Carers Rights Day is an annual event which this year takes place on Thursday 21st November.
This year’s theme is ‘recognising your rights’. The theme has been chosen to help carers recognise and understand their rights. It is just as important that carers know how to access their rights, and to challenge when they feel their rights are not being met.
Ten years ago, the Care Act and Children and Families Act was passed in England. In theory, the acts gave carers of all ages legal rights. These include a right to assessment of carers’ needs, rights to involvement in hospital discharge, rights to support young carers transitioning from children’s to adult services and more recently, the right to up to one week’s carers leave a year.
We know, however, that in far too many cases, carers’ rights are still not being met.
If you are a carer, it is really important you know what you’re entitled to by law.
Once you know that you are entitled by law ,for example, to be involved in decisions relating to the hospital discharge of the person you care for, or to a week’s carer’s leave from work – then you have the power to challenge when your rights aren’t being met.
Your rights as an unpaid carer
The video below was produced by Carers Support West Sussex to highlight how having an awareness of your rights as a carer will only serve to improve your caring situation and help in making the best possible personal and work decisions. As we know, caring impacts all areas of life from health to finances to life choices.
Workshops to mark Carers Rights Day 2024
Richmond Carers Centre has tailored two specific workshops to compliment this year’s theme ‘recognising your rights’ for Carers rights Day 2024
Know Your Rights – Understanding the Care Act and Carer’s Rights – Not a Care in the World
This workshop will explore the law and how it is designed to protect carers. It will provide an overview of your rights and entitlements as a carer as well as a better understanding of the Care Act. This workshop covers the law regarding carers of adults and may not be suitable for those caring for a person under the age of 18.
11am-12noon
Wednesday 20th November
Online via Zoom
Carer’s Assessment and Carer’s Emergency Card – Jayne Ayris, Carers Champion and Social Worker at Richmond and Wandsworth Adult Social Care
This workshop focuses on the Carer’s Assessment and the Carer’s Emergency Card. It will provide you with an overview of their purpose, the process of getting them, and how they can benefit you. There will also be an opportunity for you to ask questions. This workshop is highly recommended for those who have recently registered with Richmond Carers Centre or who are new to caring. This workshop covers the law regarding carers of adults and may not be suitable for those caring for a person under the age of 18.
11am-12.30pm
Thursday 21st November
Venue: Twickenham Green
Click here to view more workshops for carers provided by Richmond Carers Centre.
Carers Assessment
If you are caring for someone aged 18+ you are entitled to a carers assessment by the local authority of the person you care for. This looks at the impact caring has and what support is available to help you in your caring role and to live your life well. It will cover many aspects of your life including health and wellbeing, ability to work and impact on relationships. The assessment will determine if you are eligible for any support from the local authority. If you do not meet eligibility for local authority support they will provide you with information and advice on how to access support from other local services for carers.
Parent Carers Needs Assessment (PCNA)
If you are caring for someone aged under 18 who lives in the Richmond and Kingston boroughs you are entitled to a PCNA. This is a self-assessment form and Richmond Carers Centre can support you in completing it. The form can be found on the Achieving for Children website.
Needs Assessment for an adult
The person you are caring for is entitled to an assessment of their own needs by the local authority where they live. This will assess their physical, mental and emotional needs and as their carer you can be involved in this assessment. The assessment will determine if they are eligible for any support. There is a threshold for financial support from the local authority and this would be assessed through a financial assessment. If they do not meet eligibility for support they will provide them with information and advice on local services who can help meet their needs. You can download a leaflet with information on paying for care and support. If you would like a hardcopy of this please ask Richmond Carers Centre.
Contact Richmond Access Team for Richmond residents.
Needs Assessment for a child
If you feel that the child you care for would benefit from an assessment of their needs you can talk to the Single Point of Access (SPA) about this.
Carers Emergency Card
This scheme is to ensure there is emergency cover for the person you care for if something unexpected happened to you. You need to contact the local authority about this and they will conduct a carers assessment for you (see above) and give you a form to complete to apply for a carers emergency card.
Carers Allowance
This is a benefit for carers aged 16 and over. There is an eligibility criteria you will need to meet to be able to claim carers allowance. If you claim certain other benefits you may not be eligible. Carers Allowance can also have an impact on other benefits.
For further information and support in applying contact Richmond Carers Centre or Richmond AID.
Carers Credit
If you are caring for someone for more than 20 hours a week but are not eligible to claim Carers Allowance, you may be eligible to claim Carers Credit. Carers Credit is a National Insurance Credit that helps with gaps in your national insurance record. Your state pension is based on your National Insurance record.
For further information and support in applying, contact Richmond AID.
Employment rights for carers
The Carer’s Leave Act 2023 came into effect on 6 April 2024. It states that any employee is entitled to take time off work to give or arrange care for a dependant who needs long-term care. An employer might choose to pay their employees for this type of leave but they do not have to. Employers cannot refuse someone’s request for carer’s leave, but they can ask them to take it at a different time.
Employees can take carer’s leave from the first day of starting work. They can take up to 1 week off every 12 months. It can be taken in half days or in blocks, up to the equivalent of a usual working week for that employee.
For further information or for specialist help about carer’s leave, contact Carers UK.
