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Carers - People who look after others
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information in larger print, another language, or in another
format, such as Braille or audio please telephone 01228
227113. Textphone users should dial 18001 before the number
given above. Alternatively you can email your request to
knowledge.management@cumbria.gov.uk
Who is a carer?
Carers are people who look after others, providing care or
essential support to people who are unable to do everything for
themselves.
Carers may be relatives of the person they look after or they
might be a friend or neighbour. They may or may not live with
the person they look after. The amount of care or essential
support they provide will vary in terms of the sort of things they
do and how much time they spend doing it.
When we talk about care, caring and looking after someone we
mean things like personal care, physical or practical help; help
with medical matters or supervising someone who is at risk.
While carers may be eligible for state benefits, they are not paid
for the care they provide.
We know that most care or essential support is carried out by
family, friends and neighbours. They simply get on with doing
what needs to be done to support the person they look after
often without thinking of it as caring or seeing themselves as a
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carer. We are committed to supporting carers as we recognise
what they do is very important.
Can all carers get help or support?
To be eligible for a carers’ assessment, an assessment of your
needs as a carer, you should be providing (or intending to
provide) care for an adult or a child with one or more of the
following:
physical disabilities;
visual impairments (blindness) or hearing impairments
(deafness);
learning disabilities;
mental illnesses (like dementia, depression and
schizophrenia);
drug and/or alcohol related problems.
If you fit this description of a carer and think that we may be
able to help you, the following sections of this booklet will tell
you:
• the range of services and support that may be available;
• how to apply for a carers’ assessment;
• the different ways in which services and support can be
arranged;
• where and how to find out more information that might
help you.
How do I find out more?
To find out more, you can either:
contact staff at your local Cumbria County Council Adult
Social Care office;
speak to your social worker, occupational therapist or
community psychiatric nurse (if you have one); or
contact an organisation that supports carers which is local
to you.
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You’ll find contact details for our offices and the organisations
that support carers at the back of this booklet. If you (or the
person for whom you care) do not currently have a social
worker, you can contact our staff at your local office. They will
ask you for some details about yourself and the person for
whom you care (if they would like to be involved) and will
arrange for someone to visit you.
This may be:
• a social worker, occupational therapist or social care
worker (from Cumbria County Council);
• a carers support worker (from one of the organisations
that support carers).
If you want to, you can apply online for a carers’ assessment at:
www.cumbria.gov.uk/healthandsocialcare/adultsocialcare/
applyforsupport/referrals.asp
What help is available?
The support we can arrange for carers includes:
help to plan what would happen if an emergency meant
you were unable to look after the person you care;
extra help for the person you care for;
breaks which offer you time away from caring;
support to help you care and to maintain your health and
wellbeing;
information and advice;
emotional support.
Information about these follow in this booklet but it is worth
noting that any help provided will be subject to assessment.
Depending on the service or support we may need to do an
assessment of your needs (a carers’ assessment), an
assessment of the needs of the person you care for, or both.
Research we did with carers in 2012 gave a clear message that
having their needs identified by a carers’ assessment, and
being involved in decisions about the needs of the person they
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care for are important. By assessing your needs as a carer we
can get a complete picture of your situation and help you plan
support that will benefit you and the person you care for.
Support that is directly for a carer is usually free but there may
be a charge for any services provided for the person you care
for, such as home care or residential respite care.
Help to plan what would happen if an emergency meant
you were unable to look after the person you care for
When we asked carers about what was important to them they
told us having services or support in an emergency was key.
Carers in Cumbria, looking after an adult relative or friend can
get a Carers’ Emergency Card. The card allows the emergency
services, or others present in an emergency, to contact a 24hour response centre who can make sure the person you care
for is looked after. Carrying the card with you can provide
peace of mind that the person you care for won’t be left without
support if something unexpected happens to you. To find out
more, ask for a copy of our ‘Carers’ Emergency Card’ leaflet or
contact the organisation that supports carers in your local area.
