Social care services assessments (adults)
What is an assessment?
For most services you will need to have an assessment.
An assessment means:
- talking to you and other people involved
- with your permission collecting information from other people who know you, such as family members, your GP or community nurse
- understanding what the problems are
- agreeing what needs to be done.
Someone can ask for help on your behalf. They must:
- ask your permission before contacting the Adult Social Care and Health Department
- contact the Adults Department in the area that you live
- have some basic information about you ready, including what language you speak, if English is not your first language.
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What happens at an assessment?
Contact assessment
When you first ask for help you will need to give some basic information about yourself and your situation. This includes:
- name
- address
- date of birth
- what the problem is.
This is called a contact assessment. For some services, such as meals at home, this assessment will be enough and the service will be arranged if you are eligible. For other services you will need to have a more detailed assessment of your needs.
A detailed assessment
Someone will arrange to visit you at home or in hospital. You are welcome to have a friend or relative with you. If you want support to say what you think during the assessment, please tell us beforehand. We may be able to give you information about independent advocacy services.
Tell us if you use British Sign Language, or if English is not your first language, so we can arrange for an interpreter to be there.
Identity card - All our staff have an identity card with their photo on it. Before they enter your home they should hand the card to you, tell you who they are and explain why they have come. If you are worried ring your local Council office who will tell you whether the person works for us or not. Do not let anyone into your home if you are not sure who they are.
You will be asked about:
- the things you can and cannot do for yourself
- your health
- getting out and about
- your family responsibilities
- any help you get from other people.
It might be helpful to think about these things and make a few notes before the assessment is done.
Once they have talked to you staff may also collect information, with your permission, from other people who know you, such as your family, your family doctor or community nurse.
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What about confidentiality?
All staff working for the Adult Social Care and Health Department, have a duty to keep your personal information secure. The information you give will usually only be shared with our own staff and other agencies, for example the NHS, with your permission. This is to make sure that you get the help and care you need.
Sometimes information may be shared without your permission; this is usually if it is necessary to protect you or someone else from harm.
You have a right to see information recorded about you.
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How long will I have to wait for an assessment?
We aim to contact all people who are asking for help for the first time, within 48 hours and to complete their assessment within 14 days.
Other people will be seen as quickly as possible, depending on how urgent their situation is. In an emergency you can get help without waiting for an assessment, although one will be done as soon as possible.
We will tell you how long you might have to wait when you first contact us.
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How do we decide who is entitled to help?
We use Government guidance called Fair Access to Care Services (FACS).
FACS says that we have to decide whether your ability to live independently would put you at risk if we do not provide or arrange services to help you.
If there is a risk to your independence we have to decide whether the risk is “critical, substantial, moderate or low”.
You will be entitled to help with any problems that pose a critical, substantial or moderate risk to your independence. If your problems pose a low risk to your independence you may not be entitled to help from the Adult Social Care and Health Department.
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What happens if I am entitled to help?
If your assessment says you need community care services, you will usually be offered a choice. You can have either:
- a cash payment to buy the service yourself. This is called a direct payment.
- the service provided or arranged by the Adult Social Care and Health Department, OR
Direct payments are worked out to give you an amount of money that should allow you to buy the service you are assessed as needing.
The person who does your assessment will be responsible for arranging services or a direct payment for you. They will write a care plan explaining the help you are entitled to and you will be given a copy of it.
We will arrange for services to start as soon as we can. We will give priority to urgent situations.
They will also check regularly to make sure that the help you are getting is still what you need. Please tell us if your needs change.
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What do I do if I am not entitled to help?
Staff will provide information and advice about other agencies that might be able to help instead.
Get in touch with us again if your circumstances change.
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Will I need to pay for services?
We charge for some of our services. We may need to do a financial assessment with you to find out how much, if anything, you will have to pay. For this assessment we need to know about your:
- earnings
- benefits
- pensions
- savings.
If you do not want to give this information to us, you will have to pay the full charge for any services arranged for you.
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