Can you get help from adult social care services?

This section of the website explains how we decide who is eligible for adult social care services from Plymouth City Council.

Anyone can contact us for information and advice. We have a responsibility to talk to anyone aged 18 and over who may need a social care service.

People who may ask or need our help include:

• older people who are physically or mentally frail
• people with a physical or sensory impairment
• people with learning disabilities or mental health problems
• people who need drug and alcohol services or who have suffered neglect or abuse
• people with HIV or other blood-borne virus
• people who provide informal care to another adult
• people that are homeless, seeking asylum or refugees

To talk to someone about your needs, please call the adult social care contact centre which can be found in the contact details section of this page.

How do we decide who gets a service?

If you ask us for help, we will talk to you about your needs. We call this an assessment. We can either do your assessment on the telephone or we can visit you at home. We will ask you questions about your life to help us work out what needs you have, like how you cope with the tasks you have to do everyday, if you have anyone to help you and your views about how your needs should be met.

If your situation is very urgent, if there is a high risk of injury or harm to you or someone else, we will aim to start your assessment within 24 hours. In some emergency situations, we may arrange a service immediately. We will then carry out a full assessment as soon as possible.

To work out who gets a care service from us, we look at a number of factors that may affect how you lead your life. They are:

• how safe you are in your home and outside it
• how you manage your daily routines such as washing, dressing and eating
• how much you are able to fulfil responsibilities to your family and within your wider community
• how much control you have over your life

To make sure this is done fairly, we use the national ‘Fair Access to Care Services’ guidance, along with all other councils in England. This guidance is split into four categories that help us assess the seriousness of the risk to your independence. They are:

Critical

• when life is, or will be, threatened; and/or
• significant health problems have developed or will develop; and/or
• there is, or will be, little or no choice and control over vital aspects of the immediate environment; and/or
• serious abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur; and/or
• there is, or will be, an inability to carry out vital personal care or domestic routines; and/or
• vital involvement in work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
• vital social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
• vital family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

Substantial

• when there is, or will be, only partial choice and control over the immediate environment; and/or- abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur; and/or
• there is, or will be, an inability to carry out the majority of personal care or domestic routines; and/or
• involvement in many aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
• the majority of social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
• the majority of family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

Moderate

• when there is, or will be, an inability to carry out several personal care or domestic routines; and/or
• involvement in several aspects of work, education and learning cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
• several social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
• several family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

Low

• when there is, or will be, an inability to carry out one or two personal care or domestic routines; and/or
• involvement in one or two aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
• one or two social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
• one or two family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

If you are assessed as having needs that are critical or substantial, we may be able to provide services to help you.

If you are assessed as having needs that are moderate or low, we will not be able to provide you with a service, but we can give you advice and information about other organisations that may be able to help you.

What happens when you are eligible for a service?

What happens after my assessment?

Once your assessment has helped us see what sort of care might meet your needs, we will work with you to find solutions best suited to you and your circumstances.

If we are unable to find a solution that suits you, we will help you look at what other services are available and how much they cost. We aim to provide you with as much choice as possible so we can either arrange services for you or offer you money to find and buy services for yourself.

How much will I have to pay?

Any charge for your care will depend on the service you receive and on your income and any welfare benefits you may receive. A financial assessment officer will calculate any charges that you may need to pay.

How long will it be before I get a service?

The service you receive is called a ‘care package’ and should begin within a month of your assessment being completed. The timing may vary depending on the way in which we agree your needs should be met.

I have someone who looks after me, where do they fit in?

Many people depend on a relative or friend for help with day-to-day tasks. These people are called ‘carers’. We will always include carers and consider their needs when carrying out your assessment, unless you or your carer ask us not to.

Depending on the amount of time and the kind of help they give you, your carer maybe entitled to their own assessment. We will talk to them to find out their needs, how they feel about what they are doing and what they might need to help them continue to look after you and themselves.

What happens if I don’t qualify for help?

Plymouth has a range of organisations, charities and companies that provide specialised care services and support. If you do not qualify for our services, we can put you in touch with organisations that may be able to help you.

What if my circumstances change?

If your circumstances change, please call our contact centre and we will reassess your needs. If you are already receiving a service and you feel your needs have increased, we may be able to increase the level of care you receive. Likewise if your needs have reduced, we may reduce the level of care you receive. We will give you notice if this is going to happen.

When do we review your needs and circumstances?

If you are still receiving a service after three months we will carry out a review to make sure the ‘care package’ is meeting your needs and safeguarding or improving your independence. After that the number of reviews will depend on individual circumstances but we will carry out at least one review per year.

What if I disagree with decisions or I’m not happy with my care service?

We try to provide a service that exceeds expectations, however, there may be times when you feel that we have not met yours. Plymouth City Council’s Adult Social Care Team has a complaints and representations procedure to help us listen and act on our customer’s feedback.

You can access the complaints and representations procedure by contacting the Customer Relations Team, whose contact details are in the right hand column.

[Back to top]