Breaks
Carers can sometimes feel guilty about taking a break or
needing help. However, caring for someone can be like being
on duty ’24/7’ – so it is completely understandable that
sometimes carers need a break to give them time off. Breaks
allow carers the space and time to:
• take part in work, learning or leisure
• pursue their personal interests
• attend medical or other essential appointments
• get some rest, sleep or ‘recharge their batteries’.
Breaks can be arranged on a one off basis, in an emergency or
planned as a regular arrangement. During the break the person
you look after can be cared for either at home or somewhere
else, offering them a ‘change of scenery’ or the opportunity to
socialise with other people. Breaks can last for:
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short periods of time, such as a few hours in the case of a
sitting in service or day care;
longer periods of time, such as an overnight stays in a
residential or nursing home.
To give you more control and choice, you may be able to
arrange your own breaks using a Carers Budget. Respite care
can only be arranged through an assessment of the needs of
the person you care for. There is more information about
Carers Budgets later on in this booklet.
Support to help you care and maintain your health and
well-being
There are many ways in which we can support you to care for
someone and to help you maintain your own health and wellbeing.
These include:
• home care to carry out personal care for the person you
look after - this can include helping them get up, washed
and dressed, eat meals or go to the toilet;
• practical care and support to help you – this can include
support to go shopping, preparing meals and essential
cleaning;
• occupational therapy advice about equipment and
adaptations in the home of the person to help you care for
them;
• telecare alarm systems;
• car badges for disabled drivers and passengers.
•
We will discuss the range of support available to you after your
carers’ assessment when we agree your support plan. You can
find more information about carers assessments and support
plans further on in this booklet.
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Information and advice
We can provide information and advice about a range of topics,
such as:
services or support available for you as a carer, for the
person you look after, and how you can access these;
organisations who specialise in supporting carers in
Cumbria;
what benefits are available, who might be entitled to them
and where you can apply for them.
Even if you feel you do not need help at the moment, you may
want to know what kind of things might be available for you if
you did. If we cannot help, we will put you in touch with
someone who can.
There are a number of organisations that support carers
located across the county which Cumbria County Council gives
funding to.
They have trained carer support workers who will provide you
with information tailored to your needs or circumstances. Their
details are listed near the end of this booklet.
There is also information available on our website at
http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/healthandsocialcare/adultsocial
care/carers/carers.asp and you can also access the Cumbria
Support Directory, an on-line directory of services available in
Cumbria at www.cumbriasupportdirectory.org.uk. If you
don’t have access to the internet at home it is available at every
public library in Cumbria for a small charge. You can use it for
up to one hour per day, free of charge, if you are a library
member and one or more of the following is true. You are:
• unemployed or on a low income;
• disabled;
• over 60 years old;
• a student.
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Emotional support
Carers have told us that emotional support is one the most
important services that can be provided. Whilst there are many
positive and rewarding aspects to caring, the emotional
demands of someone being dependent on you can be very
challenging. It is common to feel lonely or isolated, some carers
feel that nobody listens or gives time to hear about the things
they need. Feelings of anger, being trapped by responsibilities
and guilt about needing help are all things carers experience
often. It is normal, and quite understandable, that you might
feel like this. Try not to let negative feelings build up – ask for
help or, if you don’t feel you need help now, make sure know
what help is available in case you do. Our staff can help you
talk about how caring is affecting you emotionally. Alternatively,
you can talk to the organisation that supports carers in your
local area, your doctor, First Step or the Samaritans.
Contact
Samaritans 08457 909090
First Step 0300 123 9122
The organisation that supports carers in your local area can tell
you about groups where you will be able to meet with other
carers.
Some provide telephone help-lines so you can talk to someone
who understands your situation if you want to.
Many carers outlive the person they look after, or face great
changes when the person they look after goes into a residential
or nursing home. If you are in this situation you might need
some help to adjust to your change in lifestyle. You may need
counselling following a bereavement or ongoing support.
You can get details on how to get emotional support from one
of the organisations who support carers, or from your local
Adult Social Care office.
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What happens once I have contacted Adult Social Care?
When you contact Adult Social Care you will be offered an
assessment of your needs – this will focus on what ‘outcomes’
you want to achieve – thinking about your quality of life and
what you feel is a priority for you. A carer support worker, or a
worker from Adult Social Care, will carry out the assessment.
