Personal care in the home

Children and adults who have difficulties with personal care – for example washing, dressing and feeding, may be entitled to help.

You have the right to a Community Care Assessment from your local Social Services Department. This Assessment will determine the amount of help/support that will be provided to the carer and or the individual. Social services can also assess your needs for equipment and adaptations to your home.

Support to meet your care needs may be provided by council employees or companies contracted by the council . Alternatively you can be offered ‘direct payments’. In the Direct Payment scheme you (the person with care needs) employ your own carers.

Various welfare benefit payments may be available to help with care.

Community Care Assessments

If a person needs support, their local authority social services department should carry out a community care assessment. If this assessment shows that the person needs certain services, the local authority has a duty to ensure that these services are provided.

Under the NHS and Community Care Act 1990, local authority social services departments are responsible for assessing the needs of people who may need care services to enable them to carry on living at home. Services can also include care in a care home if that seems to be the best option. The social services department must arrange any services that the assessment concludes are needed.

Services often include: equipment and adaptations; meals on wheels; home care; respite care; day care; care in a care home.

Services may be provided directly by social services or arranged through other agencies, such as health or housing departments, or voluntary or private organisations.

Some services, such as community nursing, are arranged through the GP, either directly or after discussion with social services.

Contact your local social services to find out about Community Care assessment in your area.

Direct payments

Direct Payments are cash payments made instead of social service provisions to individuals who have been assessed as needing services.

They can be made to disabled people aged 16 or over, to people with parental responsibility for disabled children, and to carers aged 16 or over in respect of carer services.

The aim of a direct payment is to give more flexibility in how services are provided to many individuals who are assessed eligible for social services support. By giving individuals money in lieu of social care services people have greater choice and control over their lives, and are able to make their own decisions about how their care is delivered.

The National Centre for Independent Living provides advice about direct payments. You can visit its website at: www.ncil.org.uk

Benefits

For advice on benefits contact the:

• Benefit Enquiry Line on Freephone 0800 882200
• Disability Information Advice Lines Service on 01302 310123

You can also access the Disability Information and Advice Line website at: www.dialuk.info or read the information on the Government website www.direct.gov.uk/disability