Local lockdowns - respite care. Any information?

michele-p

Hi all, I'm new to this area of the forum. 
My parents live in Northumberland (local lockdown area), I live in Norfolk. My dad is registered disabled, my mum is his registered carer. They are both in the Covid high risk categories, and shielded right up until August. My mum is sole carer for dad, and herself is 76 years old, she's been completely on her own in this since March, with doorstep visits from a very good friend of mine. I have been advised by a fiend that it is allowed that I can enter their home for a short time (4 days initially) to offer her some much needed carers respite, and take over her duties for this time.

I've been looking through the social care section of the government guidelines to make sure this is within the local lockdown rules (now laws), and can't seem to find much. I called Northumberland County Council, and they didn't really know, but the assistant found a sentence which says that a person can enter another home to give "emergency care or assistance". I don't want to break any rules, but I need to make sure that 100% it's legal. Anyone know where I can start to find this info, or does anyone have any knowledge of the rules themselves?

Many thanks

KxMx

People who live alone needing care will still have carers coming in, during national lockdown and local lockdowns. 

You going to care for your Dad & arguably your Mum is no different.

 Northumberland:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/north-east-of-england-local-restrictions

to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person

Is listed under the exemptions on household mixing. 

michele-p

Thank you KxMx, I found this paragraph, with the bold line the one I think will apply to me. I cant class myself as a support bubble, as mum and dad both live in the same household, and I also live with my husband, so we don't have the "single person" household it requires to form a bubble. But hopefully this will be good enough if anyone questions me going to stay with them for a short time to help out.

Gatherings within indoor settings, as well as your home or garden can still take place for specific purposes set out in law:

• where everyone in the gathering lives together or is in the same support bubble
• to attend a birth at the mother’s request
• to visit a person who is dying
• to fulfil a legal obligation
• for work purposes (see guidance on working safely in other people’s homes), or for the provision of voluntary or charitable services
• for the purposes of education or training
• for the purposes of childcare provided by a registered provider and informal childcare as part of a childcare bubble
• to provide emergency assistance
• to enable one or more persons in the gathering to avoid injury or illness or to escape a risk of harm
• to facilitate a house move
• to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person
• to continue existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children where the children do not live in the same household as their parents, or one of their parents.