✍️Carers Rights Day - Information for Parents & Carers of Disabled Children✍️

Mary_Scope

Today is Carers Rights Day and this years theme is "Know your rights, use your rights."

For parents and carers of disabled children, knowing your rights and how to use them is so important to make sure that you and your child are getting as much support as possible.

Your Right to an Assessment

One of the most important rights you have as a parent carer is the right to a parent and carer assessment from your local authority. This assessment is about you and your needs and is separate from your child's assessment. It's an opportunity to talk about the impact that your caring role has on your own health and wellbeing, your work and your family life.

The assessment must consider whether it is appropriate for you to continue providing the level of care you do, in light of your own needs and wishes. It should also be a holistic look at your life as it acknowledges that your ability to care is linked to your own wellbeing.

Following the assessment, the local authority has a duty to decide if you have a need for support.

Key Legislation That Protects You

Several key pieces of legislation in the UK are designed to protect and support parent carers and these are..

• The Children Act 1989
  This act requires local authorities to provide services for children in need, including disabled children. An assessment under this act should take into account the needs of the whole family.
  
• The Care Act 2014
   While this primarily focuses on adult carers, it established the legal right for all carers to receive an assessment that considers their physical, emotional and psychological needs.
  
• The Children and Families Act 2014
  This act introduced specific rights for parent carers to a stand-alone assessment of their needs.

It's important to remember that you have the right to request an assessment at any time and the local authority must consider your wellbeing.

What has been your experience with a parent carers assessment?