• Check for authority: – if the carer can supply evidence of their authority to act on the customer’s behalf, a more detailed discussion can be arranged once this is received; – if the carer cannot supply this evidence, or needs to share information about the customer now, the following steps should be taken:
• Avoid discussing any account details, making sure to explain to the carer why this isn’t possible.
• Reassure the carer that their concerns can still, however, be recorded as observations (unverified) on the customer’s account, and these can be looked into.
• Explain to the carer that their observations will need to be shared with the customer, colleagues, and potentially any clients. Carers will need to give their consent for this.
• Record the carer’s observations, listening carefully, and ensuring:
- you have checked why the customer is unable to speak directly about these issues (is there, for example, a communication issue?);
- you are clear how the customer’s mental health problem affects their ability;
- you have confirmed with the carer what information has been recorded, and how long these unverified observations will be held on file while they are being checked.
• Summarise the available next steps, which might include:
- you (or a colleague) speaking with the customer concerned to establish if there is a problem, including checking the unverified observations made by the carer;
- the carer discussing with the customer a potential mandate to act on their behalf;
- the carer and customer working together to collect supporting medical evidence.