Who are carers?
Carers are people who look after family, partners or friends who are ill, frail, have a disability or a mental health problem. They may be caring for another adult or be a parent of a disabled child. The care they provide is unpaid.
Sometimes people do not recognise themselves as carers, especially when they are looking after a spouse/partner, close relative or friend.
For example:
- Mr. Adam cares for his adult daughter, who has autism. Mr.Adam has his own health needs and regularly needs to attend the hospital.
- Susan cares for her husband Ben, who is severely disabled due to a serious road accident. She has to bath him, as well has cook his meals and dress him. Ben is housebound when Susan goes out to work.
Carers under the age of 18 are called young carers. Find out more about support for young carers.
The impact of caring
Caring for others can be a satisfying and rewarding thing to do. However, for many carers it can also become challenging and stressful:
- Many carers are juggling lots of different things, such as working or caring for a family.
- Keeping up a job can be very difficult – some carers feel that they have to give up work to carry on caring.
- Some carers can struggle to make ends meet, especially if they are on benefits. Carers are not always aware of their benefit entitlements.
- The practical tasks of caring can be very tiring, and your own health can start to suffer.
- Caring can be emotionally stressful.
- Caring can become very isolating, as it can sometimes leave little time or energy to go out and have time to yourself
Support for carers
If you are a carer, you may need help providing this care – or perhaps you need more time to yourself for a rest, or to follow your own interests. We might be able to offer a range of services, such as carers' breaks, respite care, and support groups.
If you reside outside the City Council boundary but care for someone within the City Council catchment area, you may still be entitled to a carer's assessment and support from Adult Services, Housing & Health.
Support is available from a range of sources:
Adult Services, Housing & Health Community services:
- Provide information about what help is available to carers and the people they care for.
- Carry out community care assessments for adults who rely on their carer, and draw up care plans which say how the needs identified can be met. This can relieve and support carers with a range of tasks.
- Carry out carer assessments.
- Direct Payments
A Direct Payment is money given to individual service users from Adult Services, Housing & Health to enable them to buy and arrange their own care or support. Direct Payments are an alternative to receiving direct services like homecare, daycentres and residential etc.
Direct payments enable individual service users to take responsibility for arranging the services or support they require, managing the money, employing staff to provide their support, etc. This puts them in control.
Carers' Rights
If you provide or intend to provide care regularly, you are entitled to an assessment. If the person you care for refuses an assessment for him or herself, you are still entitled to an assessment of YOUR needs.
Carers and The Mental Capacity Act
If you care for someone whose capacity is impaired due to
- a learning disability,
- dementia,
- a mental health problem
- head injury or stroke
then you will need to be aware of new Government legislation which came into force on April 2nd 2007.
Click below for more details:
Other local and national forms of support
Download our information booklet:
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