Are you a carer?
A carer is anyone, including a child or young person, who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of:
- Illness
- frailty
- disability
- mental health problem
- addiction
Some people may not know they are a carer. Many people do not see themselves as carers but as simply fulfilling family duties. For example, young people caring for a parent, parents of disabled children or older couples who see caring for each other as a natural part of their lives, and people from cultures who do not recognise the concept of “a carer”. (Department of Health 2008).
If you believe you are a carer, you can speak to a CityCare Clinician e.g. nurse, physiotherapist, dietician who will be able to advise you.
There's a statutory requirement that all local authorities provide a care assessment to anybody who requests it. The most direct way to access that is to contact your local council (Nottingham City if you live within the city boundaries, one of the other Local authorities eg Rushcliffe, Broxtowe, Gedling if you have a county address) and request it yourself by ringing them.
If you go to a clinician and say you'd like a care assessment you can ask them to help. One of two things is likely to happen. Either the clinician contacts the local authority on your behalf or they ask a CityCare Care Co-ordinator to do this for them. The call handler will take details about your current situation then they'll decide on how urgency your case is. If it's urgent they'd likely signpost you to the Urgent Care Team, if not they'd then put you on a waiting list for an assessment with a social care practitioner. These workers can help with care packages, respite care, residential / care home placements, home adaptations.
A carers assessment looks at the impact that caring is having on your life and wellbeing. There is no charge for support provided as a result of a carer’s assessment.
For advice and to understand the system better, TuVida (East Midlands) support family carers, young carers and the people they care for across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. Tuvida is a Carers Trust partner.
The team at the Nottinghamshire Carers Hub is available 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday to provide:
- information, advice and guidance
- health and wellbeing support
- a helping hand or friendship via our Nottinghamshire Volunteer Service
- peer support groups
- support and activities for young carers
- online drop in sessions (with a support worker on dates and times to suit you)
- Carers Smart benefits and discounts
- carers grants
- access to respite services
- access to carers assessments
- signposting to other organisations and much more…
Please visit Nottinghamshire Carers Hub | TuVida, or you can contact them on 0115 824 8824 or email eastmidlands@tuvida.org
Further information:
The Carers Roadshow, started by Trevor Clower (winner of the Outstanding Service User Involvement Award at the National Service User Awards 2020) has been running since 2013 and is a great source of information for unpaid carers. This roadshow contain vital information about the wide range of support you can access in your area. The Roadshow is now virtual so you can easily attend. Visit: Virtual Carers Roadshow | Connected Nottinghamshire
Information for Unpaid Carers factsheet is a list of local and national organisations and websites that can help you, catogorised by need such as mental health. The document includes live links so you can be taken directly to the websites.