full time. 

You can have a conversation with us regardless of whether or not the person you are looking after has been assessed by the Council, or if they have decided they are not eligible for support.

If you and the person you are looking after agree, you can have a conversation with us about your needs at the same time.

If you are a parent carer, you can get an assessment of your needs.

Your child does not need to have a Social Worker for you to get an assessment, but the Council must be satisfied that the child is a child in need.

You can get an assessment if it is likely that you will need support after the child turns 18, even if you or the child has had support before.

The assessment must consider adult care and support arrangements.

If you are a young carer, you might look after one of your parents or care for a brother or sister. You may do extra jobs in and around the home such as cooking, cleaning, shopping or helping someone get dressed and move around.

A a young carer, it is important to make sure you aren't doing tasks that adults should be doing, even if you want to help.

A young carer assessment will look at:

• why you are caring
• whether you want to be a carer
• what needs to change to stop you from doing a lot of, or inappropriate caring responsibilities which could affect your welfare,
  education, or social development

It will decide what kind of help you and your family might need.

You can request an assessment, or an assessment can be requested on your behalf, for example by your school.

If you have an assessment you must be involved, as well as your parents and anybody else you request.

The assessment will be carried out by South Tyneside Young Carers.

• Connected Caring South Tyneside  can help you think about what might help you in your caring role. They can also talk to you about whether having a carer's conversation through the Council would be helpful to you.
• South Tyneside Let's Talk team advisers can arrange for you to have a carer's conversation. A member of the team will support you to think about how caring affects your life and to consider if you are able or willing to carry on caring. 
• Children's Social Care can give you more information on parent carer assessments, and signpost you to other support.
• The South Tyneside Local Offer provides information to children and young people (from birth to 25 years) with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and their parents or carers.
• South Tyneside Council short breaks statement provides information on short breaks for carers of children with special educational needs or disabilities. It gives you information about services and the eligibility criteria for accessing them. This is to help support you to continue to care for your child at home effectively.
• South Tyneside Young Carers can provide information, advice, support and activities to young carers.
• Humankind Charity can carry out a young carer's assessment where your caring responsibilities are having a negative impact on you.