Care needs assessment and eligibility
On this page:
What a care needs assessment is
Your care and support assessment starts from when you first have contact with us. This is often over the phone. We'll talk to you to understand what you want and need.
We will discuss:
- your strengths
- what support you need in your day-to-day life
- how we can help you stay as independent as possible
- ways that we can help maintain or improve your wellbeing
- ways that we can help prevent or reduce the care and support you need
We'll give you information and advice that could help to prevent, reduce or delay your need for ongoing care and support. This may include identifying simple equipment or technology, community-based services and other local agencies that may be able to help you.
Often, this conversation helps people resolve their need for care and support in a way that best suits them. However, if we identify that you may be eligible for support from us, we will work with you to complete a more detailed assessment. Depending on how urgent your needs are, you may need to wait to have a detailed assessment.
Your eligibility for support from us will depend on your circumstances and needs. The Care and Support (Eligibility Criteria) Regulations 2015 set out the national eligibility criteria for getting council support. This means that you must have a certain level of need for us to be able to offer you support. This is set by the government, so it's the same wherever you live.
If you're eligible for help from us
If you are eligible, we will work with you to identify solutions and agree what we can do to meet your requirements. We'll agree the steps with you and write them down in a detailed Care and Support plan. The Care and Support Plan is a document that explains:
- what services will be provided
- how they will meet your needs
- when they will be provided
- who will provide them
When we develop your Care and Support Plan, we will also discuss your personal budget.
We will talk to you about paying for your care. We'll complete a financial assessment to work out how much you will need to pay towards your care. Depending on your circumstances, you may pay for all of your care, you may pay a contribution, or you may not need to pay. You can find out more about the financial assessment here.
If you're not eligible for help from us
If you are not eligible, we will still provide information and advice on your support options. We'll also agree any preventative actions that can help you remain independent. This might include putting you in touch with other services, organisations and support groups.
Arranging an assessment
To arrange an assessment, you can:
If you are unable to tell us what you need, have communication needs or have no one to support you, we will arrange for an independent advocate to help you through the process.
Specialist assessments
We will consider if specialist assessments would be useful to help work out the right solutions for your needs.
If you have complex needs related to moving and positioning, or need a major home adaptation, we may refer you for an Occupational Therapy assessment. In some circumstances, you may be eligible for financial support for home adaptations.
Carers assessments
If you provide unpaid care to someone who is over the age of 18, you can ask for a carer's assessment. The carer's assessment will look at how caring affects your life and what support you may be able to get.
Visit our support for carers from the council page for further information.
Assessment before coming out of hospital
If you will be or are currently staying in hospital, before you are discharged, hospital staff should:
- discuss any difficulties that you might face when you get home
- discuss any equipment needs you may have
- make arrangements for providing you with equipment
Visit our coming out of hospital page for information about assessment and types of support when leaving hospital.
Reviewing your care and support
If you receive ongoing care and support from us, we will review your support package at least once a year. You can also ask us for a review if your circumstances have changed.
We will check that you are happy that the correct level of support is being provided to meet your needs. The Review Team will update your Care and Support Plan after the review.
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