Carers emergency relief service

If you care for a friend or family member, you may worry about what would happen to them if you were taken ill or unable to cope with your caring role.

The Carers emergency relief service provides short term, home based rapid response for carers in a crisis or an emergency situation.

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How the service can help you

The Carers emergency relief service is available to carers who have registered with the Carers Support Centre and hold a Carers Emergency Card.

If you have a care emergency and phone the number on your carers card, a call centre will answer and then call your nominated contacts. If your nominated contacts are unavailable or you do not have any, the call centre will contact the council’s emergency Rapid Response service.

The emergency Rapid Response service is a team of responders that operates 365 days a year to provide personal care in a crisis. Highly trained staff are able to rapidly respond throughout South Gloucestershire when required. The service can provide care visits for up to 72 hours, during which time other care options can be explored, such as:

  • installing an emergency pendant alarm system
  • pop in welfare checks
  • emergency personal care
  • emergency respite care
  • emergency planned sitting service

These services can be put in place for a limited time to make your caring role easier, and allow you to take a break from your caring role.

If the Rapid Response service responds to your emergency call and this service remains in place for longer than 72 hours, there could be a charge for the service.

Following a visit from the Rapid Response service, you and the person you care for can receive a care assessment.  The assessment will identify if you or the person you care for require  further care and support services. There could be a charge for these services.

Criteria for accessing the Carers emergency relief service

The service is available when:

  • it is an emergency situation
  • the carer provides a significant level of care
  • the cared for person is an adult living in South Gloucestershire

How to contact the service

The Carers emergency relief service can be contacted using the number on your Carers card. This number is available 24 hours a day. 

You can apply for a Carers Emergency Card or a Carers Assessment online or by contacting the Carers Support centre on 0117 939 2562.

You can also contact the service by calling the council’s Rapid Response team on 01454 615047 between 8am and 10:15pm

After 10.15pm and before 8am please contact the Emergency Duty Team on 01454 615165.