Skip to content | Privacy and cookies | Accessibility

Support for carers

In England, millions of people provide care or support to a family member or friend, either in their own home or somewhere else. This is often unpaid apart from benefits, so they are considered to be unpaid carers.

‘Caring’ for someone covers lots of different things, like helping with their washing, dressing or eating, taking them to regular appointments or keeping them company when they feel lonely or anxious.

If this sounds like you, from April 2015, changes to the way care and support is provided in England mean you may be able to get more support in your caring role and with looking after your own wellbeing.

For a summary of the major changes please see our Carers and the Care Act information leaflet.

Find out about what support is available in Torbay for carers.

Supporting carers

When the person you support is having an assessment, anyone involved in their care should be included in that assessment and in planning their care. You should also be offered your own Carer’s Assessment, even if you are under 18, or are just preparing to take on a caring role.

You can have a Carer’s Assessment even if the person you care for does not get any help from the Trust, and they will not need to be assessed.

In Torbay, all adult carers can have a Carer’s Health and Wellbeing Check at their doctor’s surgery as an initial Carer’s Assessment. If you care for someone in Torbay, then the Trust (or Torbay Young Carers Service if you are under 18) can provide a Carer’s Assessment if the situation is more complicated.

A Carer’s Assessment looks at the different ways that caring affects your life and helps you work out how you can carry on doing the things that are important to you and your family. Your physical and emotional wellbeing will be at the heart of this assessment. As a result of the assessment, you will be offered advice and guidance to help you with your caring responsibilities, or to help you plan if you are unwilling or unable to continue caring.

You may be eligible for support, taken as a personal budget to spend on the things that make caring easier, or practical support, like arranging for someone to step in when you need a short break. You may prefer to be put in touch with local carer support groups so you have people to talk to, or to attend carers education courses such as first aid or manual handling. There is a wide range of support available, and the Carer’s Assessment will help you work out what is right for you.

Useful links