I look after someone with a mental health problem:

Am I a carer?

The Government says you are a carer if you are a friend or relative who is involved in looking after someone with a severe mental illness. You may be the person’s wife, husband, civil partner, son, daughter, sister, brother, parent, other relative, neighbour or friend. You do not have to live in the same household as the person you look after.

What are my rights?

The Government recognises the importance of carers. In its national plan for carers, the Government says that you should feel that `the system is on your side' and that you should have opportunities for `a life of your own'.

The law (the Carers Acts) sets out what should be done for carers.The main thing that the law sets out is that you have a right to have your own needs assessed. The law says that you must be informed of your rights.

What is an assessment for?

The purpose of an assessment of carer’s needs is:

• to find out if you need some extra support
• to look at what can help you in your caring role and help you to keep well yourself
• to consider how caring affects your ability to work or take part in education/training or leisure activities.
• to see if support can be given by social services or other organisations

What happens if I have an assessment?

When the person you look after is assessed by a doctor, nurse or social worker, your needs should also be considered. If you provide 10 or more hours of practical support/emotional support or supervision per week, or if the caring role is clearly having a negative effect on your ordinary lifestyle, then you can choose to have a separate assessment if you wish.

The member of staff who does the assessment will talk to you about how your relative or friend’s illness affects you. You can tell them about anything that worries you, and ask any questions you may have. The member of staff will answer your questions as fully as possible but there may be some information they cannot give to you because they must also respect the confidentiality of information about the person you look after.

Carers Support Plan

The member of staff will try to identify things to help and support you. This will be written down after agreement with you the carer in a document called a “Carers Support Plan”.

The Support Plan should include some or all of the following:

• information on what to do and who to contact in a crisis
• what will be provided to meet your own health needs, and how it will be provided
• information on how to get advice on income and benefits, housing, education and employment
• if support or short term breaks have been agreed, what the arrangements for these will be
• information about appeals or complaints procedures

This Support Plan will be reviewed (looked at again) every year, or more often if necessary.

Carers UK is a campaigning organisation, providing information and advice on all aspects of caring to carers.