Shropshire Council

Factsheet 5: Support for carers

Factsheet 5 - PDF version

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Who is a carer?

A carer is someone who gives care and support to another person who couldn’t manage without their help. Being a carer might involve caring for a relative, partner or friend and not being paid for doing so.

If you regularly support someone with everyday tasks that they're unable to do themselves, you're considered a carer, even though you may have never thought of yourself in this way.

A carer might support someone in one area of their life only, such as helping out with their finances, or in a number of different ways including:

  • Emotional support, like listening and talking
  • Household chores, like cleaning, cooking, washing, ironing or shopping
  • Medication support, such as picking up medication, reminding about medication, or physically helping someone with tablets or creams
  • Personal care, like help with eating, getting to the toilet, washing and dressing
  • Physical care, ensuring the person can move around their home

Who can receive help?

We can offer all carers information, advice and guidance in a number of ways, including:

  • Information found on the 'Caring for someone else' pages of this website
  • Having a conversation or carers assessment with one of our social care practitioners
  • Us telling you about other services that are available in your area

Carers can be eligible for funded support in their own right. The national eligibility threshold for carers is set out in the Care and Support (Eligibility Criteria) Regulations 2014.

Carer’s assessment

If you look after someone, you have the right to ask for a carer’s assessment. You can ask for an assessment at any time by speaking to a member of our First Point of Contact team (FPoC) on 0345 678 9044.

Having spoken to you and establishing that an assessment is required, First Point of Contact will arrange an appointment for you to attend a Let’s Talk Local session in your local community. A carer’s assessment is a way of identifying your needs as a carer, and determining what support you may be eligible for. It looks at the impact that providing care and support has on your own wellbeing and other important aspects of your life as a carer including:

  • Whether a carer is able and willing to carry on caring
  • If a carer works or wants to work in future
  • Whether a carer wants to study or socialise more

There's a range of support available locally to help carers look after their own health and wellbeing, and, depending on their eligibility, a carer may also be entitled to other services, such as a personal budget.

Find out more about having a carer’s assessment in Factsheet 6: Care Act assessment.
Find out more about having a personal budget in Factsheet 9: Managing Your personal budget.

What support is available?

If you're not eligible for further support as a carer, we'll give you information and advice on where you may get the help you want. If you're eligible for support from us, your needs could be met by a range of options, including:

  • Paid services
  • Assistive technology
  • Services provided by the voluntary sector

Following your carer’s assessment, if you meet the eligibility criteria all of these options can be explored further, along with any other ideas you may have. We'll work with you to consider your options, the outcomes you'd like to achieve, and to decide what will be the best ways to meet your eligible assessed needs. This information will be detailed and documented in your own carer support plan.

Find out more about support planning in Factsheet 8: Planning your support

In an emergency

Carers in an emergency situation that affects their caring responsibilities are advised to contact Shropshire Council’s First Point of Contact – 03456 789044 during office hours and the Emergency Duty Team - 03456 789040 for emergencies out of office hours. We'll use the resources we have already in place to offer appropriate support, doing everything we can to ensure people can stay safe and well at home.