Leaflet: A guide to Adult Social Care

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Summary

April 2026

This leaflet explains what we do, who we help and how to contact us.

Getting this leaflet in other formats

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What is adult social care?

Adult Social Care and Health is a department of East Sussex County Council. We work with people aged 18 and over living in East Sussex who:

  • have a disability or health condition
  • look after other people (carers)
  • are at risk of abuse or neglect

We look at people’s strengths, support network and community. We will talk to you about the things you find difficult, and work with you to find solutions.

Our aim is to help you improve your wellbeing across all areas of your life.

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When might you contact us?

Examples of reasons you may contact us include:

  • You have a disability, mental or physical health condition.
  • Your health is getting worse and you need some support.
  • You are finding it difficult to go out or move around your home.
  • You have sight loss or hearing loss.
  • You provide unpaid care for a friend or relative.
  • You want to report abuse or neglect of an adult.

You can contact us about yourself or someone else, like a parent, friend or neighbour.

Our contact centre is called Health and Social Care Connect.

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How do we help?

When you contact us, we will listen to your situation. We want to know what is important to you. We will offer advice and ideas on what support could help you live the life that matters to you.

This may include:

We aim to support people to have the best lives they can.

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Reporting abuse or neglect of an adult

If you (or someone else) are experiencing abuse or neglect, contact us on 0345 60 80 191.

You can ring anonymously.

After 8pm, we have an out-of-hours service for emergencies.

If you think a crime has been committed, call the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.

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Further information on social care support

Search for care, support and wellbeing services

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

Find local activities, clubs and events

Visit East Sussex Community Information Service (ESCIS) for groups and activities in your area.

Improve your wellbeing

If you want to stop smoking, lose weight or improve your lifestyle, contact One You East Sussex.

Phone: 01323 404 600

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What happens when you contact us

You can contact us by phone, email or by filling in a form on our website. We will have a chat with you (usually on the phone at first).

We may suggest you have a Care Act needs assessment. This is where we find out more detail about you and your situation.

We will ask you about:

  • your daily life
  • your support needs
  • what you think would help
  • any support you get from family and friends

We will talk to you about the things you can manage, as well as the areas that you find difficult.

You can start your assessment online

If your assessment shows you are eligible for support from us, we will work with you to plan your support. We call this support planning. This support might be short term, or longer. It depends on your situation and what will help.

We will tell you what happens next and how long it may take.

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How do I know if I am eligible for support?

We use rules set by the government to work out if you are eligible for care and support from adult social care. To be eligible, you must meet these 3 criteria:

1. You must have care and support needs due to a physical or mental health condition or illness.

2. These must impact on at least 2 areas of your daily life:

  • eating and drinking
  • personal hygiene
  • going to the toilet
  • getting dressed
  • using your home safely
  • having personal relationships
  • accessing work, training and volunteering
  • getting out and about, including public transport
  • looking after a child
  • maintaining a liveable home

3. This must have a significant impact on your wellbeing.

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

Even if you are not eligible for support, we will still give you advice about options that can help you.

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How much does it cost?

Social care support is not free. Most people will pay for some or all of their care and support. The amount you pay depends on your financial situation.

  • If you have more than £23,250 in savings and assets, you’ll need to pay the full cost for your care. We do not include the value of your home while you are living in it. If you go into a care home, we may include it, but it depends on who else lives there.
  • If you have less than £23,250 in savings and assets, you can get financial help to pay towards your care. We will do a financial assessment to see how much you need to pay.

After your financial assessment, we will write to you to tell you how much you will pay. We call this your ‘contribution’. We will invoice you each month.

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

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Direct payments

The Council may arrange your care, or you can choose to have a direct payment. Direct payments are sums of money that we pay you so that you can arrange and buy your own care. The only rule is that it must meet your assessed care and support needs.

For example, you could employ your own personal assistant to help you with tasks at home or going out. We can provide support to help you do this legally and safely.

For more information, read our factsheet Direct payments

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Caring for someone else

You are a carer if you provide unpaid care to someone who could not manage without your help. They may be a relative, partner, friend or neighbour.

Care for the Carers is our local carers hub offering support for carers. You can find out about all the advice and support they offer at:

Carer's assessment

We can talk to you about being a carer and see if you qualify for support. We call this a ‘carer’s assessment’.

We use government rules to decide if you can get support from us. We will always give you free information and advice, even if you are not eligible.

To do your carer’s assessment, you can complete the online carer's assessment or contact us

For more information about support for carers, read our leaflet Do you look after someone?

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Housing options

You may decide to explore housing that offers support.

This includes:

Whether you are eligible for some of this housing depends on your assessment.

You can contact us for advice.

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Residential care and nursing homes

If you are looking for information on care homes:

Care Choices

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

East Sussex 1Space

Find lists of local care homes and nursing homes on our directory:

Care Quality Commission (CQC) 

The CQC regulates and inspects health and social care services. You can find their ratings on their website:

You can find out about paying for a care home in our factsheet Financial assessments for residential care

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If you are at risk of becoming homeless

Contact the housing team in your local district or borough council if:

  • your home no longer meets your needs
  • you, or someone else is homeless (or might become homeless)

Lewes

Eastbourne

Hastings

Rother

Wealden

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

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Get involved in shaping our services

Want to use your experience of social care services to make a difference? Join the People Bank.

The People Bank is a group of volunteers who get involved with Adult Social Care work. We use their views and feedback to help improve and develop our services.

We’ll match you with activities that suit you. You could review a leaflet, test a survey, or help create a new strategy. For more information:

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Our leaflets and factsheets

Our leaflets

Our factsheets

We have lots of factsheets covering topics like:

  • assessments and support planning
  • direct payments
  • financial assessments
  • mental capacity

See our leaflets and factsheets page.

You can also contact us for printed copies or alternative formats.

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