Contacting Crossroads Care

The first contact with Crossroads Care can be a referral, for example from a GP, District Nurse or social worker, or simply a call from a friend, family member or the carer themselves. A member of Crossroads Care staff will visit you to establish whether Crossroads can help, and how best to do it.

If you think we may be able to help you, call us or click here to send us a referral.

What does it cost?

Crossroads Care Brentwood Basildon & Districts is an independent local charity. Although we receive help through grants from benefactors and health and local government authorities, we have to make a charge for many of our services. However, you may be entitled to claim some or all of the cost from Essex County Council.

The first step in making a claim is to ask Essex County Council for a Carer's Assessment (see the panel on the right).  This is usually done over the phone - our Care Manager can help you to arrange it. The Council will then decide if you are entitled to financial help. Until a decision is made, and for a maximum of 12 weeks, you are entitled to a service from us funded by the Council.

If the local authority decides you are not eligible for payment, we will still try to help and will keep charges to the minimum possible.

For more information, contact us at our Brentwood office.

Carer’s Assessment

The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act of 2004 recognises carers' rights to work, receive an education and to have reasonable opportunities to pursue hobbies and social activities.
The Act obliges local authorities to carry out an Assessment to establish a carer's needs. The assessment determines whether the carer is entitled to payment to cover support from Crossroads Care. Every carer is entitled to ask for an assessment which does not involve "means testing".

It is important that carers accept a Carer's Assessment. If you decline an Assessment, then we must charge the full cost of our services - if we did not, we would be in breach of our charitable status which prevents us from using donations for services that statutory authorities are already obliged to fund.