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How can I get support to continue to care for someone?
Caring for someone can happen very suddenly, sometimes overnight. Or you may find yourself doing more and more over many months and years.
Although rewarding, looking after someone can affect your physical and emotional wellbeing and impact on you financially and socially.
Our information booklet " Are You Looking After Someone?" has been put together to help you:
- identify if you are a carer
- to direct you to the support that is available locally, and
- to help you decide if you would benefit from a carers’ supported self assessment
Carers' Supported Self Assessment
- What is a carers' supported self assessment?
- Do you need a carers' supported self assessment?
- What happens after the assessment?
- How can I access the carers' supported self assessment?
- What happens if I am not satisfied?
What is a carers' supported self assessment?
A carers' supported self assessment is a way to find out if you are getting the help and support you need so you can continue providing care.
It may lead to additional services being provided. It will make sure you have all of the information and support you need, such as a benefits check to make sure you are getting everything you are entitled to.
It will take into consideration your wishes for social opportunities, employment and further education. Most of all, it will make sure that your voice is heard and your caring role is recognised and valued.
Do you need a carers' supported self assessment?
A carer is generally defined as a person, of any age, who provides unpaid help and support to a relative, friend or neighbour who cannot manage to live independently without the carer's help.
The Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 states that you can have an assessment if you do a:
“substantial amount of care on a regular basis for another person”.
By completing the checklist in the Are You Looking After Someone? booklet you will be able to work out if you are providing substantial and regular care.
You can ask a carers' support worker or a local area coordinator, care manager or social worker from your local social work office to help you complete the carers’ supported self assessment.
What happens after the assessment?
A plan of support is produced from the information given in the carers' supported self assessment. This is called a support plan. It records what has been agreed and the actions to be taken to address your support needs.
The support plan is reviewed within a year of a date agreed with you.
How can I access the carers' supported self assessment?
The carers’ supported self assessment form is a way to find out if you are getting the
help and support that is needed for you to continue to provide care.
If you are an unpaid carer, you can complete the carers’ supported self assessment form yourself and send it to your local social work office:
If you need help completing the carers' supported self assessment form you can ask a carers' support worker or a local area coordinator, care manager or social worker from your local social work office to help you.
Copies of the assessment form are also available from your local Carers Centre or your local social work office.
What happens if I am not satisfied?
If you are not happy with any part of the assessment, or its outcomes, you should talk about it with the member of staff who went through the assessment with you or helped you complete it.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your discussions, you can ask to speak to their line manager.
If you are still dissatisfied, you can use our complaints procedure.
