Carers and the Care Act (RBKC)
(This is a web page version of the RBKC leaflet Carers and the Care Act provided for accessibility assistance)
You are entitled to an assessment of your own needs, regardless of whether the person you care for has eligible needs.
This means, that as a carer, if you have eligible needs of your own, you will have the right to have support to help you carry on caring and look after your own wellbeing.
Your council recognises and values your role as a carer and sees you as vital in planning and providing support to the person you care for.
Caring for someone covers lots of different areas, like helping with washing, dressing or eating, taking the person you care for to regular appointments or keeping them company when they feel lonely or anxious. Looking after someone can be tiring and stressful and can take up a lot of your time. It can often end up affecting your own health, wellbeing and independence.
As carers, you want to be able to access timely support when you need it. We therefore will work with you to ensure that you:
- have access to good information and advice
- are signposted or directed to appropriate agencies such as benefits advice lines, websites, libraries, citizen advice bureau, leisure centres and work opportunities
- are informed of your right to have a carer’s assessment, either jointly with the cared for person or separately
- are involved in planning and decision-making from the outset so that you and the person you care for have choice and control over your care and support
- are supported in maintaining a balance between your caring responsibilities and a life outside caring – this includes young carers
- can access a range of support services when you need it (for example, respite care/ carers breaks, access to carers groups, support systems and emergency care) to help sustain you in your caring role
- are supported to maintain your own health and wellbeing.
Assessing your wellbeing
The assessment will look at the different ways caring affects your life. It will look at how you can carry on doing things that are important to you and your household. Your physical, mental and emotional well-being will be at the heart of this assessment.
You can have a carer’s assessment even if the person you care for does not get any help from the council. This may be carried out by council staff or staff from the carers organisation in your borough.
Following an assessment, you may be eligible for support in your own right. This does not depend on whether the adult for whom you provide care/support has eligible needs. The decision about your eligibility is based on the impact of caring on your wellbeing. The person assessing you will explain the process in more detail.
Assessing the person you care for
It can be very useful to you as a carer and the person you care for to have an assessment of their needs.
Following an assessment, provided the person you care for has eligible needs, they can receive support from Adult Social Care.
For more information on assessments, telephone RBKC Social Services on 020 7361 3013
Support for carers - the right help at the right time
There are a range of services available to support carers; many of them you do not need to have an assessment to get.
These include personalised advice and information, or you may prefer just to be put in touch with local support groups so you have people to talk to. See details of your carer support organisation in your borough on the next page. Carers organisations have full details of the range of services locally.
If following an assessment you have eligible needs, the assessor will help you plan your support options to help you in your caring role. One of these may be a carer’s personal budget. This is a sum of money which you can use to pay for support and activities which will help you to manage the demands of being a carer. The assessor can provide more information about carer’s personal budgets following an assessment.
For more information on how to get a carers assessment you can telephone: Carers Network on 020 8960 3033 or RBKC Social Services on 020 7361 3013
Organisations offering support
Carer support groups and other activities are offered by a range of voluntary organisations in Kensington and Chelsea including:
Carers Network
Carers Network is the first point of contact for unpaid adult carers or a person they are looking after, living in Kensington and Chelsea who needs advice, information or support around their caring role.
You can call their number to find out about a full carers’ assessment and access to respite breaks and other support provided by the Council. They:
- carry out some carers assessments on behalf of the council
- have a good knowledge of carers’ rights and services locally and can link you in with them
- know where to get more specialist help if it is needed.
- run link you in with organisations providing support groups locally
- provide drop-in information and advice groups.
- can also assist you to apply for one-off small grants to help you with your caring duties and to set up an emergency care plan.
- produce publications and send out a quarterly newsletter with details of support available in the local area
Carers Network
Telephone: 020 8960 3033
Email: info@carers-network.org.uk
Carers Network, Beethoven Centre, Third Avenue, London W10 4JL
Working with carers of people with dementia.
Admiral Nursing Service (Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster) 42 Westbourne Park Road, London W2 5PH
Telephone: 020 3317 3667
Age UK Kensington and Chelsea Carers’ Support Group.
A support group for carers of older people providing practical advice, information and the chance to meet up with other carers.
Telephone: 07508 335543
Email: TPope@aukc.org.uk
Provides telephone advice on personal budgets for young carers (under 18).
Telephone: 020 896 00744
Full of Life is a charity that supports and provides services to parent carers and their disabled children/adults. We give free practical independent advice to parent carers through our direct services.
Kensal House, Ladbroke Grove, London W10 5BQ
Telephone 020 8962 9994
Website: www.fulloflifekc.com
Mencap provides support and advice to people with a learning disability and their carers.
