Social Care Assessments

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Assessments

The first thing to do is contact the Surrey County Council Contact Centre on 08456 009 009

Once you have contacted the Social Care have confirmed they may be able to help an assessment will then be arranged at a convenient time for you and the person you care for. You will be contacted by a Care Manager or another person from the local office. The person who visits you will have the details that were discussed when you telephoned. This is why it is important that the initial telephone conversation you have with the team has as much detail as possible. The person who comes to visit you will talk to you about the the type of care you and the person you care for feels is needed. They need to build up as comprehensive picture as possible. It is probably wise to set aside a whole morning or a whole afternoon when you have the assessment. It is important that the person you care for wishes are made known. This could include which type of services are preferred and what type of care would not be wanted. It is also vitally important you are assessed as The Carer, this may have a direct bearing on the services that may be provided to the person you care for and to you as the carer. The aim of the assessment is to agree both your needs as a carer and the needs for the person you care for, also to give you information about possible services and if there will be a financial cost. Ultimately after these discussions take place a service may then be arranged.

Here are a number of assessment forms and procedures which you are able to download. These forms and procedures are for information purposes only. The forms will allow you to think about the assessment and the types of questions you, and the person you care for a will be asked. The procedures are there to inform you of the process and good practice that the social care teams should carry out when doing an assessment .

Carers and Eligibility Criteria for Adults (pdf doc)

Surrey County Councils Fair Access to Care Services Eligibility Policy for Adults (pdf doc)

General Carers Assessment Form for Carers (pdf doc)

General Carers Plan (pdf doc)

Carers Assessment 24 hour Diary (pdf doc)

Carers Assessment and Carers Plan Procedure (pdf doc)

Carers Assessment Form for Carers of people (aged 18 - 64) with mental health problems (pdf doc)

Carers Plan for Carers of people (aged 18 -64) with mental health problems (pdf doc)

Carers Assessment Form (Children's Services) (pdf doc)

Carers Assessment 24 hour Diary (Children's Services) (pdf doc)

Carers Assessments for Young Carers and Parent Carers (pdf doc)

Carers Needs Assessment (Children's Services) (pdf doc)

Young Carers Assessment Form (pdf doc)

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.

A short term break can be provided in a number of ways. Short Term Breaks can be arranged via the Care Manager or Social Worker. Breaks may also be arranged via Carer Break Vouchers or Direct Payments For Carers.

You may have been caring for sometime, and your caring situation has changed or is becoming more difficult either physically or emotionally. In these cases it is worth remembering you may ask for a re-assessment.

Financial Assessment

Across the country many Social Services Departments ask for a financial contribution for a package of care. However, do not let this deter you from asking for an assessment, as this contribution may be nominal depending on the financial situation of the person you care for. Once the Social Care department feel they can help by putting together a care package and if you and the person are agreeable to this you will then be asked to fill in a financial assessment form.

Once the forms are completed the forms are then sent to The Financial Assessment Team who work for the County Council to calculate any possible charges. The household expenditure is taken into account when calculating these costs. This will include your income and expenditure and day to day living expenses including mortgage or rent. You may be entitled to benefits which will help pay for the charges. Click here to find out about some of the benefits you may be entitled to. You may download a free benefits guide by clicking here.

Once you receive a note of the assessed charges if you do not agree with them or you are unable to pay them contact the Assessment Section and ask for a review. if after the review you still do not agree with the charges you have the right to appeal.

These charges only apply for the package of care the person you care for has. If you as a carer receive services directly resulting from your Carers Needs Assessment these services are currently not charged for.

last Updated May 2008