Family, Main Carers & Friends

Whatever your concerns, wherever you are and irrespective of the enormity of the task at hand; Epiphany can find amenable care solutions and keep you informed and updated every step of the way. Working in partnership with you face to face, or from a geographically remote distance we can act on your behalf, working in partnership with you to ensure the best interests and welfare of vulnerable adults, while alleviating the stressors associated with embarking upon a care journey. We provide you with the reassurance of quality in care provision via the effective  management of all aspects of care, from making an initial referral to social services to acting as an interface with the allocated social worker and representing the interests of our clients throughout the social services process. Similarly we can undertake a fully privatised service for our clients who are self-funders and wish to be represented throughout the care journey and reassured of a high quality care service.

A carer is someone who helps another person, usually a relative or friend, in their day-to-day life. This is not the same as someone who provides care professionally, or through a voluntary organisation. The Care Act relates mostly to adult carers – people over 18 who are caring for another adult. This is because young carers (aged under 18) and adults who care for disabled children can be assessed and supported under children’s law. However, the regulations under the Act allow us to make rules about looking at family circumstances when assessing an adult’s need for care, which means, for example, making sure that the position of a young carer within a family would not be overlooked. The Act also makes new rules about working with young carers, or adult carers of disabled children, to plan an effective and timely move to adult care and support under section 10 of The Care Act, carers can be eligible for support in their own right via a carers assessment of their needs. The threshold is based on the impact their caring role has on their wellbeing.

Previously, carers didn’t have a legal right to receive support, although local authorities could provide support at their discretion. This meant that the ability to have an assessment and access a range of support varied depending on where you lived. The Care Act gives local authorities a responsibility to assess a carer’s need for support, where the carer appears to have such needs. This replaced the law which said the carer must be providing “a substantial amount of care on a regular basis” to qualify for an assessment. This means more carers are now able to have an assessment. The local authority will assess whether the carer has needs and what those needs may be. This assessment will consider the impact of caring on the carer. It will also consider the things a carer wants to achieve in their own day-to-day life. It must also consider other important issues, such as whether the carer is able or willing to carry on caring, whether they work or want to work, and whether they want to study or do more socially. If both the carer and the person they care for agree, a combined assessment of both their needs can be undertaken. Carers can be eligible for support whether or not the adult for whom they care for has eligible needs. The carer must be providing ‘necessary’ care (i.e. activities that the individual requiring support should be able to carry out as part of normal daily life but is unable to do so). As a result of their caring responsibilities, the carer’s physical or mental health is either deteriorating or is at risk of doing so or the carer is unable to achieve any of the outcomes as specified in the regulations. As a consequence of being unable to achieve these outcomes, there is, or there is likely to be, a significant impact on the carer’s wellbeing.

When the carer’s assessment is complete, the local authority must decide whether the carer’s needs are eligible for support from the local authority. This approach is similar to that used for adults with care and support needs. In the case of carers, eligibility depends on the carer’s situation. The carer will be entitled to support if: they are assessed as having needs that meet the eligibility criteria and the person they care for lives in the local authority area (which means their established home is in that local authority area).