STATE OF CARING REPORT 2016
Experiences
of carers’
assessments
One year on:
The Care Act 2014 and Children
and Families Act 2014 in England
In England the new Care Act, introduced in April
2015, should be making it easier for carers to
get an assessment that looks at the impact of
their caring role on all aspects of their life and
what support they and their family need. It
should also make it clearer for carers to find out
about what is available to support them locally
and whether they are entitled to local authority
funded support.
Across the UK, 31% of carers responding to our survey
reported having an assessment of the impact of their
caring role on them in the previous year.
Only a minority of those having an assessment in the
last year (35%) were told how to get all the information
and advice about their caring role they felt they needed,
with 1 in 5 (22%) saying they received little or no helpful
information or advice and felt they did not know where
to go for support with caring.
Obtaining an assessment
We asked carers in England whether they have
been offered or asked for a carer’s assessment
in the last 12 months. Half of carers (50%) living
in England who responded to our survey had
either been offered (28%) or asked for (22%) a
carer’s assessment in the previous year. Those
who haven’t had one in the last 12 months could
have already had one, or have not yet been
offered or requested one.
Those providing 50 hours or more of care a week
are twice as likely to be in bad health4 as those not
providing care yet, high numbers of carers felt that
their assessment did not look sufficiently at the impact
of caring and support needed to look after their own
health and have a break from caring. Only a third
(35%) of carers who had an assessment in the last
year felt that the support they need to look after their
own mental and physical health alongside caring was
properly considered. Two thirds (68%) of carers felt that
their need for replacement care to have a break from
caring was either not considered or not thoroughly
considered in their carer’s assessment.
Older carers are much more likely to have been
offered their assessment (39%) compared to
20% requesting one. On the other hand, those
caring for a disabled child under 18 were more
likely to have asked for their assessment (22%)
than have been offered one (13%).
Only a third
35%
of carers who had an assessment in
the last year felt that the support
they need to look after their
own mental and physical health
alongside caring was properly
considered.
4
Census 2011
08