Leaflet: A guide to Adult Social Care and Health

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Summary

May 2025 (IL01)

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Who we are and what we do

Adult Social Care and Health is a department of East Sussex County Council. We work with people aged 18 and over who living in East Sussex. We help people live healthy and independent lives, whatever that may look like for them.

We look at people's strengths, capabilities, support network, community and difficulties and work with them to find solutions.

Examples of people we work with include those who:

  • want to stay living at home but are finding it difficult to manage
  • would like to get out and about but cannot because of a health condition or disability
  • need information on alternative, more suitable accommodation
  • look after someone who could not manage at home without their help
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Safeguarding

If you are being harmed or neglected or worry that you might be, contact us.

You can also contact us about someone else, even if you're not sure. You can call anonymously.

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Out-of-hours (emergency) support

If you contact us outside of normal working hours and your situation requires emergency adult social care intervention (before the next working day), we will pass your details to our Emergency Duty Service.

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How we can assist you

There are lots of ways we can work with you, and places you can find more information. For example:

  • We can give you information and advice about finding support in your community.
  • There may be solutions that help you be more independent and stop you needing support from us in the future, like equipment or changes to your home.
  • We may arrange a Care Act needs assessment to thoroughly look at your situation, needs and strengths and see if you’re eligible for our support. You can also do this online.
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Am I eligible for support?

We use ‘eligibility criteria’ set by the government to see if you qualify for our support. To be eligible you must meet these 3 criteria:

1. You must have care and support needs as a result of a physical impairment, a mental impairment or an illness. 

2. Because of those needs, you cannot achieve 2 or more of the following outcomes:

  • eating and drinking properly
  • maintaining personal hygiene
  • managing your toilet needs
  • dressing yourself appropriately
  • using your home safely
  • maintaining a liveable home environment
  • developing and maintaining personal relationships
  • getting and maintaining work, training, education or volunteering
  • making use of important facilities or services in the local community, including public transport and recreational facilities
  • carrying out caring responsibilities for a child

3. Being unable to achieve 2 or more of the above has (or is likely to have) a significant impact on your wellbeing

For more information on the eligibility criteria, read our factsheet: Who qualifies for our support?

If your Care Act needs assessment shows that you have eligible needs, we’ll do a financial assessment, to tell you what you will need to pay.

Most people pay some or all of the cost of their care.

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Information and advice

We have lots of information available in different formats, so you can find out what you need in the most suitable way for you.

Online

There is lots of information available on our website.

You can also:

We also link to our trusted websites and directories of local services, community and voluntary organisations that could support you or get you involved in your community.

Offline

We produce a range of information leaflets and factsheets. You can request a copy of these in a range of different languages, in easy read format and in large print.

If you would like to speak to someone you can contact us.

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Discussing your options and short-term support

If you’re not sure what help you want or need, we can have a chat with you (usually on the phone). We will listen to you, find out what you want to achieve and talk through your options. This will include ways to build on your strengths to prevent, reduce and delay intervention and maximise your independence.

For example, we can talk to you about:

These are just examples. Our prevention discussion and suggestions for support will depend on you, your situation and what you would like to achieve.

Depending on your needs, you may be invited to an Occupational Therapy Clinic. They will advise on managing at home and may suggest equipment and small adaptations to support you. Some equipment and adaptations under £1,000 are free. The clinics can also offer advice for carers and do a carer’s assessment.

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Short-term reablement to maximise your independence

'Reablement' is a short-term service that helps you get back daily living skills that you may have lost because of an accident, illness or disability. It is often provided when people first come home after a stay in hospital and is sometimes called ‘rehabilitation’.

It’s usually limited to 2 or 3 weeks of focussed support in your home. You will not be charged for this.

Several different professionals will work with you to get back your confidence and daily living skills. This can include:

  • improving your movement
  • finding alternative ways of managing everyday tasks, like cooking and getting around the house.

They will help you set goals and monitor your progress.

You may be charged for any reablement that you have after your initial 2 to 3 weeks. The amount you will have to pay will be determined by a financial assessment.

See our leaflet: What you will need to pay

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Ongoing support

If our initial discussions suggest that you need ongoing social care support, we will do a Care Act needs assessment. This will help us understand more about you and your:

  • daily life
  • strengths
  • friends and family
  • support needs

It will show if you are eligible for support from us.

To be eligible for support you must meet the national eligibility criteria set by the government. This helps us make sure that the limited budget local authorities receive is used wisely, with equal access for all adults across the country.

For more information, read our factsheet: Who qualifies for our support?

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What will I need to pay?

Unlike NHS healthcare, social care and support is not free. Most people pay some or all of the costs of their care. 

  • If you have more than £23,250 in capital and assets, you’ll need to pay for your care yourself. This £23,250 does not include the value of your property unless you’re moving into a care home.
  • If you have less than £23,250 in capital and assets, you can get financial help to pay for your care. We will do a financial assessment to see how much you can afford to contribute.

For more information, read our leaflet: What you will need to pay

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Control over your care

You will be involved at every stage when thinking about your care and support needs, what you want to achieve and how we do this. We will talk to you about what happens next and how long things are expected to take.

For more information, read our factsheet: Assessment, support planning and review.

If we are going to contribute toward the cost of your care, one of the ways you can retain control is by choosing direct payments. 

Direct payments are agreed sums of money that we give you so that you can arrange and buy your own care (as long as it meets your assessed needs). For example, you can employ your own personal assistant to help you have a bath or to accompany you to the library.

We can help you identify suitable services, legally and safely.

