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Carers

Information on working with carers, including assessments and personal budgets

Carers

The Care Act sets out a duty for the Local Authority to assess the eligible needs of a carer. In the Care Act, a carer over 18 is defined by " an adult who provides or intends to provide care for another adult (an "adult needing care").

Further information on carer's assessments can be found in the guidance. Details of Covid-19 and personal protection equipment for carers can be found on the Camden Care Choices website.

There is guidance that can be found regarding the Care Act which relates to when a person (and possibly also their carer) moves out of Camden to a new borough. It also includes what information needs to be shared to ensure that their care continues uninterrupted, please follow this link for further details Continuity of care when moving out of Camden | Camden. 

Practitioners should be routinely offering Carer Conversations and Carer Reviews as part of day to day conversations with carers. When practitioners complete Care Needs Assessments, they should be asking the person if they have any informal carers and collecting this information.

This page sets out the roles and responsibilities regarding Carers Conversations and Reviews.  Also, attached is a map showing a sequence of steps that follow, and responsibilities of the various teams involved.

Conversations are either carried out by ASC or Camden Carers (by commissioned arrangement), and it is dependent on a number of circumstances.

DETERMINING WHO CARRIES OUT A CARERS CONVERSATION/REVIEW

A) Person being cared for is NOT KNOWN to ASC and has no ongoing contact with ASC, then:

  • Camden Carers complete the Carers Conversation or Carer Review on behalf of ASC
  • BUT if the case is complex, e.g. safeguarding, the Carer Conversation may be completed by ASC (queries/ checks around the appropriateness of the case for Camden Carers is completed by the Prevention and Wellbeing team - and over time, the Carer Practice Development Lead)

B) Person being cared for IS KNOWN to ASC, then:

  • Practitioner in ASC offers a Carer Conversation

C) Person being cared for IS SUPPORTED BY CLDS, then:

  • Camden Carers will complete up to 6 Carer Conversations per month as part of the commissioned arrangement (and in line with the agreed criteria)
  • BUT CLDS will complete the Carer Conversation if the following applies:

         - open safeguarding, active case

          - multiple high and complex risks

          - multiple services

          - care package includes over 12 hours of floating support/homecare

Further information on the Criteria for CLDS Carers Assessments and Reviews is available. 

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES IN CARRYING OUT CARERS CONVERSATIONS/REVIEWS

  • Camden Carers

• Camden Carers carry out Carer Conversations and Carer Reviews and offer a carer budget (in the form of a Direct Payment) if needed.

• These are offered to meet specific outcomes noted in the conversation support plan. An example of what support is offered by a DP could be a break away, gym membership, complementary therapies, technological device, driving lessons, entertainment tickets/ memberships etc.

• Carer Conversation workflow is completed on Mosaic and the authorisation is then sent to the virtual worker carer folder. This is then authorised by the Digital Skills Trainer; Prevention & Wellbeing Service Manager and sometimes the ASC Insight, Quality and Financial Services. Over time this will move to the Carer Practice Development Lead. Once authorised, Camden Carers complete the purchasing and email the Direct Payments Team. The DP is then processed by the DP Team.

• Camden Carers will assign the future Carer Review to their folder on Mosaic.

  • ASC (Neighbourhood teams, CLDS and CYPDS)

• A Carer Conversation or Carer Review is completed by the practitioner on Mosaic. Once assessed, the carer may meet the eligibility criteria under the Care Act. If the criteria is met, the Carer is offered a carer budget (in the form of a Direct Payment) if required and or other non-financial support, such as information and advice, to support them to achieve their agreed outcomes.

• Carer budgets are added by the practitioner on Mosaic, where a purchasing step is completed. This is then authorised by the Team Manager. The practitioner will then email the DP Team, for them to process the payment.

• The practitioner will assign the future Carer Review to the relevant team folder on Mosaic.

• Carer Reviews are available annually if they receive a DP or other support. An outcome of the review may be that they receive another carer budget (DP).

  • Hospital Team

Hospital Team Practitioners do not complete Carer Conversations or Carer Reviews.

If, upon discharge:

• a new service is put in place for the cared for person, the Carer Conversation/Review is completed by the relevant ASC/Community Team

• the cared for person does not receive an ASC service (and there is no further ASC involvement), the Carer Conversation is completed by Camden Carers (unless it is too complex for them to do so).

  • Direct Payments Team

• The DP Team process the carer budget payment on Mosaic and contact the Carer for bank details. They will then monitor the DP.

• The DP Team issue the money within 10 days of the paperwork being completed.

• There is no maximum amount for a carer budget. The amount agreed between the practitioner and carer is based on the outcomes that have been identified; the level of caring role and the impact on their wellbeing to ensure the sustainability of the caring role. There is a suggested budget generated through the Carer Conversation form on Mosaic, however this is for guidelines only.

  • Mental Health Team

If the cared-for person is known to ASC, the Prevention and Wellbeing Team (the Digital Skills Trainer (DST), and over time, the Carer Practice Development Lead) checks if the person is supported by a Mental Health Team, and if they are, makes a request to MH Team that they lead on the Carer Conversation or Carer Review. The DST case notes to confirm that MH Team are picking this up.

Completing the Carer Conversation/Review in MH Team - The MH practitioner will complete a word document version of a Carer Conversation or Carer Review (as they are completing this outside of Mosaic). They will then pass this to a MH admin worker to process on the system once it’s been authorised by their manager.

Purchasing a one-off direct payment – The MH admin worker will upload the Carer Conversation/Review document on Mosaic, and complete the Carer MH inputting workflow, on behalf of the MH practitioner. They would then, upon the MH practitioner's instructions, purchase the carer Direct Payment. Purchasing the DP is an action for the MH team.

Carers Review – so that a future carer review can be generated, the case is added to the relevant MH folder in Mosaic for the MH team to carry out the annual review. The MH admin worker creates the workflow, adds information, uploads the word document and chooses a carer review as an action for 12 months’ time. The review is assigned to one of their virtual workers.’

REFERRALS FOR CARERS CONVERSATIONS

• Carers may self refer for a Carer Conversation

• Carer Conversations are completed in chronological order or dependent on urgency

• If the cared for person is due a care needs review, then their Carer should be assessed/reviewed at the same time.

Last updated: 16 August 2024