Carer’s support plan
If you are a carer, start by having a carer’s assessment. If you have been assessed as eligible for social care, you will be allocated a personal budget based on your support plan.
A personal budget is the amount of money your local council has allocated towards your care and support needs. If you qualify for help, the council will pay for some, or all, of your support. You can use your personal budget to pay for anything that has been agreed in your carer’s support plan that will help you in your caring role and maintain your health and wellbeing. You can’t use it to buy services for the person you care for.
Carers’ breaks and respite care
Respite care means taking a break from caring, while the person you care for is looked after by someone else. It lets you take time out to look after yourself and helps stop you becoming exhausted and run down.
There are lots of respite options. They range from getting a volunteer to sit with the person you look after for a few hours, to a short stay in a care home so you can go on holiday. The person you look after could go to a day centre or a paid carer could visit them in their home to look after them.
Replacement care services available
Supported activity sessions
The person you care for could go to a supported day service, social group or activity session. This gives them the opportunity to get out of the house, take part in activities and socialise while you take some time for yourself.
The Shared Lives breaks
This links the person you care for with a trained carer to provide care and support while you take a break. This can be in their own home, in your home or out and about. Breaks can be flexible, ranging from a few hours to overnight or longer stays.
Short breaks for children and young people
Find out about the options available with SEND on Reading Services Guide or call the Family Information Service on 0118 937 3777 option 2.
Sitting services/replacement care
Some organisations provide trained carers to sit with the person you care for a short period of time to allow you to do other things.
Residential respite breaks
The person you care for could have a short-term stay in the residential or care home. This would give you a complete break from caring. Further information about local respite and short breaks is available on the Reading Services Guide. If you are facing a crisis or need respite during out of hours, please contact the Emergency Duty Service (EDS) on 01344 351 999 or visit our web page on the Emergency Duty Service (EDS).
Accessible holidays
Accessible breaks, holidays and days out:
Paying for respite care provided to the person with care needs
If the need for respite care has been identified through a social care assessment for the person you care for, and the care services agreed are included in their personal budget support plan, the person you care for may need to pay towards the costs of those care services. Please find more information on our paying for your care page.
Last updated on 24/03/2025
Carer’s support plan