Requesting Support or Review (Carers)

1. How to Request Support or Review

Requesting Support (Carers who are not currently being supported by the Local Authority)

Where the carer is not yet in receipt of any Local Authority support or services a new referral is required.

This referral should be made through the Community Solutions Service on 0208 227 2915.

Please note that the Community Solutions Service will explore a range of alternative options and will only make a referral if this is the most appropriate and proportionate response to the presenting issue.

Requesting Support or Review (Carers who are already being supported by the Local Authority)

Where the carer with Support needs is already in receipt of support from the Local Authority contact can be made;

  1. Direct to the team providing support (where contact details are known); or
  2. To the Community Solutions Service on 0208 227 2915.

2. Steps to Consider before Requesting Support or Review

Consent for Adult Carers and Young Carers over the age of 16

Referral

Referrals for adult Care and Support interventions cannot be taken unless;

  1. The carer the referral relates to is making the referral;
  2. The carer the referral relates to has given their consent to the referral; or
  3. The carer is a young carer under the age of 18 and is at risk of harm from abuse or neglect.

Review

Requests for a review of an existing Support Plan can be made by anyone who has a concern that a plan may not be working as intended or a carer's needs have changed. However, the review cannot be carried out without the consent of the carer, unless the carer is under the age of 18 and is at risk of harm from abuse or neglect.

Information sharing about the carer

Information relating to a particular carer already receiving a Support service cannot be shared unless;

  1. The carer to whom it relates is the one requesting it;
  2. The carer to whom the information relates has given consent for it to be shared with the person requesting it; or
  3. The carer is a young carer under the age of 18 and is at risk of harm from abuse or neglect.

Information sharing about the adult with Care and Support needs

Information relating to the adult with Care and Support needs will not be shared unless;

  1. The person to whom it relates is the one requesting it;
  2. The person to whom the information relates has given consent for it to be shared with the person requesting it; or
  3. The person to whom the information relates lacks capacity to consent for it to be shared but has a legally authorised person that agrees to it being shared;
  4. The person to whom the information relates lacks capacity to consent for it to be shared and the Local Authority makes a decision under Best Interests that it should be shared with the person requesting it; or
  5. The person is at risk of harm from abuse or neglect.

What can be provided without consent

Unless one of the above situations applies only general information and advice.

Where information is gathered or shared it will be done so with full regard to the Caldicott Principles and local information sharing policies.

Click here to read the Freedom of Information Policy and the Information Sharing Policy.

Click here to access the procedure for providing information about a person.

Consent to Contact/Referral and Mental Capacity

If there are concerns that a young carer over the age of 16 may lack capacity to consent to the contact or referral then a proportionate mental capacity assessment must be carried out to determine whether this is the case. This can be carried out by the person making the contact or referral if they have the necessary skills to do so, or by the Local Authority as part of the referral process.

If the young carer has capacity to consent following the mental capacity assessment their consent must be obtained before making the contact or referral.

If the young carer lacks capacity to consent following the mental capacity assessment then a Best Interest Decision must be made to confirm that making the contact or referral will be in their Best Interests.

Click here to access the Mental Capacity section of these procedures, with guidance about assessing capacity and making best interest decisions.

Consent for Young Carers under the age of 16

The Gillick competency test should be used to determine whether a young carer under the age of 16 is able to consent to the referral or contact. To be able to consent the young carer must be able to understand what they are consenting to and the implications and likely outcome of consenting.

If the young carer is able to consent then the same conditions apply as for an adult carer (see above).

Where a young carer under the age of 16 is not able to provide consent this should be given by a person with parental responsibility for them. Their mother will always have parental responsibility, and normally the father will as well. Depending on the circumstances other people may also have been granted parental responsibility by the courts.

Significant Benefit

If a referral is being made for a carer's transition assessment to be carried out (either a young carer's assessment for a young carer turning 18, or a child's carer's assessment for an adult carer where the child they care for is turning 18) this can only be carried out;

  1. If young carer has a likely appearance of need from the age of 18; or
  2. The adult carer has a likely appearance of need after the child they care for turns 18; and
  3. The assessment will be of significant benefit to them at the current time.

Significant benefit will generally be had at the point when any needs for Support the carer may have as an adult can be predicted reasonably confidently. A range of other factors will also determine whether the timing of the assessment is of significant benefit, including;

  1. The stage the young carer has reached at school and any upcoming exams;
  2. The time it may take to carry out an assessment;
  3. The time it may take to plan and put in place the adult Care and Support;
  4. Any relevant family circumstances; and
  5. Any planned medical treatment.

If both of the above criteria are not met the assessment may not be carried out or could be deferred to such time when the significant benefit is clear.

Safeguarding

Adults

To raise a concern or provide information relating to adult safeguarding by telephone dial 0121 704 8007.

To raise a concern or provide information relating to adult safeguarding by e-mail please send a high priority e-mail to SafeguardingAdults@lbbd.gov.uk.

If you are a professional safeguarding concerns about an adult can be raised using the online contact form by clicking here.

Click here to access the adult safeguarding procedures, including how to recognise abuse and neglect, how to raise a concern and how to record safeguarding information.

Click here to access the Local Safeguarding Adults Board Multi-Agency Safeguarding Procedures.

Children

To raise a concern about a child call 0208 227 3811 or e-mail assessmentteam@lbbd.gov.uk.

Click here to access the Local Safeguarding Children's Board Multi-Agency Procedures.

If you are concerned that an adult or child is in imminent danger from abuse or neglect, or that a criminal act has taken place you should contact the police by dialling 999 and seek immediate medical support if necessary.

Information and Advice

The Local Authority has a duty under section 4 of the Care Act to provide good information and advice relating to adult Care and Support wherever it is requested or would be of benefit.

Click here to read more about the duty to provide information and advice under the Care Act, including how information and advice should be provided and the specific information and advice requirements around finances.

To access the procedures for providing information and advice click here.

Prevention Services for adult carers of adults

Under section 2 of the Care Act the Local Authority cannot provide intensive or on-going long term interventions to anyone over the age of 18 until it is satisfied that prevention services having been explored and deemed not suitable.

Prevention services that may benefit an adult carer include some prevention services that would be provided to the person with Care and Support needs (for example reablement or Assistive Technology).

If the person making the contact or referral possesses the necessary skills and knowledge to explore the prevention services available locally it should reasonably be expected that they will do so before making a contact or referral for more intensive support.

There are many kinds of prevention service available. Some are provided by the Local Authority and some are provided by the community or partner organisations, such as health.

Click here to read about the different types of prevention services described in the Care Act.

If you feel that a prevention service may be a more appropriate service for the person click here to access the prevention service procedures, including links to the different prevention services available.

If you are not sure whether a prevention service is appropriate, or you feel that further support is going to be required alongside any prevention service you should proceed to make the contact or referral but you should make sure to explain what has already been explored in relation to prevention to reduce the risk of duplication for the carer.