Short break care
This article explains how carers can find services for the person they care for, to enable them to have a break from their caring role.
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Short break care
When the person you care for receives a social care assessment, or you have a joint assessment which will provide an opportunity to discuss your needs at the same time, the professional working with you may recommend a type of short break care that will enable you to take a break from your caring role.
This could be through:
- a home care provider
- a day centre
- a short break away from home
- support purchased via a direct payment
The Council will check what the person you care for might need and if they are eligible for any services.
If the person you care for is eligible for a service, they can decide if they want to arrange this themselves or they can ask the Council to do this (fees apply for self-funders – see below). Their Social Worker will give advice on the best route. The articles linked below provide more detail.
Once the support is in place, it may give you some time back to spend on yourself, pursue a hobby, partake in some exercise, or simply take some well-earned rest.
If you would like to organise an assessment or would like any more information, please contact the Council’s Adult Social Care team:
Telephone: 01454 868007
Email: csodesk@southglos.gov.uk
Cost of care
To establish any financial contribution that the person you care for may need to make toward the cost of their care, a financial assessment will be undertaken.
If the person you care for is paying for the full cost of the services they receive to live independently at home or in a care home, they are known as a “self funder.” A self funder means that either:
- They have chosen not to approach adult social care for help
- They have chosen not to be financially assessed
- They have been assessed but are not currently eligible for adult social care services
- They have approached adult social care and their needs show they are eligible for social care support, however, their savings or assets are above £23,250
You can request an estimate of the amount that they would likely have to pay towards their care and support at any time by contacting the Financial Assessments and Benefits Team by:
- Tel:01454 864269
- Email:FABTEAM@southglos.gov.uk.
Further information
You can find more information on direct payments in our article Personal budgets and direct payments.
You can find more information on how the needs of the person you care for are assessed in our article How adult care and support needs are assessed.
You can find more information on paying for services in our article Paying for adult social care and support if you live in your own home.
To find out what day services are available, you can use the Council’s directory of services: Search for information and services. You can personalize your search using the filters at the side of the page, so that you only see the services relevant to the person you are caring for.