To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (i) how Health and Social Care Trusts inform carers of their entitlement to a carers assessment; (ii) how often assessments are required to be completed; (iii) the number of carers assessments that have been completed in the last twelve months; and (iv) the number of carers, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.

Where it appears to a Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust that an individual is carrying out a caring role, legislation requires that the Trust notify the individual of their right to request an assessment. In addition, HSC Trusts are required to make information regarding a carer’s right to assessment widely available; this is achieved via the provision of targeted information on Trust websites, partnership arrangements with local pharmacies, GP surgeries and voluntary and community sector organisations, service wide communication strategies lead by the Carer Coordinator in each HSC Trust, and inclusion in staff training programmes to drive the improved identification of carers.

(ii) Once an individual accepts the offer of a carers assessment, the assessment must be completed at a time and date suitable for the individual.

(iii) From July 2014 to June 2015, there were 4,566 carers assessments accepted/completed in Northern Ireland. This information can be found published online on the DHSSPS website.

(iv) The information requested is not available (previous AQW 46898/11-15 refers).