They will work with you to decide on a support plan that
addresses your needs.
Your assessment does not have to be a ‘one off’ – you can ask
for a follow up assessment at another time if you want this.
Your worker will also tell you what arrangements they will make
to review any services or support arranged, this will be at least
once a year.
We may also involve workers from Children’s Services:
if you are a young person looking after an adult (a young
carer);
or if you are looking after a disabled child or young
person.
Some carers, for example, those who are themselves disabled,
may be eligible for an assessment of their needs in their own
right.
What is a carers’ assessment?
A carers’ assessment is where a carer support worker, or
worker from Adult Social Care, sits down with you to discuss
your situation as a carer, your quality of life, and what aspects
day-to-day life you feel you need help with. The assessment
should help you think about what it is you would like to be
different in your life and decide what outcomes are important to
you as a carer. You can then agree a support plan detailing
how the outcomes might be achieved. The discussion can
include many areas depending on your specific circumstances
and those of the person you look after. It might cover things
like:
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Your role as a carer
• the care you provide and the impact this has on you
emotionally, physically and financially;
• the amount of time you spend caring and what, if any,
breaks you are able to have;
• involvement in discussions and decisions about the
person you care for;
• arrangements that may be needed if there is an
emergency or unplanned event;
• any practical and emotional support you already have;
• other responsibilities you might have as well as being a
carer, like a job or other family commitments;
• what information or advice you need about being a carer
or about the illness or condition affecting the person you
care for;
• a need for advocacy (support to help you make your views
known);
• your future role as a carer.
Your health and well-being
• your physical health, well-being and safety;
• your mental well-being and relationships with others.
Practical matters
your accommodation and that of the person you look after
if they don’t live with you;
financial issues including discussion of any charges for
services or support and Carers Budgets.
Work, learning and leisure
• your work and your preferences for work in the future;
• life-long learning – your education and training needs;
• leisure activities or hobbies you have or would like to
have.
The future
arrangements to review your assessment after a period of
time;
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what to do or who to notify if circumstances change for the
worse or for the better;
information or advice you might find useful at a later date;
your right to complain and see records relating to yourself.
It helps if you are able to prepare for a carers assessment, but
it’s not essential. If you want to, you can ask one of the
organisations that support carers in your local area to help you
prepare. The lists above are a guide as to what to think about
and what sort of things might be discussed. If you forgot to
mention something important during the assessment, or if
circumstances change, you can always contact the person who
did your assessment to discuss this.
What is a support plan?
A Carers Support Plan is a document listing the needs and
outcomes you have identified and explaining what services or
support will best to meet them. When we talk about a support
plan in this leaflet this is what we are referring to. Your worker
will draw up and agree your support plan with you or you can
produce your own.
The plan will tell you:
• what services or support you will get, and who will provide
them;
• how often you will get services or support, and for what
period of time;
• who is responsible for arranging these, you can arrange
your own or your worker can do it for you;
• when the services or support will be reviewed, to make
sure your needs continue to be met and who to contact if
circumstances change in the meantime.
You will be given a copy of your support plan.
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I would like my support to be flexible could a Carers
Budget help me?
You can choose how much control you have over the
arrangement of your support – and there are a number of ways
that support in your plan can be arranged:
your worker can make the arrangements for you;
you may be able to receive a Carers Budget to allow you
to arrange your own support (this would be separate from
any direct payment the person you care for might receive);
you can choose a combination of any, or all, of the above.
Carers Budgets are delivered via a prepaid card to allow you to
arrange your own support. There is more information about prepaid cards on page 12.
Carers Budget
A Carers Budget is where we give you an agreed amount of
money to help pay for the support needed to achieve the
outcomes identified during your carers’ assessment.
Carers Budgets can give you, as a carer, more choice and
control over the support you arrange.
If you are eligible for a Carers Budget, it will be paid to you as a
carer for the sole purpose of paying for services that you need
to enable you to continue to care, it is not for the person you
care for. Your desired outcomes will be identified in your Carers
Support Plan and may be met from a variety of activities,
community resources and a carers Budget.
