Assessing your needs as a carer

If you are an unpaid carer who is caring for someone who is disabled or ill or frail, you are entitled to an assessment of your own needs under the Care Act 2014. The assessment is a discussion between you and one of our workers about your caring role and how it affects you.

You can request a carer's assessment by completing our online form. 

Request an assessment

If you have difficulty with this form, please contact us.

The assessment will consider what services, facilities or resources are available that could contribute to preventing, delaying or reducing your needs. This includes helping you to:

• care effectively and safely for yourself and the person you care for
• look after your own physical, emotional, mental health and wellbeing
• make use of adaptations, equipment, IT and assistive technology
• make choices about your own life and the things you want to do
• find support and services available in your area
• access information, advice and guidance

If you want an assessment for the person you are caring for, visit our assessments page.

Who can request an assessment?

You are entitled to request a carer's assessment from us if you meet all of the following criteria:

• you are an adult (over the age of 18). If you are under 18 see our young carers page
• you care for (or intend to provide care for) another adult who is ill, frail or disabled
• the person you care for lives in Haringey. If you don't live in Haringey, you can apply for a carer's assessment.
• you do not receive payment for the care you provide nor do you provide care through a voluntary organisation

What happens after the assessment

After we have discussed your caring role with you and its impact on you and your daily life, we will use national eligibility criteria set out in the Care Act 2014 to decide whether you are eligible for support from us.

To be eligible for support, you must meet all 3 of the following conditions:

• your support needs result from providing necessary care to an adult
• your physical or mental health is either deteriorating or is at risk because of your caring responsibilities or you are unable to achieve one or more of the outcomes listed below
• there is or is likely to be a significant impact on your wellbeing because you’re unable to achieve one or more of these outcomes

The specific outcomes referred to above are:

• carrying out any caring responsibilities you have for a child
• providing care to other persons for whom you provide care
• maintaining a habitable home environment in your own home
• managing and maintaining nutrition
• developing and maintaining family or other personal relationships
• accessing and engaging in work, training, education or volunteering
• making use of necessary facilities or services in the local community including recreational facilities or services
• engaging in recreational activities

If you are deemed eligible for support using the national criteria, we will consider all available resources including voluntary and community services to develop a support plan with you that meets your needs.

If you are not deemed eligible, we will advise you about resources that are available to you.

Confidentiality

Where necessary, for planning and providing services, the information you give may be shared with health services (for example, your GP), social care, housing and other organisations contracted to provide care services. The information you give will be kept in confidence under the terms of the Data Protection Act 2018.