VOCAL – Voice of Carers Across Lothian

VOCAL

The Carer’s Journey

______

Capturing caring issues and

outcomes for carers

______

Baseline Tool

Draft version 1.4

11 November 2008

VOCAL – Voice of Carers Across Lothian

Baseline tool

The aim of this tool is to

  • capture the issues for the carer when they first come into contact with VOCAL, and
  • agree the support and action required

The tool should provide VOCAL with a baseline of where the carer is and what support they need to move forward.

Name of carer:______

Start date:______

  1. Impact of the caring situation

a)General opening question

Please tell me about your caring role?

Prompt questions –

What support do you give to the person/people you care for?

What other support do they receive?

Do you receive any support at the moment?

b)Confidence in caring

How do you feel about your caring role?

Prompt questions –

Do you feel that you are confident in your role as a carer?

Do you feel able to manage your caring role, or would you like more help and support?

Very important issue / Important issue / Small issue / Not an issue / Not discussed

What support would help?

c)Health and wellbeing

Do you feel that your role as a carer affects your health?

Prompt questions -

Do you feel tired and stressed?

Have you had any physical injuries as a result of moving and handling the person you care for?

Very important issue / Important issue / Small issue / Not an issue / Not discussed

What support would help?

d)Work

Do you feel that your role as a carer affects your work (paid or volunteering)?

Prompt questions -

Have you reduced your working hours because of your role as a carer?

Are you considering reducing your working hours because of your role as a carer?

Have you stopped working because of your caring role?

Would you like to return to work?

Very important issue / Important issue / Small issue / Not an issue / Not discussed

What support would help?

e)Education and training

Do you feel that your role as a carer affects your ability to continue or take up education or training?

Prompt questions –

Have you reduced your time on education or training courses because of your role as a carer?

Are you considering reducing your time because of your role as a carer?

Have you stopped attending your course because of your caring role?

Would you like to return to education or training?

Very important issue / Important issue / Small issue / Not an issue / Not discussed

What support would help?

f)Social life/leisure time

Do you feel that your role as a carer affects your ability to have a social life and/or leisure time?

Prompt questions –

Have you reduced your social life and/or leisure time because of your role as a carer?

Have you stopped having a social life and/or leisure time because of your role as a carer?

Would you like to be able to increase your social life and/or leisure time?

Very important issue / Important issue / Small issue / Not an issue / Not discussed

What support would help?

g)Relationships

Do you feel that your role as a carer affects your relationships?

Prompt questions –

Has it affected your relationship with the person you care for?

Has it affected your relationship with other family members?

Has it affected your relationship with friends?

Very important issue / Important issue / Small issue / Not an issue / Not discussed

What support would help?

h)Finances

Do you feel that your role as a carer has affected your financial situation?

Prompt questions –

Have you applied for any benefits?

Are you currently paying for any services?

Very important issue / Important issue / Small issue / Not an issue / Not discussed

What support would help?

i)Other issues

Are there any other issues you wish to discuss?

Very important issue / Important issue / Small issue / Not an issue / Not discussed

What support would help?

  1. Support and action

This section should summarise the following:

  • The key issues for the carer as identified above.
  • What support VOCAL can offer in addressing these issues eg. what services, who will take the lead role, what the next step is and the timescale for it.
  • What assistance VOCAL will offer the carer to access other services. Again this should include a summary of which services, who will take the lead role, what the next step is and the timescale for it.
  • What actions the carer is happy to take for themselves

In effect it will be an action plan to ensure that the carer is clear about what is happening, who is responsible and the timetable for action. This should be signed off by the member of staff completing the baseline and dated as indicated below.

Signed by:______Date:______

VOCAL

The Carer’s Journey

______

Capturing caring issues and

outcomes for carers

______

Review Tool

Draft version 1.4

11 November 2008

Review Tool – Capturing the Outcomes

The aim of this tool is to capture the impact of the support and services provided for the carer, ie. the outcomes. It seeks to measure quality of life improvements.

The issues identified in the ‘baseline’ tool will provide the starting point for discussions, however space must be allowed for the carer to identify any new issues eg. if finances was not an issue identified in the ‘baseline’ it may now be an issue.

  1. The outcomes for the carer

a) Confidence in caring

How do you feel about your caring role now?

Prompt questions –

Do you feel that you are confident in your role as a carer?

Do you feel able to manage your caring role?

Big improvement / Small improvement / No improvement / Worse
Not an issue / Not discussed / New issue

Any further action needed?

b)Health and wellbeing

Do you feel that the support you have received has made an impact on your health?

Prompt questions –

How are you feeling at the moment?

Do you feel less stressed?

Do you feel healthier? If yes, in what way?

Big improvement / Small improvement / No improvement / Worse
Not an issue / Not discussed / New issue

Any further action needed?

c)Work

Do you feel that the support you have received has had an impact on your work and caring role balance?

Prompt questions -

What is the current situation with your work and caring role?

Is it what you would want it to be?

Big improvement / Small improvement / No improvement / Worse
Not an issue / Not discussed / New issue

Any further action needed?

d)Education and training

Do you feel that the support you have received has had an impact on your education/training and caring role balance?

Prompt questions -

What is the current situation with your education/training and caring role?

Is it what you would want it to be?

Big improvement / Small improvement / No improvement / Worse
Not an issue / Not discussed / New issue

Any further action needed?

e)Social life/leisure time

Do you feel that the support you have received has had an impact on your social life/leisure time and caring role balance?

Prompt questions -

What is the current situation with your social life/leisure time and caring role?

Is it what you would want it to be?

Big improvement / Small improvement / No improvement / Worse
Not an issue / Not discussed / New issue

Any further action needed?

f)Relationships

Do you feel that the support you have received has had an impact on your relationships?

Prompt questions –

Has it affected your relationship with the person you care for?

Has it affected your relationship with other family members?

Has it affected your relationship with friends?

Big improvement / Small improvement / No improvement / Worse
Not an issue / Not discussed / New issue

Any further action needed?

g)Finances

Do you feel that the support you have received has had an impact on your financial situation?

Prompt questions –

Have you received any benefits?

Are you currently paying for any services?

Big improvement / Small improvement / No improvement / Worse
Not an issue / Not discussed / New issue

Any further action needed?

h)Other issues

Are there any other issues you wish to discuss?

Very important issue / Important issue / Small issue / Not an issue / Not discussed

What support would help?

  1. Further support and action

This section should summarise the following:

  • Any new issues or further action identified above.
  • What further support VOCAL can offer in addressing these issues eg. what services, who will take the lead role, what the next step is and the timescale for it.
  • What further assistance VOCAL can give to access other services. Again this should include a summary of which services, who will take the lead role, what the next step is and the timescale for it.
  • What actions the carer is happy to take for themselves

Again it will be an action plan to ensure that the carer is clear about what is happening, who is responsible and the timetable for action. This should be signed off by the member of staff completing the review and dated as indicated below.

If no further support is required this should also be noted and the carer given the clear message that they can return to VOCAL for further support in the future.

Signed by:______Date:______

  1. About the service

This section captures how carers feel about the support and services received from VOCAL and the carer would be asked to complete this when the support from VOCAL has come to an end.

a)Do you feel that you are valued and respected by the services received and that your expertise as a carer was recognised?

b)Do you feel that you have a say in the way the service was planned and delivered?

c)Do you feel that the services received responded to your changing needs?

d)Do you have a positive and meaningful relationship with the staff?

e)Are the services accessible to you?

f)Are there ways in which the service could be improved for you?

g)Is there anything else you would like to say about the service?