73 St Charles Square, London W10
Telephone: 020 8964 0544
Email: Enquiries@equalpeoplemencap.org.uk
Midaye works with the Somali community and other ethnic minorities and runs a Carers and Families Forum.
7 Thorpe Close, London W10 5XL
Tel: 020 8969 7456
Website: midaye.org.uk
Mind
Mind provides advice and support to people with mental health needs and their carers
Kensington and Chelsea Mind
Office 1, 7 Thorpe Close, London W10 5XL
Telephone: 020 8964 1333
Website: www.kcmind.org.uk
Open Age enables anyone aged 50 or older to sustain their physical and mental fitness, maintain an active lifestyle and develop new and stimulating interests.
St Charles Centre for Health and Wellbeing Exmoor Street, London W10 6DZ
Telephone: 020 4516 9978
Email: mail@openage.org.uk
Kensington and Chelsea Mental Health Carers Association
Provides support, advice and formal advocacy to carers of people with mental health issues. access to guidance to carers and help to access the rights and services available to them.
Address: Office 9, Canalside House, 383 Ladbroke Grove, W10 5AA
Telephone: 020 89603873
For more information about carers Search for ‘carers’, ‘caring for someone’, ‘direct payments’ on www.peoplefirstinfo.org.uk
The People First website
The People First website is an easy-to-use online resource that puts you in touch with a wealth of information and services that can help you live the life you want, be independent, and find the help you feel you might need.
The website is provided in association with the Adult Social Care teams in Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster.
For everybody, including the older adult population, people living with disabilities and impairments of whatever kind and those who look after others, the site treats you as experts in your own needs who want to live life fully.
Our Events Calendar includes a wide range of activities and events, including many which are provided especially for local carers.
People First has a large amount of information especially for carers including handy summaries of all of the main support which you may find useful, even if you are not eligible for support from the council. Click onto your borough’s links on the Carers web page to find out more.
Finding out more
There are a number of ways in which you can find out more about recent changes under the Care Act, about how to access care and support, and about the care and support options which are available to you.
The Government has produced a series of factsheets which explain the aims of the Care Act and how the changes may affect you. Visit www.gov.uk and search ‘care act’.
They have also produced a series of leaflets in formats for people with learning disabilities. Search for ‘care act easy read’ on www.gov.uk.
To find out more about the changes to care and support, visit www.gov.uk/careandsupport
The People First website
The People First website is an easy-to-use online resource that puts you in touch with a wealth of information and local services that can help you live the life you want, be independent, and find the help you feel you might need.
Contact your council
To ask for more information about the Care Act or other care and support issues, or to request an assessment of your support needs contact your council direct:
Telephone: 020 7361 3013
Email: socialservices@rbkc.gov.uk
There are a range of leaflets from your council on issues covered by the Care Act, and on other issue
s which may be of interest to you. To access leaflets telephone your council using the details above, or go to the Leaflets Library at the top of the home page at www.peoplefirstinfo.org.uk
Independent information and advice
The following organisations offer specialist advice on a wide range of issues including health and disability, care and support options, money, benefits and accommodation. Those marked with an asterix offer some level of information and advice about the Care Act.
A user led organisation managed and controlled by disabled people, campaigning for the rights of disabled people, delivering accessible activities, information, advice and advocacy services.
ADKC Action Disability Kensington and Chelsea Silchester Road, London W10 6SB
Telephone: 020 8960 8282
Website: www.adkc.org.uk
The country’s largest charity dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life through providing services and support to inspire, enable and support older people.
Age UK Kensington and Chelsea (Incorporating Sixty Plus) 1 Thorpe Close, London W10 5XL
Telephone: 020 8969 9105
Website: www.ageuk.org.uk/kensingtonandchelsea
The first point of contact for unpaid adult carers living in Kensington and Chelsea who need information, advice or support about being a carer.
Carers Network
Telephone: 020 8960 3033. Email: info@carers-network.org.uk
Carers Network, Beethoven Centre, Third Avenue, London W10 4JL
Helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers.
Kensington (London) Citizens Advice Bureau 2 Acklam Road, London W10 5QZ
Telephone: 0844 826 9708* (Advice line) *calls may be charged
Telephone: 020 8962 3485 www.citizensadvice.org.uk/kensingtoncab.htm
Mind provides advice and support to people with mental health needs and their carers.
West Central London Mind, 23 Monck St, London SW1P 2AE
Telephone 020 8964 1333
Website: www.wclmind.org.uk