Support from the council The way councils provide services to eligible adults and their carers is called personalisation. This term is used to describe several ways in which eligible adults can receive a mixture of local authority and Government money to pay for the care services
they need without direct council involvement. If you approach the council for social care support, your needs and finances will be assessed. If you have a carer, they can be involved and have their needs assessed too.
Your assessment If you appear to have care or support needs, you have the legal right to an assessment of your care needs and finances. Councils are statutorily obliged to provide this to you, regardless of whether you access their services. The assessment (which is free) will consider: • how you can best be supported to live as independently as possible; • your home and how you are coping in it; • your emotional wellbeing; • your diet; and • any health and medical treatments you need.
You will need to contact Adult Social Care to arrange an assessment. Contact details are on page 5. Once Adult Social Care understands your care and financial needs, the next stage is to determine what services you may be eligible for and who will pay for them. The council will give you more information on eligibility and the national eligibility criteria it uses at the time of your assessment. Information on paying for care can be found on page 19 if you are receiving home care and page 39 if you are moving into a care home.
Personal Budgets If you are eligible for support from the council, you may be given a Personal Budget.
services is between you and your care provider, not the council.
A Personal Budget is the amount of money that the council calculates it will cost to meet the support needs of eligible people. If you are eligible for a Personal Budget, the actual amount you receive will depend on your eligible needs and your finances. The money should be spent in line with a support plan that has been agreed by both you and the council and can be either a full or a partial contribution to such costs. You may also choose to pay for additional support on top of the budget. Any eventual contractual agreement for
If you are eligible, a Personal Budget may be taken: • in the form of a Direct Payment, held directly by you or, where you lack capacity, by a ‘suitable person’; • by way of an account held and managed by the council in line with your wishes; or • as a mixture of the above. Direct Payments can only be used to pay for the care and support agreed in your care and support plan.
Assessments from hospital If you have been admitted to hospital and you might need care on discharge, you may be referred to the discharge team for an assessment, which will take place on the ward.
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The team may be made up of social workers, carers’ officers, mental health workers and housing officers. Whatever services you need on discharge, Adult
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