Commentary on Sections Transition for children to adult care and support, etc. Section 64 – Young carer’s assessment: requirements etc.
389.This section sets requirements about the assessment of young carers under section 63, including consideration of whether the young carer is willing and able, both at the time and likely to be so when he or she reaches the age of 18, to provide care to the individual in question. It must also include an assessment of the outcomes the child wants to achieve.
390.Results of an assessment will normally be given to the young carer; or to their parents where the young carer lacks capacity to understand their options or express their wishes.
391.The section specifies who the local authority must involve in the assessment, namely the young carer, the young carer’s parents and any other person who the young carer or their parent wants to be involved.
392.When assessing a young carer the local authority must have regard to the extent to which the young person wishes to work or to participate in education, training or recreation.
393.The assessment must include an indication of whether, looking ahead to when the young carer turns 18, the needs identified are likely to be eligible, advice and information about what can be done to meet any of the child’s needs and what can be done to prevent or delay the development of needs for care and support in the future.
394.Once the young carer becomes 18 the local authority must decide whether to treat this assessment as their carer’s assessment taking into account when the assessment was carried out and whether the young person’s circumstances have changed.
395.As with all assessments, a young carer’s assessment will need to consider whether other matters beyond the provision of services might help the young carer achieve their desired outcomes or prevent need (similarly to section 9(6) of the Act).
396.The local authority may combine a carer’s assessment with any other assessment it is carrying out of the young carer or another person only if the individuals agree. If carrying out a carer’s assessment the local authority can also carry out another agency’s assessment of the young carer or that of another relevant person (provided all parties consent to this) on behalf of the other agency or jointly with the other agency. The provisions relating to this are in section 65.