You can have a carers assessment if you are looking after someone without being paid and the following applies:
- The person you care for is over 18.
- You are looking after them because they need help with their day-to-day life due to their age, disability, illness or long-term condition.
- You, as the carer, live in Bedford Borough.
As a carer, you are entitled to an assessment in your own right. The assessment is free.
You can have an assessment even if the person you are looking after does not receive any care and support from the Council. You can also have an assessment if the person you are caring for does not want to have an assessment of their needs.
The carer’s assessment is not a test of how well you are doing as a carer. It is your opportunity to tell someone about your experiences and the impact that caring is having on your daily life.
If you would like an assessment, we recommend you start by competing the online self-referral form below. Please give us as much detail as possible as this will allow Adult Services to understand your situation before making contact to complete an assessment.
Complete a carer's online referral
Preparing for the assessment
During the assessment, you will be asked about aspects of your life. You might want to think about these before the assessment and any other things that you would like to talk about, such as:
- the care and support you provide
- any other caring responsibilities, such as children, parents or other family members
- your own day-to-day living situation including any challenges you are facing
- the impact of caring on your family, social life or work
- the impact of caring on your own wellbeing
- what support you have at the moment to help you care (this could be family, friends, services, or local organisations)
- whether you can and want to continue to provide care
After your assessment
All the information gathered during your assessment will help us decide whether you have eligible needs for support from us.
If you have eligible needs, we'll agree with you on what outcomes/ needs you want us to meet or wish to achieve.
We may meet your eligible needs by providing:
- support to the person you care for
- advice or information to help you make use of community resources and services
- information on what welfare benefits you could claim and details of other services
- a support plan with a personal budget to meet your eligible needs
If you do not have eligible needs, we can still support you by providing:
- advice or information to help you make use of community resources and services
- information on what welfare benefits you could claim and details of other services
You can also read our guide to who qualifies for Adult Social Care Services - Carers (PDF), which explains whether you are eligible for a service.
Carer changes in circumstance
If your needs or circumstances as a carer change, it could mean that you need more or a different type of help or support. Please contact Adult Social Care to let us know.
Do I have to pay for the service?
There is no charge for services that you receive as a carer.
In an emergency
If someone is in immediate danger or needs urgent medical attention, call 999.
For urgent health advice that are not life-threatening, contact NHS 111 or your GP.
If you are worried about an adult’s safety or wellbeing and need social care support, you can ring the Adult Services Contact Team on 01234 267422.