Assessment for the person you care for
If the person you are looking after is an adult and
appears to have a need for support they should be
offered a needs assessment by their local authority.
The person you are looking after
can have an assessment no matter
their level of need or their financial
means.
The assessment will look at their
physical, mental and emotional
needs. You as a carer are entitled to
be involved in the assessment.
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Following the assessment, the
local authority will decide whether
the person you are looking after is
eligible for support. Support could
be provided by the local authority,
or in the form of a direct payment.
Some examples of the kind of
support the person you are looking
after could get include changes
to their home to make it more
suitable, a care worker, a place at
a day centre or a temporary stay in
residential care.
Whether the local authority will
pay for any support provided will
depend on the financial situation
of the person you are looking
after, unless the support is of
a type which must be provided
free of charge, such as aids or
minor adaptations (which means
adaptations up to the value of
£1,000).
Even if the person you are looking
after is not considered to be eligible
for support, the local authority
must still provide them with
information and advice.
Find out more at
carersuk.org/
needs-assessment
Note: Needs assessments are for adults (18+).
If you are looking after a child under 18 who is a ‘child in need’ they can have
a Children Act assessment from the local authority. A Children Act assessment
will consider all the help that your child needs, the needs of any other children
in the family and the help that you may need to care for the child.
Visit carersuk.org/assessments-under-18 to find out more.
Looking after someone
carersuk.org