Carers
Who is a carer?
If you are looking after someone who is disabled, ill or an older person, then you are a carer. A carer is someone of any age who provides care to someone who:
- has a physical disability
- has a sensory impairment
- has a learning disabilties
- has mental health support needs
- has problems with drug or alcohol misuse
- has a long-term or chronic illness
- is an older person who is physically or mentally frail
- has any combination of the above.
‘Care’ is defined in a wide-ranging way and includes emotional and administrative support as well as physical care and domestic tasks. The person who you care for must live within the London Borough of Barnet. You are not considered to be carer if you are a:
- worker from statutory, voluntary or private service providers who is paid to provide personal assistance or support
- volunteer from statutory, voluntary or private service providers who provides personal assistance or support.
Support for carers
If you provide or intend to provide ‘regular and substantial’ care, you have a right to receive an assessment of needs in your own right. This carers assessment may lead to social care services being provided, to help you in your caring role.
‘Regular’ is likely to mean most days per week, most weeks, and ‘substantial’ is likely to mean an average of twenty or more hours per week spent providing care or supervision.
There is a lot of additional support available for carers:
- support for adult carers
- support for young carers
- support organisations for carers
- respite care
- training for carers
- Caring with Confidence programme
Carers' experience survey - November 2009
Following on from the pilot survey which was carried out in March this year, we will be taking part in a survey of carers commissioned by the Department of Health and the Care Quality Commission in early November. This will cover people over 18 who have had a carers assessment in the past 12 months, or who care for someone who has had a needs assessment carried out by the council in the past 12 months.
The survey will ask questions about the support that carers have received from Adult Social Services, as well as support available from voluntary organisations and the NHS. It will also cover areas such as the impact that caring has on the life of carers, and the quality of advice and information they have received.
This will be sent out to all eligible carers known to us (around 1800 people) during the week commencing 9 November 2009. Look out for your copy!
There will be a prize draw following the survey – anyone who sends the completed survey back by the deadline of Friday 18 December 2009 can be entered into the draw to win a first prize of a £50 voucher for the shop of their choice, or a second or third prize of a £25 voucher.
- Pilot carers survey March 2009 - results factsheet
(PDF: 175KB)
Carers FAQs
See our Carers FAQs section for quick answers to the questions carers have asked.
Carers' strategy group
The multi-agency carers' strategy group has been established to improve services for carers. Carers and the voluntary sector are members of the strategic group together with health and social care staff.
New deal for carers - national carers' strategy
This 'New Deal for Carers' is a commitment in Department of Health 2006 White Paper ‘Our Health, Our Care,Our Say’. It includes a revision of the Prime Minister’s 1999 Carers Strategy, setting up a help/advice line (external link) , provision of cover in emergencies and an expert carers programme.
Other links worth noting
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Email this pageLast modified by: Dawn Rowe on 02/11/2009