Information and advice

Our services

Our aim is to respond to Carers and their needs, whether as an individual or family. We help enable Carers to make informed choices, and secure their rights and entitlements by offering free, confidential and independent information and advice.

All Carers registered with us can access our services, including specialist information, advice, support and groups related to specific caring roles.

Carer Rights

Read below for information on social service assessments, hospital discharge, planning for emergencies, bereavement, how best to manage someone's affairs, care facility standards and disagreements, and taking care of yourself. For in-depth support:

Money Matters

We offer form filling assistance and advice on Carer discount opportunities, as well as benefit check appointments and cost-of-living advice through our expert Citizens Advice Team.

Carers Rights

The Carers UK Carers Rights Guide covers your rights as a Carer and where to go for financial or practical help in England.

The guide includes:

A benefits overview including which benefits you or the person you care for may be entitled to and information about how to get a benefits check
Financial advice including help with council tax, fuel costs, pensions and health costs
Practical help including community care assessments, carers assessments and direct payments
Information about health and care technology that could make life easier for you and the person you care for
Your rights at work, including flexible working, carer's leave, and protection from discrimination
How to find other help nationally and in your local community.

Carers Guide

Young Carers Guide

Practical information

Bereavement

Immediately after a death there are a lot of practical things to do, like registering the death and arranging the funeral. Family and friends tend to be around a lot more, so it may be that only when all the practicalities are dealt with, and the people around you get back to their everyday lives, that you really start to grieve.

There are many organisations, such as Cruse Bereavement Care, which run groups for people who are grieving. Your GP can put you in touch with a local bereavement counsellor if you’d like more formal one-to-one counselling. Many hospices also provide bereavement support for the families of people who have used their services. Sutton Carers Centre have a Moving On Group for Carers who are no longer caring.

Care Act

The Care Act 2014 outlines the way in which local authorities should carry out Carer’s assessments and needs assessments; how local authorities should determine who is eligible for support; how local authorities should charge for both residential care and community care; and places new obligations on local authorities.

Care standards and CQC

The care you get in a hospital, a care home, from an agency in your own home, at the dentist, in a GP practice and elsewhere, must meet standards required by law. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the regulator who monitors and inspects all organisations providing care, to ensure standards are being met. All NHS and social care providers have to be registered and are expected to conform to CQC standards which can found on the CQC website.

Coming out of hospital

Each hospital will have its own discharge policy based on guidance from the Government. You can request a copy of the hospital’s discharge policy from the ward manager or from the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) department. Discharge planning starts as soon as the person you care for is admitted to hospital, so it is important to let the hospital staff know as early as possible if you are a Carer or thinking of taking on (or stopping) the role. A discharge coordinator (or ward care coordinator) should be available to coordinate the planning process, acting as a key contact person for you to find out and discuss the discharge plans.

Direct payments

If you, or the person you care for, are assessed by the local authority as needing support, then you (or they) have a right to ask for a direct payment instead of having the support arranged by the local council.

Disagreements with health & social care

We all want the people that we care for to receive good care and provision. There are times when we may disagree with decisions or are unhappy with standards of care. There are local voluntary sector agencies who may be able to assist you if you choose to make a formal complaint.

Finding homecare

Care workers provide homecare to assist someone with their needs at home which may be self-funded or funded through the local authority. If you need help sourcing local care provision, the local authority produces a booklet linked below.

Free fire safety checks

The London Fire Service offer a free home fire safety visit which includes:
- Free fire safety advice
- Free supply and installation of smoke alarms if required

Please click below to contact us for more information or to be referred for a free home fire safety check.

Local authority assessments

If you are an unpaid Carer, you are entitled to a carers assessment conducted by the local authority (in the locality of the person you care for). You are entitled to an assessment regardless of the amount or type of care you provide, your financial means or the level of care needs. You don’t have to live with the person you are looking after to have an assessment.
A needs assessments can also be carried out for the person who has care needs (18 years and over).
For more information and to make a self-referral you can use the link below, or if you would like support with a referral, please contacts us.

Managing someone’s affairs

The Mental Capacity Act is designed to protect people who lack the capacity to make their own decisions. It covers decision-making, covering day-to-day and more serious situations, and determines how this should be dealt with.

Planning for emergencies

We advise all Carers to create an emergency plan - for you and the person you look after. Having a plan in place can help ease your worries if you are not able to care for the person you look after at any point in the future.
You may be able to arrange help and support from family and friends, but it can be reassuring to have the involvement of your local authority in case informal arrangements fall through.

One way to do this is through an assessment for the person you look after or a carer's assessment for yourself. See our webpage on assessments for the person you look after and carer's assessments for further information.

Power of Attorney

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document which allows a person (18 years or over) who has mental capacity, to choose other people to make decisions on their behalf, at specific times, or should they ever lack the mental capacity to make decisions themselves. There are different types of LPA covering Property and Financial Affairs, and Health and Welfare.

Residential or nursing care

If the person you care for is no longer able to look after themselves, and you are unable to provide the care they need, for whatever reason, residential or nursing care is a sensible and realistic option. London Borough of Sutton produce a local Care Home Directory.

Taking a break

Going on holiday is a great way to unwind and recharge the batteries. For Carers, there are usually other issues to consider and it can be a challenge to get away.
The first question to consider is: are you going to go away with the person or people you care for, or on your own?

If you need to arrange respite care for the person you care for, it is a good idea to organise this first as there may be difficulties in booking a suitable place or services for the days you want – particularly at popular holiday times.

When the local authority considers your needs as part of the Carer's Assessment, they should take into account your need for time off; both on a regular basis and to take an occasional holiday. Any services they provide will usually be subject to a financial assessment. Talk to us if you would like to discuss your options.

Taking care of you

Whilst caring is often rewarding it can also be hard work. It can be easy to put your own wellbeing, and indeed your own safety, to one side when you are focused on caring for someone else; but it’s important that you take time out to focus on your own health, both physical and mental.
You have to be fit and healthy to be able to care properly, and without regular breaks and time out from your caring role it can be easy to ‘burn out’ and even start to resent the person you care for. Read more...

When caring ends

Looking after someone may be a large part of your life, but it is inevitable that your caring role will change over time. This could be because the person you cared for has recovered, they can no longer be cared for at home, or because they have died. Whatever your situation, it is important to realise that you are not alone. It will be difficult, but you can find help and support, like our support Moving On Group.

Taking a break

Seeking useful contacts?

We need your support!

Donate