How to prepare for my carers assessment or my carers
supported self-assessment
A carer is somebody who spends a significant proportion of their life providing unpaid support to
family or friends. This could be caring for a relative, partner or friend who is ill, frail, disabled, or
has mental health, substance misuse or alcohol problems. Our aim in Warwickshire is to make
sure that carers receive suitable support in their individual caring role. Each carer has individual
needs and may have different requirements for information or support at different times in their
caring role.
If you are aged 18 years and over and caring for somebody, and the Council has agreed to carry
out a carer’s assessment, then this document will help by giving you time to prepare for the
questions we will answer when completing your assessment. It will also give you an opportunity
to discuss them beforehand with another person if you want/need to. As a carer you can be
eligible for support in your own right, regardless of whether the person you care for is eligible for
care and support or has refused an assessment.
We will be in touch with you when you are allocated a practitioner they will contact you and
discuss how you want to complete your assessment, either as a supported self-assessment or
with your allocated practitioner.
If you decide to complete a carers supported self-assessment your allocated social care
practitioner will send the documents to you; this could be by post or email. They will include a
letter confirming their contact details, the date you have agreed to return the completed forms by
and who you have agreed can contacted to ensure your carers supported self-assessment is an
accurate reflection of your needs. The letter will also contain the date and time arranged for your
allocated social care practitioner to visit and complete your carers upported self-assessment.
If you choose to complete your carers assessment with your allocated social care practitioner they
will arrange to visit and complete the assessment with you. They will agree with you when this is
convenient to take place, how long it may take and also whether you wish to have anybody with
you during the assessment. You can decide if you wish your allocated social care practitioner or
anybody else to support you with completing the assessment.
In the meantime, you can look at the aspects of your life we will be discussing with you and
choose the outcomes that you feel you wish to achieve. There are no right or wrong answers, and
you will have the chance to tell us, in your own words, the things you feel we need to know to
understand the impact these outcomes have on your wellbeing. It is very important that you tell us
how much support you need. The aim of the carer’s assessment is to identify your needs and see
if you are eligible for support to help you in your caring role and also to look at the sustainability of
the caring role itself. Eligibility for support will be established by your allocated social care
practitioner after the assessment has taken place. If your needs are ineligible, your allocated
social care practitioner will provide you with an explanation and information and advice. We have
included a brief explanation under each outcome which should help you understand what we will
cover. .
If you are a young carer then you should contact The Young Carers’ project directly on 02476
217740 or [email protected] to arrange for an assessment. The project
supports children and young people in their caring roles.
How do we determine if you require support?
The Council acknowledges that no two days may be the same for you and/or the person you care
for and these fluctuating needs will be considered during your carer’s assessment. We will ask
about your history which will enable us to get a complete picture of your support needs.
What will be discussed during the carer’s assessment?
The aim of the assessment is to gain an understanding of your ability to achieve the specified
outcomes shown below and to consider whether your need for support arises because you are
providing care for an adult. For each outcome there are a number of statements and it would be
helpful for you to think about which statement is most applicable to you and how much it impacts
on your wellbeing.

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I am unable to achieve the outcome without physical assistance, help or equipment
I am able to achieve the outcome without assistance but doing so causes me significant
pain, distress or anxiety
 I am able to achieve the outcome without assistance but doing so endangers or is likely to
endanger my health or safety or the health and safety of others
 I am able to achieve the outcome without assistance but it takes significantly longer than
would normally be expected
We will ask you about the cumulative effect your caring role has on your wellbeing.
We have included a brief explanation under each outcome which should help you understand
what we will cover. As mentioned before, some of these areas may not be relevant to you.
What do we mean by wellbeing?
Wellbeing can relate to:
 Your personal dignity
 Your physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
 Protection from abuse or neglect
 Your control over your day-to-day life (including over care and support)
 Your participation in work, education, training or recreation
 Social and economic wellbeing
 Your domestic, family and personal relationships
 The suitability of your living accommodation
 Your contribution to society
If you are not able to achieve your outcomes, you will need to consider how significant the impact
on your wellbeing is. This will be different to those of other people and be personal to you. It will be
dependent on what is important to you and your wellbeing and it may not have the same impact on
another person
The outcomes
We will consider the impact of your role as a carer on your wellbeing. Similarly we have to
consider the impact of the adult’s needs on your wellbeing. By going through the questions shown
below, we will identify what you want to achieve as outcomes in your daily life.
Contact details
Firstly, we will ask you for contact details for yourself and for the person/people you care for.
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How would you describe your caring role?
We will ask you about the types of needs the person you care for has and which ones you provide
support for. We will go through a list of needs with you during the assessment. We will also look at
how long you have been caring for them; the main daily tasks you carry out for the person you
care for; whether you have any other parental or family responsibilities aside from your main
caring role; and if there are any other tasks involved in your caring role such as giving medication,
dealing with finances, or making appointments for the person you care for.
Is the care that you provide, necessary care?
This part is an opportunity for you to explain how you have determined if the care is necessary or
not.
Do you have caring responsibilities for a child?
You should consider any parenting or other caring responsibilities you have for a child in addition
to the caring role you have for an adult and how that affects your ability to provide care. This
includes children, step-children, grandchildren and other children for whom you are expected to
care in a non-paid capacity.
Do you have caring responsibilities for other adults?
You will be asked whether you have any additional caring responsibilities you undertake in a nonpaid capacity for other adults, such as caring for a parent, in addition to caring for the adult with
care and support needs.
Are you able to maintain a habitable home environment?
You should consider whether you are able to keep your home safe and an appropriate
environment to live in, and whether it presents a significant risk to your wellbeing. A habitable
home should be safe and have essential amenities such as water, electricity and gas.
Are you able to look after your nutritional needs?
This part is for you to consider whether, for example, you have time to do essential shopping and
to prepare meals for yourself and your family.
Are you able to develop and maintain family or other significant personal relationships?
Does your caring role prevent you from maintaining key relationships with family and friends or
from developing new relationships where you do not already have other personal relationships?
Are you able to engage in work, training, education or volunteering?
You should consider whether you can continue in your job and contribute to society, engage in
education, volunteering or supporting civil society, or whether you have the opportunity to get a
job, if you are not in employment.
Are you able to make use of necessary facilities or services in the local community?
This part is for you to consider whether you have an opportunity to make use of the local
community’s services and facilities and, for example, consider whether you have time to use
recreational facilities such as gyms or swimming pools.
Do you have leisure time?
You should consider whether you have leisure time, for example, free time to read or engage in a
hobby.
Is other support available to you or the person you care for?
You will be asked whether you, or the person you care for, currently receive any other forms of
ongoing support. This could be through formal social care, voluntary agencies or family and
friends.
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Consent
During the assessment you will be sharing your personal information with the Council and this will
be used to assess your needs and help plan your support. This personal information will need to
be shared with other people and partner organisations providing services, for example health
colleagues or your GP, with your consent.
Do you require further information?
This will be an opportunity for you to ask for any specific information which will help you in your
caring role.
After the assessment, eligibility will be considered. If you wish to find out more, our leaflet
“Helping you to care” can be accessed from www.warwickshire.gov.uk or you can contact 01926
410410 and request a copy.
We hope you found this brief guide helpful in preparing for your assessment.
Compliments, comments and complaints
If you have any comments or complaints about our services, please let us know.
Please contact the:
The Customer Relations Team
PO Box 48
Shire Hall
Warwick
CV34 4RD
Phone: 01926 410410
Useful links
Information and advice about Warwickshire social care services:
www.warwickshire.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth
Support services in Warwickshire:
www.warwickshire.gov.uk/directory
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