Assessing What Help You Need

If you think that you or someone you care for needs care & support from Social Services, you can contact the Adult Duty desk on 01685 724500.

The Duty Officer will discuss your particular circumstances with you and what matters to you, this is called a proportionate assessment. Following the discussion, the Duty Officer will agree the next steps with you and who is going to do what.

Some examples of the outcomes from the discussion could be:

• That the Duty Officer will have provided you with information and advice and you need no further support from Social Services
• That further information is needed and a more in depth assessment is required and they will arrange this
• That you can get the help you need from others such as family & friends or a community based service not provided by Social Services
• That no support is needed
• That you are eligible for a care & support plan

Further Assessment

To do this, a Social Worker or an Assessment & Review Officer may visit you and together you will decide what support you need to continue living in your own home or you may look at other ways to meet your needs. To do this the Social Worker or an Assessment & Review Officer will complete a more in depth assessment This will include:-

Obtaining more information about you

• We will ask you about your life and how you want support to help you cope
• We ask your husband / wife or any other partner or carer about what they think you need to help you cope
• We will talk to any health professionals or support workers you may already have supporting you
• With your permission we will find out about the way you like to spend your time now and, if you had help, what you would like to do in the future
• We will ask about your health and physical needs. e.g. climbing the stairs, mobility in and outside your home, washing and bathing, dressing, meals/eating etc; and your senses (e.g. eyesight, hearing, etc )

How we plan your support

Using the information you/your carers give us, together we will be able to agree whether you have support needs, how they can be met and whether you are eligible for care & support from Social Services. If the assessment indicates that you are eligible for care & support from Social Service, the Social Worker or an Assessment & Review Officer will prepare a plan of how we, other carers and your family will all work together to help support you, which is called a Care & Support Plan.