When considering social care requirements, whether for yourself or a loved one, it’s important to know where to go for support and what assistance you have available to you.
You may find that you’re eligible for help from your local authority but in order for this to be determined, an assessment of some kind will need to be carried out.
Here’s a quick guide to both carer’s assessments and needs assessments, and the key differences between the two, so you know which would be most appropriate for you and your specific circumstances.
What is a carer’s assessment?
If you provide any level of care for someone in your life, you can have a carer’s assessment carried out to see what support is available that could help you in this role. This assessment is free and is available to anyone over the age of 18.
In order to have a carer’s assessment conducted, get in touch with your local council’s adult social services department. If you’re caring for a child, get in touch with the children with disabilities department. This can be done either online or over the phone.
What happens during a carer’s assessment?
You will be asked certain questions to determine how well you’re coping with your caring role and responsibilities, including how it affects your personal life and relationships, your free time, your work and your physical/mental health.
These assessments do usually take place in person and will typically last at least one hour. Some councils do offer online and phone assessments, so you may be able to request this if necessary.
If your council is able to help with care costs, a financial assessment may also be required.
What is a needs assessment?
If you feel as though you, or someone close to you, needs help coping day to day, you can have a needs assessment carried out.
This can be very beneficial, as it helps you to see what support you might need and what support is available, with services including practical help from a professional carer, day care, home adaptations and mobility equipment or personal alarms.
Again, this needs assessment is free and it is available to anyone. Get in touch with the social services department at your local authority to submit a request, either over the phone or online.
What happens during a needs assessment?
During this assessment, an occupational therapist or social worker will ask you questions about how well you’re coping with typical everyday tasks like personal grooming, getting dressed, cooking, washing, medication management and so on.
It’s important to provide as much detail as possible about your situation so that the appropriate level of support can be determined. You can have a friend or relative with you during the assessment who will be able to help answer questions if you’re finding it difficult.
If it seems that you might need to have home adaptations carried out, it may be necessary for a separate assessment to be carried out.
