Carer Capacity and Support Map

← Carer Guide
For
Carers and supporters, with the view of the person they support
Time
20–30 minutes, in one go or in parts
Format
Five-step map
Prints
Yes, the map only
Evidence
This site’s own tool; support routes checked against the law

Printable map · Five steps

Carer capacity and support map

Caring often grows without anyone deciding it should. This map helps you see who does what, what can last, and what is missing. It is for carers and supporters of someone who is disabled or living with a long-term condition.

It isn’t a test of how good a carer you are. A gap on the map is often a sign of under-support, not personal failure.

Include their view. Ask the person you support to add their view in step 3. The support happens in their life. They may see the gaps differently, and they decide about their own care.

My map · Date: ________

  1. Who does what now. List the main tasks. Include the invisible ones, like forms, phone calls and being on call at night.
    TaskWho does it nowHow oftenHow it feels: ✓ fine · ~ okay for now · ✗ can’t keep going
  2. What can last. Look at your ✗ and ~ marks.

    What am I doing only because nobody else is available?

    What have I taken on without ever deciding to?

    What do I want to keep doing, because it matters to me or to us?

  3. Their view. Ask the person you support. Write their words, not your summary.
  4. What’s missing. Tick what would help either of you.

    Which gaps are about the system, not about either of you?

  5. Where to get support. The route depends on where you live.
    • England: ask your local council’s adult social care team for a carer’s assessment.
    • Wales: ask your local council for a carer’s needs assessment.
    • Scotland: ask for an adult carer support plan. It comes from the council where the person you support lives.
    • Northern Ireland: ask for a carer’s assessment from the Health and Social Care Trust that supports the person you care for.
    • Ireland: Family Carers Ireland offers a Care Line, support groups and information on entitlements. Ask your local HSE services what carer support is available.

    The person you support can also ask for an assessment of their own needs. Some of the help for you may come through theirs.

    One next step:

    Look at this map again on: ____________

To keep a copy, use your browser’s print option and choose “Save as PDF”. Fill it in on paper or on screen.

Making it work for you

Other ways to use it

Spoken

Talk it through with someone you trust, and let them write. Or record a voice note for each step.

Typed

Use a list on your phone instead of the table. One line per task is enough.

Low energy

Start with step 1 only, and just the three biggest tasks. Come back to the rest another day.

A worked example

Fictional teaching example

Anita supports her adult son, Dev, who is autistic and lives with epilepsy. They live in England.

  • Who does what: Anita does medication, transport, forms, and nights after seizures. She marks nights and forms ✗.
  • What can last: she does the forms only because nobody else is available.
  • Dev’s view: he wants to manage his own medication with a phone reminder. He would choose a support worker for some journeys. He wants to go to GP appointments on his own.
  • Missing: breaks, and benefits advice. The system gap is that no one else is funded to help at night.
  • Next step: Anita asks the council for a carer’s assessment. Dev asks for an assessment of his own needs. They look again in two months.

Related

Where this comes from

  • England: if it looks as though a carer may need support, the council must assess this. That applies whatever the council thinks of the level of need or anyone’s money.
    Care Act 2014, section 10. legislation.gov.uk
  • Wales: the council must assess a carer who may have needs for support.
    Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, section 24. legislation.gov.uk
  • Scotland: the council where the cared-for person lives must offer an adult carer support plan to anyone it identifies as a carer. It must also prepare one if a carer asks.
    Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, section 6. legislation.gov.uk
  • Northern Ireland: carers have a right to an assessment of their own needs, from the Health and Social Care Trust.
    Carers and Direct Payments Act (Northern Ireland) 2002. legislation.gov.uk. Carers UK guide to carer’s assessments across the UK: carersuk.org
  • Ireland: the HSE lists Family Carers Ireland among carer support organisations. The HSE has also piloted a carer needs assessment.
    HSE. Carers support organisations. hse.ie. Harrison, Collins, Carney, Comer, Vereker, & Mulligan (2023). The pilot implementation and evaluation of the interRAI Family Carer Needs Assessment: Final report. HSE Community Healthcare West. hse.ie (PDF)

Summaries are this site’s own wording, not legal advice. Rules and names of services change, so check locally. The map itself is this site’s own. It hasn’t been tested.

Last reviewed: October 2026.

How to cite this page: Donaghey, C. (2026). Carer Capacity and Support Map. Disability in Psychotherapy. Available at: https://disabilityinpsychotherapy.online/carer-guide/carer-capacity-and-support-map/ (Accessed: [date]).

Shared under CC BY-NC 4.0, with an extra permission to teach from it on fee-paying courses. Credit the site. See Reusing This Material.