Social Care Assessments

Social Care
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Assessments

The first thing to do is contact the Surrey County Council Contact Centre on 03456 009 009

Supported Self Assessment

The Supported Self Assessment collects information about the person you care for. It is important to take time to answer the questions as fully as possible because social services use this information to plan how much support is needed.

The information which is contained on the form helps social services to make sure they get the right help, and they may need to ask someone else, such as a community nurse or occupational therapist, to carry out a further assessment.

The Carers Needs Assessment

On April 1st 2001 The Carers & Disabled Children's Act came into force. The act is to support Carers, and maintain your health and well being. The act also gives councils the power to supply certain services direct to carers following an assessment of need. Carers who are, or intend to provide substantial and regular care for someone should ask their local Social Care Team for a Carers Assessment. The words substantial and regular care are not clearly defined in the act, however if your caring role has an significant impact in your life you may be eligible for a Carers Needs Assessment. You do not have to be living with the person you care for to receive an assessment.

You may also ask for an assessment if you are going to provide substantial and regular care in the near future, for example when someone is about to be discharged from hospital who will need care once they are home.

The assessment is sometime carried out in the presence of the person you care for. However sometimes it is difficult for certain issues to be discussed in this way. If you feel that there are issues which need to be discussed away from the person you care for make arrangements for the Care Manager or Social Worker to carry out the assessment in private, either at your home or a mutually convenient time and location where you can have a private discussion. In many instances the most effective way for an Carers Assessment to take place is when the person you are caring for has their assessment. However one of the key aspects of The Carers & Disabled Children's Act is that if the person you care for refuses an assessment you may still have a Carers Needs Assessment.

The Carers Needs Assessment discussion between you and the Care Manager or Social Worker should be carried out face to face and will take a hour or so of your time.

The Carers Assessment may take into account the carers needs when decisions are made about the type of services which will best meet the needs of the person who is cared for. For example if the person who is cared for has to have help from the carer to get in and out of the bath, The Carers Assessment may highlight the need for bath aids as the carer has a back problem. The assessment should also take into account if you work or study full or part time. Just because you care it does not necessarily mean you have to give these up. The Carers Equal Opportunities Act came into force on the 1st of April 2005. The Act gives Carers a number of further rights around work and life long learning. For further information about The Carers Equal Opportunities Act click here. The assessment may also highlight the need for the carer to take a short term break (respite). The Social Worker or Care Manager may then look at the provision of additional services to provide those breaks.

You may wish to view information about assessments from NHS Choices

Financial Assessment

You may be asked to make a contribution towards the cost of the support. You will be asked to complete a financial assessment form which social care will use to work out if and how much you will need to contribute

For further information click here

last Updated June 2011