Social care and short breaks

A carer’s assessment is for carers over the age of 18 who looks after another adult who is disabled, ill or elderly. For the carer, this is a chance to record what impact caring has on your life and what support or services you need. 

Once you have been assessed, and your needs identified, we will work with you to develop a support plan. This will give you the support you need to carry out your caring responsibilities. 

At the same time, it enables you to take care of your own physical, emotional, mental health and wellbeing. You'll also get advice and guidance on support and services available locally.

Adult overnight respite

If a carer needs a break, a SEND social worker can refer the adult for overnight respite. However, their need would first have to be assessed under the Care Act assessment 2014.

Read more about carer's breaks and respite care on the NHS website.

Eligibility for the Carer’s Assessment

To be eligible for assessment, you must meet the following conditions:

• the person you care for must be live in Waltham Forest
• you must be an adult over the age of 18
• if you're a carer under 18, see our young carers section
• you may be receiving carer’s allowance but not getting paid for the care you provide
• you care for another adult who is disabled or suffers from long term illness 
• your caring responsibilities are affecting your own support needs, such as physical, emotional or mental deterioration 
• there is or is likely to be a negative impact on your wellbeing because you’re unable to achieve one or more of these outcomes

What happens next

We'll use the national eligibility criteria as set out in the Care Act 2014 to establish how your caring role is impacting on your day to day life. 

For more information on carer's assessments, see the NHS website