Other kinds of support to help you remain independent

Support with Confidence East Sussex

Support with Confidence is East Sussex County Council’s Adult Social Care accreditation scheme run in partnership with Trading Standards. It can help you find a wide range of care and support services that you can trust, from people and organisations that have been checked and approved in terms of quality, safety and staff training.

In East Sussex, accredited members of the scheme include:

• personal assistants;

• registered home care providers;

• legal and financial advice services;

• day services;

• cleaning services;

• meal preparation services;

• suppliers of home adaptations and equipment;

• handyperson, home maintenance and gardening services;

• pet services;

• therapeutic support;

• community services; and

• transport providers.

As well as checking on quality standards, the application process includes appropriate background checks, taking up references, attending an interview, training, and making sure the provider is complying with the law. If approved, the provider’s details will appear in the online Support with Confidence directory. For a list of individual personal assistants, rates of hourly pay and availability, visit

brighton-hove.gov.uk/supportwithconfidence

For more information, contact the Support with Confidence team. Tel: 01273 292494 Email: supportwithconfidence@brighton-hove. gov.uk 

To find a service, visit eastsussex.gov.uk/swc or phone the Support with Confidence team on 01323 463440.

Brighton & Hove

Brighton & Hove Council can help you to find a personal assistant through the Support with Confidence register of approved personal assistants. A personal assistant who has completed Support with Confidence training will have undergone various checks and completed the necessary courses required to receive the accreditation.

These include:

• enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check;

• Trading Standards checks;

• two reference checks;

• ‘Being a Great Personal Assistant’, a course delivered by Halifax Homecare; and

• training modules that all care workers undertake before they start working, delivered by Halifax Care.

 Support in your own home You may be finding it difficult to manage at home and feel you need more long-term support. You might want help with personal care, such as washing and dressing or with practical tasks, such as shopping, cooking, laundry, cleaning and home maintenance.

To help to support you, you could use a personal assistant (PA). You will either need to employ a PA yourself or the PA may be able to provide support on a self-employed basis. There is more information about employing a PA on page 54, including organisations that can help you. PAs do not need to be registered and checked by the Care Quality Commission.

Alternatively, you could use an independent home care provider delivering regulated services such as personal care. These organisations should be registered and checked by the Care Quality Commission (see page 58).

East Sussex

East Sussex County Council works with certain home care providers (providers contracted with the Council are regularly reviewed and supported to meet the Council’s criteria for quality of service).

You can contact Health and Social Care Connect for more information, see page 7.

Brighton & Hove

If you would like information on the home care agencies who provide support on behalf of the Council, contact the Adult Social Care Access Point at AccessPoint@brighton-hove.gov.uk or 01273 295555.

Listings of all registered home care providers in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove start on page 25.

Housing-related support

Adult Social Care works with District and Borough Councils, health services and voluntary and community organisations to provide a range of housing-related support. Housing-related support (previously known as The Supporting People Programme) helps to prevent homelessness and Floating support helps people aged 16 and over resolve housing-related issues, whether they are renting, a homeowner, or living with friends/ family temporarily. Supported Accommodation helps people develop the skills needed to manage a tenancy independently. The support is available to certain groups who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including adults with a mental health need, young parents aged 16-25, young people aged 16-25, vulnerable adults and people fleeing domestic violence.

In East Sussex, floating support services can be accessed via Health and Social Care Connect, Children’s Services or your local Borough and District Councils. Supported Accommodation can be accessed via Children’s Services or your local Borough and District Councils.

East Sussex

For more information, contact East Sussex Health and Social Care Connect. Tel: 0345 60 80 191 Email: HSCC@eastsussex.gov.uk Web: eastsussex.gov.uk/community/housing

Brighton & Hove

For more information, contact the Brighton & Hove Access Point. Tel: 01273 295555 Email: AccessPoint@brighton-hove.gov.uk Web: brighton-hove.gov.uk/social-care