Assessing for Care and Support

The Care Act  (2014) has helped to make care and support more consistent across the country. If someone appears to need care or support because of physical or mental impairment or illness, they can request a free assessment.

Care and Support is used to describe the help some adults need to live as well as possible, with any illness or disability they may have. It may include help with things like getting out of bed, washing, dressing, getting to work, cooking meals, eating, seeing friends, caring for families, and being part of the community.

Care and support can include the help given by family and friends, as well as any help provided by us or other organisations.

An assessment for Care and Support from Adult Social Care Services is sometimes called a Social Care Needs Assessment, a Needs Assessment, or a Care Act Assessment.
 

During an Assessment

When an assessment is requested, a Social Care Assessor will contact you to start to talk about the goals you would like to achieve and how you would prefer the assessment to be carried out. Home visits can be arranged, and you can invite others to support you.
 
If you need one, we can arrange for an independent advocate if you do not have a friend or family who can be involved in your assessment.
 
During the assessment we will talk about what you can do for yourself and how you manage with everyday tasks. We will explore what support might help to improve your day-to-day life and your wellbeing, always considering what is important to you and your family.
 
We will look at how you manage everyday living tasks such as washing, going to the toilet, cooking, and cleaning. We will also look at your freedom to make choices, your safety and how much involvement you have with your family and community.
 
The information you give is confidential and we will only share it with those people who need to know about your situation to help you. We will always ask your permission before sharing that information.
 

After an Assessment

If it is decided that you are eligible for care and support, we will work with you to create a Support Plan to help you achieve your goals.
 
We can suggest services you may benefit from accessing. In some cases where we arrange care services, we will carry out a financial assessment to see if you need to pay towards them.
 
If you are considered not to be eligible for support from us, we may be able to signpost you to other local services who can help to maintain your health, wellbeing, and independence to live well at home. To access these services an assessment does not need to be completed and there are no eligibility criteria to meet.

Request an Assessment

An assessment can be requested through the Community Gateway Team, asking a professional to refer you (for example a GP) or by completing the Online Self-Assessment Form.
 
The Community Gateway Team can be contacted on 0161 922 4888 (8am - 5pm Monday to Wednesday, 8.30am to 4.30pm Thursday and 8.30am to 4pm Friday)
 

Self-Assessment

Use this option to contact us so we can look at your situation. You will be asked a series of questions about your needs, and you will need to provide us with your contact details. You can take as long as you like to complete your application - you can also save it and return to it later if you wish.