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Carer Information Resource
Social Care & Assessments |
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Please click on the headings below to go to each section: Aids, Equipment and Adaptations
Under the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000, Carers aged 16 or over who provide a regular and substantial amount of care for someone aged 18 or over have the right to an assessment of their needs as a Carer. If you have parental responsibility for a disabled child, your needs as a Carer will be assessed as part of a Family Needs Assessment. If there is more than one Carer providing regular care in your household, each is entitled to an assessment. The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 placed a duty on Local Authorities to ensure that all Carers know that they are entitled to an assessment of their needs, and to consider a Carer's outside interests - work, study or leisure - when carrying out an assessment. The Care Manager is the person who will carry out assessments for you and/or the person you care for. The assessment should provide you with the opportunity to talk to the Care Manager about your circumstances and identify services which will support you as a Carer. These are some areas you may wish to consider:
You can either have your Carer's Assessment at the same time as an assessment for the person you care for (joint assessment) or you can make arrangements to speak with the Care Manager separately at another time If you are unsure how an assessment will benefit you, use the 'Carer Checklist' - (click here for a copy). This will allow you to reflect on your caring role, and any areas in which you would benefit from support
This is an assessment for the person you care for. It is often the first step to accessing help and support. The Care Manager will look at the individual's needs and abilities and will fully involve them in the assessment. They will take the family's needs into consideration and family members can be present if the cared for person wishes. The types of services which may be identified include
Who is eligible for services? - click for information There is a National policy on eligibility criteria for Adult Social Care Services. There is a framework within which an assessment should be based, which should look at an individual's ability to remain independent in the long and short term if help was not provided. Factors that make up the framework are autonomy, physical and mental health and safety, the management of daily routines, home environment, and family and community life There are four bands of priority, Critical, substantial, moderate and low. ASCH are required to use these bands, but can set a line based on resources under which they do not have to provide services. Anyone below the eligibility line should be provided with information or advice or referred to another agency These are the services which can be put in place to enable someone to live independently. This may be a service to assist with personal care, to ensure meals and medication are provided, or to meet other needs identified during assessment. Payment for services which may be identified during an assessment will be decided by carrying out a separate financial assessment. If you do not wish to disclose financial information you will be asked to sign to confirm that you will pay the cost of services. The financial assessment will look at your assets and savings. The house you live in is not included in the assessment. If you have savings over £ 22,250 you will be required to pay the full cost for services. Services such as Meals on Wheels, Careline and Transport services to day centres have a flat rate charge and are paid by all who receive the service Domiciliary Care Providers - Click for listCharges for non-residential services - click for detailsFairer Charging Policy - Explains how financial assessments are carried out, what is considered during the assessment and what is disregarded - click for detailsIf you and the person you care for are considering a move to full time residential care you will find sources of information and support in the Planning for the Future section of the pathway. Care Homes Resource Directory - Lists local Care Homes registered with CSCI, those with contracts with ASCH and also the funding levels ASCH will pay for homes - click for documentCharges for residential care - Explains how financial assessments are carried out, what is considered during the assessment and what is disregarded - click for documentYour Choice in Care - Describes what to consider when choosing a care home, how Care Assessments are carried out, who is eligible for funded care and the level of care a person has the right to expect - click for document
