Social Care
How to get social care
This section covers all you need to know to get social care support, from having a care needs assessment to arranging a direct payment.
What's in this section?
• Getting a social care assessment
• Making a care plan
• Personal budgets and direct payments
• Reablement
• Intermediate care
• Personal health budgets
• Search for care
Getting a social care assessment
If you need care or support and you don’t know where to start, a social care assessment is a great place to begin. You are legally entitled to a social need’s assessment, whether or not you access council services.
What is a care assessment?
The assessment just a conversation between you and someone from your local adult social care team. It is free and will look at things like:
• The best ways to keep you independent
• How you are coping at home
• Your emotional wellbeing
• Your diet
• Any health and medical treatments you need
Carers can also have an assessment of their needs and might be able to get support from the council to help them carry on caring. Anyone who cares for someone with social care needs should have a carer’s assessment.
Am I eligible for social care?
You might be eligible for social care if your assessment finds that you can’t do some of the following things without help:
• Deal with personal hygiene
• Manage toilet needs
• Dress yourself properly
• Move around your home safely
• Clean and tidy your home
• Maintain your relationships
• Keep up with work, training, education or volunteering
• Use public transport or other community services
• Care for your child
How do I get a social services assessment?
Your local Adult Social Care team is responsible for care needs assessments, so contact them to arrange your assessment. They might ask you to fill in a form online, or they might arrange a phone call or meeting with you.
Care assessments from hospital
If you are in hospital and you might need social care when you are discharged, you can be referred to the discharge team for a care needs assessment. The hospital assessment team could be made up of many different professionals.
What happens after my care assessment?
After you have had your social care assessment, you will be told whether you are eligible for support from the council.
If you are eligible. you will:
• Be offered a financial assessment
• Be told your personal budget
• Arrange a support plan with the council
If you are not eligible:
• You will be offered information and advice
• You may be signposted to other organisations that could help you.