The Care Act – What does it mean for carers

The Care Act (2014) requires Local Authorities and Devon Carers on their behalf, to carry out an assessment where there is an ‘appearance of need’.

In order to support carers, Devon County Council has also delegated the ‘statutory authority’ to carry out carer assessments, reviews and meet carers’ needs under the Care Act to Devon Carers.

We may have a Carers Initial Conversation with you, so that we can understand your personal situation. If needed, a fuller Care Act assessment known as a Health and Wellbeing Check may also be arranged and a plan will be confirmed and then reviewed after an agreed length of time.

The Care Act also tells Local Authorities, (and therefore, Devon Carers on their behalf), to:

• Promote independence
• Provide information and advice in accessible formats
• Recognise and assist carers to maintain or develop strengths and skills to prevent, reduce and delay the need for support.
• Meet assessed need in a way that is ‘person centred’ and not service/process led
• Safeguard individuals with care and support needs (covers carers as well)
• Understand what services look like in their area and work with providers to develop new services
• Work with other Local Authorities when families move
• Have clear processes for financial assessment and auditing

This means that Devon Carers will also aim to provide you with the advice or information you are looking for and you will be able to access some services or receive certain kinds of support without needing to have a fuller assessment. Devon Carers also has links with many other organisations who support carers and may therefore support you to connect to another service if this is what you need.

A Care Act Assessment will consider a carer’s needs in the following way:

If the answer to all three questions is ‘yes’, in relation to the following list of ‘outcomes’ (sometimes called ‘domains’), then the carer has an eligible need for support.

Care Act outcomes (sometimes called domains):

1. Carrying out caring responsibilities for a child
2. Providing care for other persons from whom the carer provides care
3. Maintaining a habitable home environment in the carers home
4. Managing and maintaining nutrition
5. Developing and maintaining family or other personal relationships
6. Engaging in work, training, education or volunteering
7. Making use of necessary facilities or services in the local community (including recreational)
8. Engaging in recreational activities

If you are assessed as having eligible needs, a plan is then confirmed, which should aim to assist you to improve your wellbeing in relation to your caring role within the above outcomes.

The plan should describe who will do what. This might include how Devon Carers (or DCC) will support you but might also include what you or someone else plans to do and how we might support you with this.

If you have a plan, this will be reviewed periodically. If your needs change in the meantime, you can ask for a review or a reassessment of your needs at any time.

More information can be found on these websites:

• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-statutory-guidance/care-and-support-statutory-guidance
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-2014-part-1-factsheets/care-act-factsheets