Carers’ pathway – Information for carers
South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching NHS Foundation Trust’s carers’ pathway is a way of helping to ensure carers receive the type of support they need at the right time.
It also helps health care staff identify, recognise and support carers, and helps carers recognise if they are receiving the support they’re entitled to. The carers’ pathway has four steps.
Step one
Carer identification: Have you been identified as a carer?
A carer is anyone looking after a family member, partner or friend who needs support due to their illness, frailty, disability, mental health problem or addiction and cannot cope without their support. This is an unpaid role.
Identifying you as a carer is the first step to providing you with the support you need to maintain your own mental, physical health and wellbeing.
At first contact or soon after, a member of staff should ask if you (the carer) support the patient/person and take your details.
You will then be identified as the person’s carer/supporter if you confirm you are willing and able to care. Any children in the household who might take on a caring role are also identified.
If the patient gives their consent your details are recorded in their record. If the patient doesn’t give consent, your details are recorded separately as you still have rights to advice and support.
If there are multiple carers, you will be asked to agree who will be the point of contact for all of you. You will all have rights to support and assessment.
A key barrier to providing information and support for carers is that they are frequently not identified. People may not see themselves as carers, rather seeing caring as an extension of their familial role: daughters, sons or partners or as a good neighbour or friend. In addition, becoming a carer can be a gradual process, and carers may not recognise the changing nature of their relationship with the person they care for.
The term ‘carer’ is valued and recognised in law and provides access to a range of advice, information and support.
Visit www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk to view our commitment to carers.
Visit www.carers.org to view the laws that apply to carers.
Top tip
If you support the person and they wouldn’t manage well without that support, you would benefit from being identified as the carer for that person and are entitled to support.
Step two
Carer recognition: Have you been recognised? Have you been provided with a point of contact, a carer champion or the name of a member of staff who you can speak to when needed? Have you been given a carers’ passport? Were you welcomed and given advice and information?
The carer should be:
Welcomed and given advice and information
- Given the name of a member of staff who they can speak to when needed
- Given a carers’ passport
- Provided with contact details for carer champions (carerschampions@swyt.nhs.uk), carers project management officers/carer leads (gillian.cowell1@swyt.nhs.uk) and additional support if required
You should be recognised and supported by health professionals. You should be involved in decision-making and recognised as an expert partner. You have a wealth of knowledge about the person you care for and are often key to understanding the person’s needs and preferences.
We know from research that many carers feel both invisible and ignored. This can particularly be the case in relation to young carers where professionals sometimes see them as ‘just’ a child, even though they may be the primary carer at home.
When the carer’s value is recognised and respected as a core member of the team around the person they care for, everyone wins. Providing the person gives consent and their wishes remain central, carers should be supported to actively participate in decision making and care planning for the person they care about.
When a service user wishes to withhold information then these wishes must be respected by staff. It is essential that you are informed of this. Staff will ensure that you receive as much information as possible to help you in your caring role.
In some circumstances it may be possible to share information with you. Such circumstances would include where there is a
risk of harm and sharing appropriate information with you will alleviate this risk, where there is another legal authority i.e. an Order of the Court, or where the service user is lacking capacity in relation to information sharing decisions and it is considered in the best interests for information to be shared with you.
Top tips
- When accessing services you may feel overwhelmed. You may wish to make an early appointment with the allocated worker/team to ensure the assessment and plan of care is balanced, correct, and considers all factors. This is especially true when the patient is a child or when they lack capacity.
- If the person has not provided consent, non-personal information that builds on the existing knowledge of the carer/family can be shared without consent. Such general information can be helpful to the carer and may involve information about the condition, symptoms and behaviour it may cause and advice on managing these (particularly in a crisis situation), and background information on medication, possible side-effects, and details of the care coordinator/key worker or team.
- You will always be listened to. Your views matter. Providing us with information about your “cared for” person can help better inform our plan of care, manage risk, and support recovery.
- We will keep you involved and up to date. You should be given enough knowledge to enable you to provide effective care from an early stage, and you should be given opportunity to discuss any difficulties you are experiencing within your caring role.
Step three
Assessment and support: Have you been informed about your rights to have a carers assessment and where to get one? Have you been signposted to or provided with carers support?
Contact adult social services at your local council and ask for a carer’s assessment.
You have the right to a statutory carer’s assessment of your own needs. Support needs of the family and children should also be identified. You should be given details of how you can be referred to the local carers support service or given information on how to self-refer.
Although the legal duties to assess carers’ support needs rests with local authorities, there are many ways in which staff can support you with the process. A key role is making sure you know you have a right to an assessment and know how to request one. Staff can also ensure that parents know about rights for young carers.
A carer’s assessment is for carers over 18 years old who are looking after another adult over 18 years old who is disabled, ill or elderly. It is an opportunity to record the impact caring has on the carer’s life and what support or services they may need. The assessment will look at, for example, physical, mental and emotional needs, and whether they are able or willing to carry on caring. A young carer’s assessment should be part of the whole family approach. The local authority has a duty to assess ‘on the appearance of need’ (e.g. without a ‘request’ having to be made, although they must also be provided if the young carer or the parent requests one) and the assessment must involve the child with caring responsibilities, their parents and any other person the young carer requests in the assessment process. The assessment must look at whether or not the young carer wishes to continue caring, and whether it is appropriate for them to continue caring, and any education, training, work or recreational activities the young carer is/or wishes to participate in.
Top tip
At any point in the care process, ask to be signposted to the relevant carer support agency who will complete their own assessment and meet your individual needs.
Step four
Transition: Is your perspective given consideration?
Your safe transition of care should be given the same status as any other transfer of care. You should have a seamless experience when moving through service(s)
Staff should discuss with the person how they can manage their condition after their discharge and provide support and education, including coaching, if needed. This information (if consent given) should be made available to you. Medication and any equipment needed at home should be provided, as well as instructions and information about its use. Staff should also give details of who to contact with any concerns such as medication side effects.
Carers patient experience survey – Carer experience survey | South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching NHS Foundation Trust
Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. We value your feedback and will use it in the ongoing evaluation of our services.
Additional support and links
Please contact the carers project management officer to be added to the Trust carers’ network for further support: gillian.cowell1@swyt.nhs.uk.
Good psychiatric practice: Confidentiality and information sharing – https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/improving-care/campaigning-for better-mental-health-policy/college-reports/2017-college reports/good-psychiatric-practice-confidentiality-and information-sharing-2nd-edition-cr209-nov-2017
Supporting someone who feels suicidal – https://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/service-users-and carers/carers support/suicide-prevention-support/
Jargon buster – https://www.thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk/Browse/Informationandadvice/CareandSupportJargonBuster/
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