Case study: Examples of carers who use different options to manage their support
There are lots of examples of carers who have taken different levels of control and responsibility when it comes to managing their support.
Read on to see some examples, to help you think about how much control and responsibility you want to take.
Examples of support to carers
| 2013 Act option | Example |
|---|---|
| Option 1 Direct payment | Example 1 An adult carer who lives in a remote rural area is feeling increasingly isolated and depressed. She has no friends or family living nearby and her nearest carer centre is miles away. The carer uses a direct payment to pay for the installation of broadband and for a tablet computer. This means she can keep in touch with her family and friends through video-calls and email, particularly her grandchildren who live overseas. She has also made friends with other carers on an online forum and now feels more connected and supported.
Example 2 A young carer who cares for his mother expresses that he has not been able to have the same opportunities as his peers. Whilst all his friends are learning to drive, he cannot because his mother cannot afford the cost and because of his caring role he cannot take on a part-time job in order to earn extra money. He thinks that having a driving licence would be useful as the family could get a Motability car, which would help with a lot of the tasks around his caring role such as shopping and taking his mum to places. He also thinks that being able to drive would open up more job opportunities. The young carer uses his direct payment to pay for several driving lessons and the cost of the driving tests. Example 3 A carer lives in a rural area with a cared-for person who attends a day centre twice a week. The carer, who can’t drive and isn’t on a bus route uses her direct payment for a regular taxi to visit her nearest swimming pool, to make the most of her time away from her caring role. |
| Option 2 Directing the available support | Example 1 A carer has never had a break from caring. He would like to have a break of an afternoon each week to have a rest where he doesn’t have to worry about the safety of the person he cares for. The carer receives a carer’s short break voucher[82] and he uses this to purchase a short break.
Example 2 The authority arranges for an individual service fund (ISF) to be set up to support the carer. This carer has always been very house-proud, but her husband has had a stroke and the level of care that she has to provide means that she is falling behind with housework and laundry, which is making her feel increasingly tired and depressed. The carer uses the individual service fund to purchase domestic help from an agency so that someone can come in and help with cleaning, ironing and other domestic tasks. The carer also uses the ISF to pay for a fortnightly visit from a care worker so that she can meet her daughter for lunch and have a break from caring. |
| Option 3 Arranged services | Example 1 After the death of his father, a carer is finding caring for his mother, who has dementia, emotionally draining and he is becoming very depressed. He is on a waiting list for NHS counselling services but has been told it may take a long time and his local carer centre does not offer this service. The authority arranges for the carer to attend a private counsellor to help him manage issues of bereavement and caring.
Example 2 A carer talks about missing out on making new friends as she never has time because of her caring role. She expresses an interest in attending an art class in a local authority community centre. The authority arranges for the carer to attend the class and arranges replacement care for the person she cares for once a week. |
These examples are taken from the Statutory Guidance accompanying the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016.
You can read the full statutory guidance here.