Carers Assessment Support

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**A difficult time to care**Across the UK our social care system is more stretched than ever with increased demand and decreasing budgets.The lack of capacity in the system is placing additional pressures on the unpaid carer community that provide the much needed day to day support for their friends and families.The vast majority of the UKs 6.5M carer community are unsupported by their local authorities.**Reforms on the way**On 7 September 2021, government set out its [new plan for adult social care reform in England][0].These reforms are welcomed by those with caring responsibilities. They place additional legal requirements on Local Authorities to provide financial and other support to family carers and the cared for.There will be a significant increase in the number of carers expecting support when these reforms become law in 2023\.**Barriers to inclusion**In the face of workforce and financial pressures, local authorities are stating they will struggle to support the increased demand for carers assessments.The current traditional paper based approach to carers assessment using paper forms and social care assessors is resource heavy and expensive to administer.Unless a new approach is adopted to the assessment process many councils will be in breach of their legal duties when the reforms come into place in 2023, and carers will remain unsupported.**Carer support**At Bridgit Care our mission is to support the family carer community.We've engaged over 450k carers to date. With Innovate UK support we launched a UK wide carer support platform allowing carers to access self support, get access to NHS advice, local events and services that can help them.This is helping carers anywhere, anytime, with up to 800 carers per week creating their own support plans from all UK regions.**Working with councils on the answer**We have been asked by **Dorset Council** to extend our carer support to include an assessment module.This module will simplify and streamline the assessment process for carers, while also taking a strength based approach, to help carers take action and provide an immediate support plan.Carers will access instant support and authorities will reduce their administration, helping to reduce the impact of the 2021 reforms as they are implemented through 2023\.Once proven with Dorset this module will be available to all 333 councils within the UK to commission.[0]: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/build-back-better-our-plan-for-health-and-social-care