Adult social care assessment

Your assessment lets you tell us how you’re currently managing and what you need help with.

Anyone can request an assessment – yourself, friends or family – but must have permission from the person being assessed.

To request an assessment, please call the Adult Social Care Helpdesk on 023 9268 0810.

The helpdesk is open 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday, and 8.30am to 4.30pm on Friday.

If you need help with some of the difficult language used in social care, there is a helpful ‘health and social care jargon buster’ available here

• We will contact you to agree a date for your assessment. There can be a wait and we prioritise people with very urgent needs, so please let us know if your situation changes.
• A member of our team will contact you. They may be able to gain all the information they need by phone, or may arrange a time to visit you at home. We will ask questions to find out how your needs affect your life, and to see whether you are eligible for support from social care (see the eligibility criteria below).
• If your assessment shows that you are eligible for social care support, we will work with you to create a support plan. Your support plan will set out the goals you are working towards in your life, what support you already have, and what support you might need from the council to help you achieve them.
• Your social worker or independence support assistant may request a financial assessment for you. This will be done by the Financial Assessment and Benefits Team, who will also ensure you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to. They can help you apply for any that you haven’t been receiving.
• Your social worker or independence support assistant will give you their direct phone number, or you can call our helpdesk on 023 9268 0810. You can request a copy of your assessment.
• We will contact you again to see how things are going and to make sure that your care and support is working for you.

Yes, you are welcome to ask someone to be at the assessment with you.

If you need an interpreter or translator, your social worker or independence support assistant will help to arrange this at no cost to you.

If you feel you need the support of an independent professional advocate, please ask us when we contact you to arrange the visit. An advocate helps you to talk to us, and makes sure we listen to you and understand you.

The eligibility criteria for adults with care and support needs is set out in the Care Act. It makes sure that all councils follow the same rules to assess people who need care and support.

Eligibility Criteria, Adult with Care and Support Needs

1. Do the needs arise from a physical or mental impairment or illness?
2. Do these needs mean that the adult is unable to achieve two or more of the outcomes listed below?
3. Is there consequently a significant impact on the adult’s wellbeing?

Outcomes:

• Manage and maintain nutrition
• Maintain personal hygiene
• Manage toilet needs
• Being appropriately clothed
• Be able to make use of adult’s home safely
• Maintain a habitable home environment
• Develop/maintain family and other personal relationships
• Access/engage in work, training, education or volunteering
• Make use of community services
• Carry out caring responsibilities for a child

Adult social care is means tested. This means that you may be asked to pay some or all of the costs of your care.

After your support plan is agreed, a financial assessment will see whether you can get any funding towards your care.

One of our Financial Assessment and Benefits (known as FAB) team will visit you at home to discuss your finances. They will also help you to claim any benefits you might be entitled to.

See paying for your care for more information.

If you pay the full cost of your care

• You can choose to arrange your care and support privately. This means you would no longer be a client of adult social care. However, you are welcome to contact us for information and advice. You can also ask for a care or financial re-assessment if your situation changes.
• We can arrange care and support for you, taking into account your wishes and preferences. We will invoice you for the cost of your care.

If you are eligible for funding

• For care and support at home, you can choose to receive a Direct Payment. This is money given directly to you on a pre-paid card, to spend on care and support. You can purchase anything that meets the needs agreed in your support plan.
• If your financial assessment finds you need to pay towards the cost of your care, you will pay your contribution into the account to spend through the prepaid card.
• Please note: Direct Payments are currently only available for people receiving care and support at home, and cannot be used to pay care home or nursing home fees.
• We can arrange care and support for you, taking into account your wishes and preferences. If your financial assessment finds you need to contribute towards the cost of your care, we will invoice you for your contribution.