The legal definition of a carer is a person who provides, or intends to provide, a substantial amount of care on a regular basis. This does not have to be personal care, it can be a wide range of things from supervision, to emotional support, to practical assistance with housework, finances, appointments etc. If the person cared for is someone for whom the local authority may provide or arrange services for, then the authority has a duty to offer a carers assessment. This can be done jointly with the cared for person, or if the carer prefers, completed separately.

The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 requires partner organisations to consider the requests of the local authority when planning services for carers - either strategically or individually.

Within the principles of SAP, the needs of carers are part of the story of the service user and must be considered by all agencies involved in the assessment and care planning processes.