Am I eligible for adult social care support?
If you suffer from severe illness, frailty, have a disability or vulnerability or you are taking on caring responsibilities, you may need support, advice, information or practical help. Plymouth City Council adult social care can advise you on, or help you to arrange, a variety of services to assist you.
To receive services from us we must first assess your needs. We will offer an assessment to anyone who requests one or who appears to be in need of community care services. The assessment is designed to identify your needs and evaluate any risks to your independence, if those needs are not met.
When we have worked out your needs with you, we will decide if you have priority needs and are eligible for support from adult social care. All Councils use the eligibility criteria based on Government’s guidance called 'Fair Access to Care Services' (FACS). Each Council has to decide how to prioritise its services and in Plymouth we will provide help to anyone whose needs are determined as critical or substantial using FACS criteria. The criteria sets out conditions that a person has to meet to be eligible for Council support and aims to help our social care workers make fair and consistent decisions.
What is an assessment?
This is when a social care worker collects information from you and, if appropriate, your family or carers. The worker may ask your permission to contact other people, such as your doctor or nurses, who support you. The aim is to get a full picture of the things you can manage and the support you get from others, before deciding what you may need from adult social services. In the assessment you, with the worker, will decide the outcomes you want to achieve, how you want to achieve them, and what kinds of support best fit your way of life.
You have a legal right to an assessment whether you are directly in need of care yourself, or a carer for someone who needs support. If you are a carer you can be assessed in your own right.
What is supported self assessment?
If you wish, you can assess your own strengths and support needs as part of the overall assessment of your social care needs. We have a simple questionnaire you can complete and discuss with your care manager.
Who has a right to an assessment?
We will offer an assessment to anyone who approaches or is referred to adult social care, regardless of their age, circumstances or social care need. This right includes carers, and young people who are in the process of transferring from children’s services to adult services.
If you do not agree with the outcome of your assessment you have the right to complain using our complaints procedures.
How do I know if I am eligible for Council support?
Under the FACS criteria there are four bands of eligibility - critical, substantial, moderate and low which are detailed below. A decision will be made by adult social care services, based on the information you and others provide, about which of these bands is the best for your needs.
If your needs are assessed as critical or substantial then you will be eligible for services from the council.
What happens if I am not eligible?
If your needs are assessed as low or moderate we will not be able to provide you with services directly or assist you financially. However, you may be able to have help from some of our preventative services, to help you in the short term, or to stop things getting worse. We call these universal services and they are usually available to anyone who feels they need them. Generally these services offer information, advice, support and advocacy and some will offer services such as befriending and day activities in local communities. We also have a wide range of services to support carers.
We can also provide you with advice and help you to find other ways of getting support and how to access them.
You may qualify for help from a range of other services, including health, housing, benefits, education, training, employment, transport and leisure. Local community groups and networks may be able to provide the specific support and advice you need.
We will also give you information about how to get back in touch with adult social care if your circumstances change.
Will I have to pay?
After your social care needs have been assessed, and if you are eligible for social care support, we will conduct a financial assessment. This will decide whether or not you have sufficient money to pay towards some or all of the cost of the support you need.
The financial assessment will take into account your income, expenditure and your savings. No one will be asked to contribute to the costs of their support if they have income below the national income support level plus 25%. This varies dependent on your age but an average amount (June 2010) is £162.50 per week for people aged 60+ and £114.75 per week for people under the age of 60. Anyone with savings over £23,250 (June 2010) will have to pay the full costs of their care.
FACS bandings and eligibility criteria
Critical
If any of the following apply:
- Life is, or will be, threatened
- Significant health problems have developed or will develop
- There is, or will be, little or no choice and control over vital aspects of the immediate environment
- Serious abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur
- There is, or will be, an inability to carry out vital personal care or domestic routines
- Vital involvement in work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained
- Vital social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained
- Vital family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken
Substantial
If any of the following apply:
- There is, or will be, only partial choice and control over the immediate environment
- Abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur
- There is, or will be, an inability to carry out the majority of personal care or domestic routines
- Involvement in many aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained
- The majority of social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained
- The majority of family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken
Moderate
If any of the following apply:
- There is, or will be, an inability to carry out several personal care or domestic routines
- Involvement in several aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained
- Several social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained
- Several family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken
Low
If any of the following apply:
- There is, or will be, an inability to carry out one or two personal care or domestic routines
- Involvement in one or two aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained
- One or two social support systems and relationships cannot or will not sustained
- One or two family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken
How do I find out more?
You can call adult social care for more information about being assessed or help from social care support on the following numbers.
- Adult Social Care - 01752 668000
- Access to Mental Health Services - 01752 434988
- Adult Services Out of hours Team - 01752 346984
Email: customerservices@plymouth.gov.uk.
