Emergency Plan

It is important to have arrangements in place for when you may not be able to care for your loved one. A contingency/emergency plan will help you to outline what information may be needed and essential if the worst situation does happen.  

It is better to be prepared for an event that hopefully will not happen than to risk confusion and anxiety for the person you care for in your absence.  

The Care Act 2014 provides a legal framework for statutory agencies to support unpaid carers. The NHS Long Term Plan also references the benefits of carers having Contingency Plans in place which are also registered with their GP so that professionals are aware of the impact if a carer is no longer able to provide care.  

All GP practices have been advised to ensure there are clear markers in place withing electronic records identifying carers and contingency plans.  

We advise that a more comprehensive plan is maintained by you and shared with your emergency contacts as needed, or kept in the home of the cared for, perhaps alongside their medication list. This is a more detailed plan and may provide useful information in the event of an emergency, where perhaps more detailed information may be necessary. 

Download Emergency Plan Template

For the purposes of your GP, we have also have a shorter version which can be accessed by health professionals, as this will be flagged on your health record. In the event of an emergency it will provide relevant information which can be used by health professionals. 

Download Shorter GP Emergency Plan Template 

You can complete our template letter to send to your GP with your Emergency Plan:

Download GP Letter

If you need help then we can print this for you if you contact us on 0151 288 6060, email us at help@carers.sefton.gov.uk or fill out the form on our Contact Us page.

Need further Emergency Plan help?

Click here

Emergency Card

 If you have not already done so, please consider an Emergency Card. Sefton Carers Centre work alongside Sefton Lifeline Service to provide an Emergency Card, which you can carry in your wallet or purse. The card links though to the Lifeline Service contact number, which is operational 24 hours a day, to the details of the ‘emergency contacts’ you have provided and ensures that in an emergency the contacts you have agreed can be contacted by the Lifeline Service to support the cared for person in your absence.  

Where you have chosen to share an Emergency Plan with your GP Practice, the Emergency Card we issue to you will also identify this. Where your emergency has taken you to health services the staff there can see this on your Emergency Card and can link where it might be necessary to your GP records to engage with your ‘emergency contacts’ if they are needed to support the cared for person or other services.

Where you have no one who can become an ‘emergency contact’ you can agree to Social Services and their ‘out of hours services’ to be contacted in the event of an emergency.

  • Sefton Lifeline will coordinate with emergency contacts to ensure support is provided for, and where necessary the emergency services.  
  • The Carers Emergency Card is free and available to registered carers who reside in Sefton. 
  • The card can be carried as a source of identification in the event of an emergency, accident or illness.  
  • The Card will also identify where you have registered your contingency or emergency plan with your GP.    
  • Where you have shared your plan with your GP, your Emergency Card will identify this as well as the Careline contact number so health professionals involved in supporting you know there is a plan accessible in their system.  

You can request an Emergency Card form to be sent along with a pre-paid envelope to your address by calling Sefton Carers Centre on 0151 288 6060.

We would ask that you register with us as a carer if you are not already registered with us before applying for an Emergency Card.

Alternatively, you can complete the form details at the bottom of this webpage to complete the process. 

Check out the technology and caring section on Carers UK's Digital Platform to discover more ways you can support and make sure the person you care for is safe

Click here

Carer Emergency Card Form

Your Details

I confirm that I am registered with Sefton Carers Centre
Title
Name
Address

Information about the person you care for

Title
Name
Address
Is there a LifeLine or personal emergency telephone installed at this address?

Emergency Contact 1

Title
Name
Address
Do they hold Keys or have the key safe number?
Have they consented to being a contact?

Emergency Contact 2

Title
Name
Address
Do they hold Keys or have the key safe number
Have they consented to being a contact

Conditions of Use

1. Once alerted to the need for assistance of a person dependant on the carer, Sefton Council Control Centre will attempt to contact the persons identified on this form.

2. If contact cannot be made, then the Police or Social Services will be contacted.

3. While every effort will be made to implement emergency assistance Sefton Council Control Centre cannot guarantee that persons contacted will be available to respond.

4. The carer cardholder is responsible for telling the Control Centre of any changes in the information in this form.

5. By filling out this form you agree to Sefton Carers Centre sharing this information with Sefton Council Control Centre who operate the service.

6. We will only use the information provided to register you for an Emergency Card to administer the emergency card service.

7. Sefton Council and Sefton Carers Centre have a data policy and privacy notice alongside an agreed data sharing policy.
Details of Sefton Council’s policy can be found at: www.sefton.gov.uk/your -council/transparency/data-protection
Sefton Carers Centre has a data policy and privacy notice can be found at: www.sefton-carers.org.uk/privacy-notice

I am applying for a Carers Emergency Card and agree to be bound by the ‘conditions of use’. By completing this form, you agree to the terms and conditions above.
Do you plan to share your Emergency Plan with your GP (or have you already)? This will determine which Carer's Emergency Card we issue to you