How the social care process works
If you or someone you care for needs some extra care and support, you can contact the council for advice, information and an assessment of your situation.
You may need some extra care and support if you are struggling with aspects of your daily life due to:
- illness
- a disability
- frailty
- a fall or an accident
- recovering from an operation
- a major change in your life
- a crisis
- a health condition
To be eligible for social care support from the council, you will need to have an assessment of need and these needs will be assessed against the national eligibility criteria.
If you don’t meet the criteria
If you don’t meet the criteria, we will give you information and advice and help you to find services in the community, which can help to keep you as independent and active as possible.
This may include:
- how to get a personal alarm in case of falls at home
- community services
You might also wish to visit a local retailer who can provide simple aids for daily living.
You could also be referred for short term support called reablement. This is a free service that provides support in helping you learn or relearn skills that you may have lost and keep you independent.
If you meet the criteria
If you meet the criteria, we will work with you to decide which services would help you the most to meet your needs and achieve your outcomes. These can be a mixture of formal and informal community support services and will form your care and support plan.
We will carry out a financial assessment to determine whether you have to contribute financially to your care and support. This will be based on your financial circumstances.
We will also provide advice on where to get independent financial advice and will work with you to ensure that you are in receipt of the benefits you are entitled to.
Your situation will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that your needs are being met. You can also request another assessment if your circumstances change.