To obtain aids, equipment or adaptations to the home, you will need to request an Occupational Therapy assessment from Adult Social Care and Health. To do this ring the Contact Centre (see bottom of page). They will refer your details to the OT department, who will contact you within three working days to conduct an initial assessment, by phone or by sending you a form to complete. If, after the initial assessment, a person is not eligible for services, they will be provided with alternative sources of information about how to obtain aids and equipment. All other assessments will be processed using the departments '4 level Assessment Process - click here for information Equipment (anything that is not permanently fixed to the property) - These can be provided by the team, or people can chose to purchase this themselves after advice from them. Direct Payments can be used to purchase equipment, if it is assessed as needed. However, this will only cover the value of standard equipment, the extra must be paid for anything more expensive. An assessment will not provide funds to pay for any equipment already purchased. The team can advise where to purchase equipment locally Adaptations (permanent changes to the home - ranging from minor fittings to major installations and property extensions) - Minor Adaptations costing under £400 such as a stair rail or grab rails needed for hospital discharge can be completed within 48 hours if necessary. Most jobs will take between 7-56 working days. Major Adaptations (over £400) are funded on a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which is subject to a financial test of resources. You will be asked to complete a Provisional Test of Resources form. This form will calculate any contribution you may have to make towards the cost of the adaptation. If it turns out that you will need to fund the full cost of the adaptation, you can still get advice and support from the Occupational Therapist and the Technical Officer in deciding what adaptations will meet your needs How a Direct Payment Request is processed Direct Payments - Frequently Asked Questions Direct Payments can be paid to people who have had Community Care Assessment and have been assessed as requiring personal and social care needs. Instead of Social Services putting in services, you are provided with money to buy support. This enables people to have more control and choice over the way their needs are met. People who take up Direct Payments can decide how, when and by whom their support will be provided. This might be by employing their own personal assistant, the Direct Payments team will provide advice and support to do this. Carers who do not live with their Cared For person can be paid for their care through Direct Payments. If you already have a Care Manager, speak to them about accessing Direct Payments. The Carer's Centre hold a Direct Payment Drop In session on the first Wednesday of each month between 10:00am and 12:00noon. These sessions are for those wanting more information or those already using Direct Payments If you wish to request an assessment you can do so via the Contact Centre Advisors (Social Services) who are on duty from 9:00am-5:00OUT OF HOURS SERVICE - 0345 0500 148/0845 0500 148 - Operates 5pm to 9am Mon to Thurs, 4:30pm Friday to 9am Monday and all day on Bank Holidays. A Contact Centre advisor takes calls, refers to Emergency Duty Social Worker. They will then ring and give advice and guidance, refer to other services or visit. They can be contacted by telephone on (01744) 456600, e-mail to contactcentre@sthelens.gov.uk or personal visit to the Contact Centre, Wesley house, Corporation Street, St. Helens WA10 1HF. The information they will require will be: Name, address and Tel. No. Marital status Who you live with Type of property, owned or rented GP and any hospital doctors currently providing treatment The type of care given and/or received What type of services you would like to access You can ring the Contact Centre or a Carer Support Worker will do this for you. We recommend that you ask the following questions when you telephone; Who are you speaking to How long before assessment carried out Which team is the referral being given to The name of the Care Manager After an assessment you should receive a Care plan, which you will sign once you are happy with the assessment. You can challenge any of the findings, and we will support you to do so. EMERGENCY SUPPORT Emergency Duty Team - 0845 050 0148 - Social Work Service operates outside normal office hours (Mon-Fri 5pm to 9am, and all day Sat, Sun and Bank Hols). Operator will pass details given to the Emergency Duty Social Worker, who will then telephone the caller to discuss the problems they face, and agree on a course of actionCrisis Resolution Team - Provide out of hours service for Mental Health Service Users and Carers - 677153 RAPID RESPONSE TEAM - 01744 621724 - A service for 18+ age group operating between 10am and 8pm 365 days a year. The team have to respond to referrals within 2 hours. Suitable if Cared for experience sudden illness and then need support to stay at home, also suitable if main Carer suddenly became unable to care e.g. rushed to hospital with heart attack. Services offered will include home care, overnight care, residential or nursing placements. Support available for 7 days on this scheme, with no cost. After this time usual assessment criteria apply. Referral can come from GP, including Rota, or other medical or Social Care staff. Whilst every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information provided to Carers, St.Helens Carers Centre do not undertake any liability for any error or omission. The products and services listed are not necessarily endorsed or recommended by St.Helens Carers Centre |
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