Carers' charter

2: Adult carer support plan

Adult carers have a right to an 'adult carer support plan'

The responsible local authority must offer an adult carer support plan to anyone they identify as an adult carer. They must prepare an adult carer support plan for anyone who accepts this offer.

They must also prepare an adult carer support plan for anyone who meets the definition of an adult carer if that person requests one.

What is an adult carer support plan?

The adult carer support plan will contain a variety of information about your own circumstances and caring role. It must contain information about:-

• the nature and extent of the care provided and the impact on your wellbeing and day-to-day life;
• the extent to which you are able and willing to provide care;
• emergency and future care planning, including any arrangements that are in place;
• what 'personal outcomes' matter to you in order to help you carry out your caring responsibilities, to have a life alongside caring, and to improve your own health and wellbeing;
• support available to you if you live in a different local authority are from the person you care for;
• whether support should be provided as a break from caring;
• support available to you locally;
• any support which the responsible local authority intends to provide to you; and
• the circumstances in which your adult carer support plan is to be reviewed.

Who is responsible?

The local authority ^[2] where the person you are caring for lives is responsible for offering you an adult carer support plan. They will agree with you when and how the adult carer support plan conversation is to take place. In some areas, the local authority may decide to arrange this through another organisation such as a local carers centre.

The local authority responsible for your adult carer support plan will normally provide a copy of the plan to you and any other person you request, unless there is a reason that the local authority decides this would not be appropriate. For example, it might not be considered appropriate (or there may not be consent) to provide sensitive medical information about the person you care for to a third party.