Help and support for carers

Who is a carer?

A carer is someone who helps another person, usually a relative or friend, in their day-to-day life. This is not the same as someone who provides care professionally, or through a voluntary organisation. This care can be provided in the carers own home or somewhere else. 

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.

What help and support are available to carers?

The council is committed to improving support to carers through our carers' support service.

Assessing your needs as a carer 

If you need help coping with your caring responsibilities, we can find ways to help you through a carer's assessment. 

Available services

We offer a number of services to eligible carers, including:

• information, advice, and support
• financial support, including a personal budget 
  
• support groups for carers throughout the East Riding
• 'We Care' newsletter
• activities and training courses designed to support carers in their caring role
• carers' emergency cover service
• support organising respite care services and short breaks

Please note: some services are only available to registered carers.  

Cost of carer services

Generally, services are free for carers, but in some instances, there may be a small charge.

Staying healthy

If you are worried about the impact your caring duties are having on your health, the health trainer services could help you.

They can provide personal support and motivation to adults who wish to lead a healthier lifestyle. A health trainer will guide and support you with:

• healthy eating 
  
• losing weight 
  
• physical activity 
  
• giving up smoking and substances 
  
• cutting down alcohol 
  
• sexual health, and 
  
• reducing stress and anxiety.

To access this service, contact the carers' support service.

What is a carer’s assessment?

A carer’s assessment can be done to find out how your life is being affected by caring for someone and where you may need support from the council if you are found to be eligible.

A carer’s assessment covers:

• what type of care and support you provide 
  
• how the care you provide affects your health and wellbeing 
  
• how you feel about caring and how it affects your life options 
  
• the impact that caring for someone has on areas of your life such as your aspirations, your work, leisure, and recreational activity and your other relationships. 

You don’t need the permission of the person you care for to ask for an assessment.

To get an assessment contact the carers' support service.

The carer’s assessment process involves the following steps:

1. The carer contacts the council by phone, email or in person (see contact details below) to request an assessment
   

2. A social care worker explains the assessment process. At this point, you can choose your preferred method of assessment
   

3. The assessment is carried out by a social care worker who will then make a decision about whether you are eligible
   

4. You will then be notified of whether you are eligible. The social care worker will provide any advice and direct you to the support you need
   

5. If you are eligible you will need to complete a support plan to find out how best you can be supported and achieve any goals that were identified by the assessment
   

6. Roughly 8 weeks after the support plan was agreed it is reviewed to see if you are happy with how it is going and the plan can be amended if needed. Then once a year after that the support plan is reviewed again.

What do I need to consider before a carer’s assessment? 

Before your carer's assessment, you may want to think about your role as a carer. Have a clear idea of what type and how much care you are willing to provide. 

You may want to consider:

• whether you want to continue being a carer
  
• how your life will change if being a career is your full-time job
  
• what changes would make your life easier as a carer
  
• what will happen if you are not able to continue being a carer without support
  
• any physical or mental health problems, such as stress or depression, which might make your role as a carer more difficult
  
• whether being a carer affects your relationships with family and friends
  
• if being a carer would affect your full-time job
  
• how much time you will need to have a rest or enjoy some leisure activity.

What happens after the carer's assessment? 

After you've completed the carer's assessment we will get in touch with you to discuss your circumstances as described in the information you have given to us and agree your assessment with you.

The information you have supplied will then be used by us to decide if you are eligible for support.

If you have not heard from us within 28 days please contact your social care worker or the carers support service by the methods below.

The person I care for doesn't get help from the council

You can still have a carer's assessment and they will not need to be assessed.

Will my finances be assessed?

A carer's assessment does not include a financial assessment, however, you might be asked how caring is affecting your finances to help decide what support you may need.

You can choose to have a joint assessment with the person you care for or you can choose to be assessed separately.

Request a carer's assessment

You can request a carer’s assessment in the following ways: 

Email

Email: ERcarers@eastriding.gov.uk

Online

Connect to support - East Riding (external website)

Phone

Contact customer services - Tel: (01482) 393939.

Contact carers support service - Tel: (01482) 396500/0800 917 6844.

Face-to-face

Visit our carers' centre at 18 Wednesday Market, Beverley.

Ways to complete a carer's assessment

Carers assessments can be completed in the following ways: 

Online

Connect to support East Riding (external website)

Self-assessment

By request, telephone carers support on (01482) 396500.

Face-to-face

Visit the carers' centre at 18 Wednesday Market, Beverley (telephone to make an appointment) or request a home visit.

Telephone

Contact customer services - Tel: (01482) 393939.

Contact carers support service - Tel: (01482) 396500/0800 917 6844.

How a carer’s assessment can help

If you’re found to be eligible for support you may: 

• be given useful information, guidance, and advice 
  
• be shown where you can access support services in the community 
  
• get practical support, like arranging for someone to take over your caring duties so that you can take a short break 
  
• qualify for direct payment to help you carry out your caring responsibility.  

Can carers get any financial support?

Yes. Depending on your personal circumstances, and the circumstances of the person you care for, you may be entitled to financial support from the government.

Carer's allowance

If you are aged over 16 and provide care to another person for at least 35 hours a week, you could be entitled to a carer’s allowance of £64.60 per week.

Find out if you’re eligible and how to make a claim by visiting the Carer’s Allowance – GOV.uk website (external website). 

How to reduce gaps in your national insurance record

If you care for someone for more than 20 hours a week, you could claim for Carer’s Credit from the government. This is a National Insurance credit that helps build your entitlement to the State Pension.

Find out if you’re eligible and how to make a claim by visiting GOV.UK - Carer’s Credit (external website).

Personal budgets for carers

If you are a carer providing support to someone you may be entitled to your own personal budget from the council. You will need to complete a carer's assessment to determine your eligibility. 

