Completing the assessment process
What is an assessment?
To apply for our services you have to receive an ‘assessment’, which helps us to decide what you need. We have a legal duty, under the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 to assess adults who we think may need community care services.
It gives you the chance to tell us what you are good at, and what help you need to makes things easier in your day-to-day life. To receive an assessment you first need to contact us.
Who is involved?
We employ trained people, known as assessors, who will visit you in your home. If you are in hospital they will meet with you on the ward to help set up services ready for your return home. The assessor will look at any problems you might be having and help you find solutions.
You might choose to have other people involved in your assessment. These could be your carer, a friend or relative, another professional person such as your doctor or nurse, or anyone else involved in your care.
How are my needs assessed?
With your help, the assessor will write a report about you and your needs and will consider two important points – risk and independence.
- Risk– the assessor will think of ways to help you live safely and independently, reducing any risks you may come across
- Independence– the assessor will promote your independence and welfare by encouraging you to do as much as you are capable of.
How do I qualify for services?
The assessor decides whether we will be able to meet all or some of your needs by looking at a set of standards that we call ‘eligibility criteria’. These are designed to make sure that our limited resources go to the people who need them most. For example, if you only need one hour of care or less each week you will normally be expected to organise and pay for this yourself.
Who arranges the services?
Once the assessment is complete, and it has been agreed that you are eligible for our support, we will give you a written ‘care plan’. This will show you what help you will receive to best meet your needs.
You might not get everything you want but your assessor will talk to you about what other options are available. You might decide that you could meet some of your needs yourself, possibly with help from your family or by buying a piece of equipment.
The assessor will only be able to arrange a service if it is clear that you cannot make your own arrangements for support, or you could not reasonably ask another person to help you.
Who provides the services?
Services are provided directly from us or on our behalf by private or voluntary organisations. We will give you information about the different types of services that are available.
If you want to arrange your own care independently of us, we can give you lists of independent social care providers that have been approved by us. When private organisations deliver services to you they have to follow our quality controls.
Do we assess everyone?
We arrange care and support services for people who are most vulnerable and at risk. We will only carry out a full assessment if we believe that we may be able to help you.
If we do not offer you an assessment we will normally suggest other organisations that may be able to help you.
What happens if my needs change?
If your circumstances change – for example you no longer need our help, you feel you need more help from us, or you did not previously qualify for help – contact us for a further assessment.
Will I have to pay?
You can find out more about what you might have to pay on our paying for services page.
Applying for services online
You can use our online form to request one of our adult services. You can use this if you, a friend or relative wants to be assessed by us for the services we provide.
Protection of vulnerable adults
To find out more about how we aim to protect vulnerable adults, visit our policies and plans page.
Improving the assessment process
We are currently working on improving our existing assessment process as above, by testing the national single assessment process. Find out how this improvement will benefit you in the future.
What is a 12 week disregard?
Details of what is a 12 week disregard
