Carer Support Workers
Carer Support Workers offer information, advice and support to Carers across the County of Derbyshire on a wide range of issues to assist them in their caring role.
They provide assistance via telephone, home visits and Carer Support Groups.
Carers Assessment
A Carers Assessment will help to identify the support you need as a Carer and the things that could make your caring role easier for you. It can provide access to support such as:
• Information about the condition or illness of the person you care for and signposting to support services.
• Information about Carer Support Groups
• Information and help to access any training courses available to you (for example, moving and handling)
• Information on how your GP can support you
• Advice about how to get a balance between caring and your health & wellbeing
• Services to enable you to have a break from your caring role
• Help to make a plan in case of an emergency or crisis
• Advice on how to access services such as housing, employment support and education
• A person centred and family approach to you, the person you care for, in include considering others involved in their care and support. This could be a young carer or other family members.
Please complete our referral form should you wish to access our support services for yourself or someone else. Or if you would prefer to discuss your needs further please don’t hesitate to call 01773 833833
Carers Personal Budget - Derbyshire County
A Carer Personal Budget (formally known as a Carer’s Break Award or Grant) is an amount of money arising from a carer assessment, which is to support you in your caring role. It is not means tested and if you are eligible for this, you have a wide choice about how the money is spent. The budget is made available for you to specifically spend on identified purchases or activities which improve your quality of life as a Carer.
The budgets are given subject to you as a Carer fulfilling certain criteria to be eligible and these are determined as a result of you having had a Carers Assessment. The budget is conditional on this assessment and has to be based on information gathered by DAACSS. It is not automatically awarded or ‘rolled-over’ from year to year but individually assessed on each occasion.
If you previously received a carer personal budget issued through Derbyshire All Age Carers Support Service, it is important to note the changes in the eligibility criteria for carers introduced by the Care Act in April 2015 and how these changes have affected decisions relating to Carer Personal Budgets. More information about the national eligibility criteria for carers can be found at http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/carers
From *April 2017*, there will be a banded approach in Derbyshire to calculate the value of a Carer Personal Budget, which will make the amounts issued fairer, more transparent and benefit those carers with the greatest need. The bands will be linked to the extent that the caring role is impacting on the carer and the worker conducting the assessment will determine the band from information obtained during the carer assessment.
You will need to contact Derbyshire All Age Carers Support Service to arrange for a re-assessment or review to be considered for a Carer Personal Budget. If you have experienced a significant change in your caring role since your last Carer Personal Budget, you may still be eligible under the new eligibility criteria.