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Accommodation and housing options

We know having a place to call home is very important. We will ensure you have the right contact details for colleagues in the district and borough councils who manage housing and homelessness.

If you are struggling to manage at home, we can:

  • give you information about accommodation and support options
  • arrange home adaptations and equipment
  • organise support in your own home
  • advise you on the organisations that provide housing and accommodation like:

Your eligibility for some of this accommodation will depend on the outcome of your Care Act needs assessment.

For more information you can contact us.

You can also find more information about paying for residential care in our leaflet: What you will need to pay

More information on housing options

1Space

Our directory, East Sussex 1Space, has information on housing and accommodation options. These include local care homes and nursing homes. 

Housing and accommodation | East Sussex 1Space

Care Quality Commission

You can look up or request information on registered care homes from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This is the organisation that regulates health and social care services.

Care Choices

Care Choices produces directories of care services and includes advice on choosing a care home.

If you’re at risk of homelessness

If your home no longer meets your needs or if you or someone else is homeless or about to become homeless, contact the housing team at your local district or borough council.

Lewes District Council
Phone: 01273 471 600

Eastbourne Borough Council
Phone: 01323 410 000

Hastings Borough Council
Phone: 01424 451 100

Rother District Council
Phone: 01424 787 000

Wealden District Council
Phone: 01323 443 380 or 01323 443 322

If you're not sure which district or borough you are in, use Find your local council | GOV.UK.

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Caring for someone else

You are a carer if you look after someone who would not be able to manage everyday life without your help. This could be an adult relative, partner, friend or neighbour.

If you are a carer, you can ask for information, advice and support and we can help you with that. There are other local schemes and organisations can support you too.

For example, the East Sussex carer's card allows you to register an emergency plan and offers discounts for shops and services. You can also join local support groups, and access information, advice and training.

Care for the Carers is a local support organisation for carers. If you want to find out more about what is available, or if you’re not sure what you need, contact them:

Carer's assessment

We can do a carer’s assessment to see if you are eligible for support. You need to meet national eligibility criteria.

You can complete an online carer's assessment or contact us.

For more information, read our leaflet: Do you look after someone?

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Keeping people safe

Everyone has a right to live a life free from abuse and neglect. Safeguarding adults' services work together to help to stop abuse and neglect from happening.

Adults who have care and support needs may find it harder to protect themselves from abuse or neglect. Care and support needs include physical or learning disability, mental health needs or other illness.

Abuse and neglect come in many different forms, including:

  • physical abuse: being hit, slapped, kicked, pinched or misuse of medication
  • domestic abuse: threatening, violent, psychological or economic abuse, control or coercion. It takes place between two 'personally connected' people, like intimate partners, carers or family members over the age of 16.
  • psychological or emotional abuse: being shouted at, ridiculed, bullied, threatened or controlled by intimidation or fear
  • neglect and acts of omission: when medical, physical or emotional needs are not met or ignored
  • financial abuse: stealing or misusing money or property, scams and being pressured into giving people money or paying for things
  • sexual abuse: sexual activity that someone does not or cannot agree to
  • organisational abuse: neglect and poor professional practice in a care setting
  • self-neglect: when someone cannot or will not care for themselves or allow others to
  • modern slavery: including slavery, sexual exploitation, forced labour, and domestic servitude
  • discriminatory abuse: being harassed, insulted or poor treatment because of age, culture, mental health needs, disability, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion or belief
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How you can report abuse and neglect

Call 999 if a crime is in progress, it’s an emergency or someone’s life is at risk.

Call 101 to report a crime when it is not an emergency.

If you have a concern about someone, let them know that help is available and talk to them about what they want to do.

If you suspect or are experiencing abuse or neglect, phone 0345 60 80 191 at any time. Calls outside of opening hours will be connected to the Emergency Duty Service.

What will happen after I report abuse or neglect?

We will always take any report of abuse or neglect seriously and will ensure the circumstances are looked into fully, in a fair and confidential way.

We will:

  • talk with the person who is at risk to find out what they want to happen (when safe)
  • support the person to have an advocate (someone to represent them) if they need one
  • talk to the police if a crime may have been committed
  • talk to other agencies that need to be involved
  • agree the best way of helping, including considering other types of support
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Other ways to find information on social care support

The NHS publish a comprehensive guide to social care.

East Sussex Community Information Service (ESCIS)

Get information on what’s happening in your community, like clubs, societies and events from ESCIS:

Website: ESCIS
Email: escis@eastsussex.gov.uk
Phone: 01273 481 754

1Space

Visit East Sussex 1Space, our online directory of care, support and wellbeing services.

Living a healthy lifestyle

Living a healthy life is important for everyone. Whether you have a long-term condition, or want to make lifestyle changes (like stopping smoking or losing weight) visit One You East Sussex:

Website: One You East Sussex 
Phone: 01323 404 600

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Our leaflets and factsheets

We offer a wide range of leaflets and factsheets.

Our leaflets

Our factsheets

We also have a range of factsheets on topics like:

  • assessment, support planning and review
  • financial assessment and paying for care
  • mental capacity
  • managing someone’s affairs

See our leaflets and factsheets page.

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Healthwatch East Sussex

Healthwatch East Sussex is your local consumer champion for health and social care. For information or leave feedback about your experiences of services, visit:

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Getting involved

If you would like to be involved in shaping our services, we are always looking for new members to join the People Bank. The People Bank is a database of volunteers who have an interest in our services. Membership is voluntary and there are many ways you can be involved.

Once you have joined and told us how you would like to be involved, our team will match you with potential opportunities. 

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