Please note: you will have to be re-assessed each year to check your eligibility for this budget. Assessments can be organised through customer services (contact details below). 

This can be used to help with your caring responsibilities and provide you with financial support to:

• look after yourself  by contributing to a leisure membership, relaxation and/or alternative therapies
• take a break from your caring role
• continue with hobbies, education and/or training
• computer equipment to enable you to be connected and in touch with family, friends, wider communities and service.

To complete a carer's assessment and determine your eligibility for a carer's personal budget:

• contact customer services on (01482) 393939 
  
• contact carers support service on (01482) 396500/0800 917 6844
• call in to the carer's centre at 18 Wednesday Market, Beverley. 
  
• email: ERcarers@eastriding.gov.uk

Alternatively, discuss this with your social care professional.

Other financial support

The different types of financial support described above are specific to the needs of carers

but

depending on your situation you may also be entitled to other benefits or financial support from the council. Find out more on the other benefits available in the housing benefit and council tax support section.

Where can I attend a carers’ support group?

There are various support groups across the East Riding you can find these listed on the Connect to support website.

These groups offer an opportunity to talk to and get to know other carers in similar situations.

Carer support groups in the East Riding:

What is a carer's contact card and how do I get one?

A carer's contact card is an ID card that identifies you as a carer, and is carried at all times by the carer.

This card is used:

• in an emergency to notify emergency services that someone you are responsible for needs support. Read more on using the carer's contact card in an emergency
  
• to get discounted access to leisure services

How to get a card

To get a card, you will need to contact the carers' support service. They will organise an assessment with you and advise you of other services you could benefit from. 

Using the card in an emergency 

If you have a personal accident, the emergency services will look for a carers contact card on your person. If you are identified as a carer, the emergency services can locate the card and call the Lifeline service.

Lifeline will alert the emergency contacts and inform them that the person you look after is on their own and potentially needs their support. 

Find out more about the Lifeline and telecare services on the staying safe at home page.

To arrange this service, please contact the carers' support service.

Discounted leisure services

Card holders are entitled to discounted access to some East Riding of Yorkshire Council venues and services, including Sewerby Hall, Burnby Hall and the land train at Bridlington.

Sewerby Hall and Gardens website (external website)

Who can help carers in an emergency?

If in an emergency, you are not able to carry out your care duties, the carers emergency cover service can provide support.

What if I have a serious accident? If you are involved in an accident which means you are unable to organise emergency care cover, the carers contact card could help keep those you care for safe. Find out more about using the carer's contact card in an emergency. 

Emergency cover service

If an emergency, such as a hospital admission or a family emergency means that you cannot look after the person you care for, this service delivers care to the person on your behalf for up to 48 hours (72 hours over a bank holiday weekend). 

Need cover for longer than 48 hours? If the nature of the emergency means that you need to take a longer break, you will need to organise a short break either with the council or another organisation. Information on how to do this is available on the breaks for carers (respite care) page.

Please note: this service is available in emergencies only. For information on how you can take longer breaks from your care responsibilities, visit the  breaks for carers (respite care) page.

How to set up the emergency cover service

A member of staff from community services will work with you to establish a contingency plan and complete risk assessments in the case of an emergency. This means that action can be taken to ensure the safety of the person cared for immediately in an emergency. 

To organise this service, please contact the carers' support service.

Can carers get discounts from leisure services?

Yes. If you are a carer and you have had a carer's assessment, there are a number of discounted services you can access.

Not had an assessment? Please contact the carers' support service.

Discounted services for carers are:

• the Passport to Leisure card, and 
  
• discounts through the carer's contact card

Passport to Leisure Card

If you are a carer and you have received your carer's assessment, you are eligible for a Passport to Leisure card. This entitles you to 50% off the majority of services at your local leisure centre.

Not had an assessment? Contact the carers' support service.

Please note: the induction for the gym will be charged at the concession rate if applicable, rather than the 50% off discount.

How to apply 

If you meet the requirements of the carer's assessment, you will be issued with a Passport to Leisure application form. You must complete the form and take it to your leisure centre where you will be assigned a Passport to Leisure swipe card. 

For more information you can contact:

• your local leisure centre. Find contact details of your leisure centre in the leisure centre finder

or

• you can contact the carers' support service

Can carers take short breaks?

Yes - if you feel that you could benefit from taking a break from your care responsibilities, we can help you to organise some respite care so that you can have some time to yourself. 

For more information on what services are available, please visit the breaks for carers (respite care) page.

Please note: if you require to take a break from your care duties in an emergency without notice, you can access our carers' emergency cover service.

How do I contact the carers' support service?

You can contact the carers support service for information on:

• your rights as a carer
• financial and legal matters
• carer assessments and services in the East Riding
• local, regional and national support groups
• health related issues
• other organisations and services that may be useful to you.

To make an enquiry about the services available, contact the Carers Support Service:

Tel: 0800 917 6844 (Freephone)

Email: ERCarers@eastriding.gov.uk

Website: Connect to support - East Riding (external website)

You can also visit our carers centre (no appointment necessary):

18 Wednesday Market, Beverley 
Monday - Thursday 9:30 am - 4:30pm
Friday 9:30 - 4:00 pm.

Where can I get more information?

You can:

• request the 'We Care' newsletter
• contact our partner services

‘We Care’ newsletter

We produce a quarterly newsletter, 'We Care', which provides up to date information on carer issues, news, articles, carer views and useful contact numbers. 'We Care' provides a voice for carers and ensures a focal point of contact for carer issues, including details of carer support sessions, relaxation activities and training courses for carers.

The latest newsletters can be found here:

We Care Summer 2018 (pdf 1.6mb)

Useful contact details of our partners: