Review of the Implementation of the Northern Ireland Single ...

Carers from three trusts (Belfast, South Eastern and Western) were able to
confirm that they knew that the trust had a carers‟ coordinator and that the
coordinator organised events for carers and gave out specific information.
Carers from the Southern and Northern Trusts did not know who the carers‟
coordinator was or what their role was.
5.2 Experience of the Carer’s Support and Needs Assessment Tool
Information about a carer’s assessment
The majority of carers stated that they had probably been given information
leaflets about a carer‟s assessment but said that, “…this information would all
have been mixed up with everything else given to me from the trust staff.”.
There was a mixed response to this part of the discussion and carers could be
categorised under four headings:
carers who had completed a carer‟s support and needs assessment and
found it beneficial
carers who had been offered a carer‟s support and needs assessment
but who did not really understand the purpose of the assessment.
carers who had never heard of a carer‟s support and needs assessment
even though they were in receipt of carer‟s services for their cared for
person
carers who had asked for a carer‟s support and needs assessment and
been refused.
A number of carers indicated that they had completed an assessment and
confirmed that they had found the process to have been a valuable emotional
support but agreed that the assessment form was, “…not a form that you
would want to complete on your own as it needs the professional support to
help address/think through some of the issues…”.
There was one negative response from a carer in regard to completing the
carer‟s assessment. The carer accepted the offered assessment, but noted
that it “…took about two days to complete. I wanted a sleep over arrangement
and was told I had to complete a carer‟s assessment. The outcome was no
sleep over. I had to appeal the panel decision and found the assessment was
a waste of time…”.
Of those who had been offered an assessment, some reported that it had been
posted out to them with a note that once they had read and considered the
questions, someone would assist with completing the form, but the onus was
on them to contact the social work department. Some said there was no follow
up regarding completion of the form.
One carer reported that she “…had asked for the assessment form which was
sent to the home. Her mother who had Alzheimer‟s had misplaced the form
and it was found many months later but in the meantime no one had made
contact to chase it up..”.
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