Whether you are eligible for a Carers Budget or not depends on
how your role as a carer affects you. It is not directly related to
the needs of the person you care for and you may be eligible
for a Carers Budget even if the person you care for does not
get help from Adult Social Care. There are some conditions to
having a Carers Budget and these are explained below.
A Carers Budget might be used for things like:
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• participating in activities during a break from caring;
• participating in activities that enable you to continue
caring;
• education or training;
• helping you into employment.
You must spend your Carers Budget on the services or support
you have been assessed as needing which are stated in your
Support Plan. You cannot use a Carers Budget for other things
such as:
clothes and food;
savings;
respite care;
care provided by close relatives of the person you look
after, other than in exceptional circumstances;
or to pay for things you have already bought to enable you
to continue caring.
Pre-paid Cards
A prepaid card looks like a debit card but works like a card you
might purchase from a supermarket or department store in that
it is pre-loaded with an amount of money. It is given to you by
Adult Social Care, for you to pay for the social care support
identified in your support plan.
Pre-paid cards are available for carers who have been
assessed as needing support. You can use the card to pay for
your own support. If you would like more information about prepaid cards please contact one of the organisations who support
carers, or your local Adult Social Care office.
What happens to the information you have about me?
We need to keep information about you in our records so we
can carry out our duties and arrange support that is suitable for
you – some of this information will be personal. It will always be
held securely, usually on computer but sometimes in a written
file.
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We may need to share information about you with others such
as the Health Service, one of the organisations that support
carers in your local area or people who will provide support to
you. Generally we will ask for your permission before we do
this. However, there are some circumstances where we are
required by law to share information about you without your
consent. This would include times where someone, either an
adult or a child, is potentially at risk and we need to make them
safe.
You have the right to ask to see information we hold about you.
If you would like to do this you can make a request in writing to:
Access to Records Requests
Complaints and Information Team
Adult Social Care
Civic Centre
CARLISLE
Cumbria
CA3 8QG
How do I contact Adult Social Care?
Adult Social Care
You can contact the Adult Social Care team local to you using
the details below:
Allerdale
workingtonssd@cumbria.gov.uk
North Allerdale - 01228 223450
South Allerdale - 01900 706301
Keswick - 01768 812243
Carlisle
carlislessd@cumbria.gov.uk
Carlisle East - 01228 227040
Carlisle North - 01228 227033
Carlisle West - 01228 221590
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Copeland
whitehavenssd@cumbria.gov.uk
North Copeland - 01946 506352
South Copeland - 01946 506269
Eden
penrithssd@cumbria.gov.uk
Eden West (including Keswick) - (01768) 812243 or 812233
Eden South - (01768) 812089 or 812231
Eden North - (01768) 812241 or 812253
Furness
barrowssd@cumbria.gov.uk
Furness East - 01229 407874
Furness North - 01229 407444
Furness West - 01229 407446
South Lakeland
kendalssd@cumbria.gov.uk
Kendal - 01539 713378 or 01539 713343
South Lakes Rural - 01539 713111 or 01539 713334
Help in an emergency
If you have an emergency during office hours, contact us on the
number we give you or get in touch with your local Adult Social
Care team. Offices are open 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to
Thursday and 9.00am to 4.30pm on Friday.
If you have an emergency when our offices are closed, ring
our Urgent Care Team on 01228 526690. They cover the
whole of Cumbria and work overnight, at weekends and bank
holidays.
Textphone users, please use Typetalk by dialling 18001
followed by the number you wish to speak to.
You can find out more about Cumbria County Council’s
services on our website at:
www.cumbria.gov.uk/healthandsocialcare/adultsocialcare/
default.asp
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www.cumbria.gov.uk/healthandsocialcare/adultsocialcare/
carers/carers.asp and you can also access the Cumbria
Support Directory an on-line directory of services available to
everyone at www.cumbriasupportdirectory.org.uk. Please
note if you don’t have access to the internet at home, or
through a friend or relative, it is available at every public library
in Cumbria.
People who would like a carers’ assessment can apply online
at:
www.cumbria.gov.uk/healthandsocialcare/adultsocialcare/
applyforsupport/referrals.asp
How do I contact the organisations that support carers in
my local area?
Carers’ organisations
There are five carers’ organisations in Cumbria can provide a
wide range of information, support and practical help. Contact
the organisation nearest to your local area. Details are given
below:
Carlisle Carers
Carers Resource Centre, 1st Floor, Fusehill Medical Centre,
Fusehill Street, Carlisle, CA1 2HE
Tel: 01228 542156
Email: admin@carlislecarers.co.uk
Wed: www.carlislecarers.com/
Eden Carers
The Office, Mardale Road, Penrith, CA11 9EH
Tel: 01768 890280
Email: enquiries@edencarers.co.uk
Wed: www.edencarers.co.uk
Furness Carers
Hindpool Community Centre, Nelson Street, Barrow-inFurness, LA14 1NF
Tel: 01229 822822
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Web: www.furnesscarers.co.uk
South Lakeland Carers
Eskdale House, Shap Road, Kendal, LA9 6DQ
Tel: 01539 815970
Email: admin@slcarers.org.uk
Wed: www.slcarers.org.uk
West Cumbria Carers
Suite 7F, Lakeland Business Park, Lamplugh Road,
Cockermouth, CA13 0QT
Tel: 01900 821976
Email: general@westcumbriacarers.co.uk
Wed: www.westcumbriacarers.co.uk
Making Space
Making Space exists to help all those affected by schizophrenia
and other forms of serious and enduring mental illness. This
includes people with mental health problems, their carers and
family members. There are offices across Cumbria in:
Making Space – Allerdale
Park Lane Clinic, Park Lane, Workington, CA14 2RR
Tel: 01900 67700
Email: andrea.sowden@makingspace.co.uk
Making Space – Eden
Community Mental Health Team, Penrith Hospital, Bridge lane,
Penrith, CA11 8HX
Tel: 01768 866295
Email: jan.rycroft@makingspace.co.uk
sarah.manders@makingspace.co.uk
Making Space – Carlisle
First Floor Offices, Victoria House, Victoria Viaduct, Carlisle,
CA3 8AJ
Tel: 01228 548421
Email: linda.Robinson@makingspace.co.uk or
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julia.briggs@makingspace.co.uk or
moreen.wilson@makingspace.co.uk
Making Space – Furness
Duddon House, Fairfield Lane, Barrow-in-Furness, LA13 9AZ
Tel: 01229 871233
Email: tracey.bracewell@makingspace.co.uk
Making Space – Copeland
13-15 Market Place, Whitehaven
CA28 7JB
Tel: 01946 591414
Email: clare.brind@makingspace.co.uk or
malcolm.pritchard@makingspace.co.uk
Making Space – South Lakes
Kinta House, Helme Close, Kendal,
LA9 7HY
Tel: 01539 735210
Email: malcolm.nicholas@makingspace.co.uk
Stroke Association
Stroke Association support stroke survivors, families and
carers.
Stroke Association – Carlisle and Eden
Tel: 07739 746 098 or 07739 746 097
Email: Catherine.jones@stroke.org.uk
or Kath.walker@stroke.org.uk
Stroke Association – Furness
Tel: 07739 746 099
Email: Sam.Cooke@stroke.org.uk
Stroke Association – Copeland and Allerdale
T: 07739 746 095 or 07739 746 096
E: Clare.lowery@stroke.org.uk or
Sandra.pickthall@stroke.org.uk
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Stroke Association – South Lakes
Tel: 07739 746 100
Email: Lynn.jones@stroke.org.uk
Compliments, Concerns, Comments and Complaints
Adult Social Care welcomes all feedback about our services. If
you have a compliment, concern, comment or complaint about
our services, or a decision or action we have taken, then please
let us know about it. We will try to use the feedback you provide
as a way of improving our service to you and to others.
To let us know about compliments, comments, concerns or
complaints please contact:
Complaints and Information Team
Adult Social Care
Civic Centre
CARLISLE
Cumbria CA3 8QG
Telephone: 01228 227140
Email: socialcare.complaints@cumbria.gov.uk
This information was updated in July 2013
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