Get help and support with adult social care

To find out if you are eligible for support from us, we will make an assessment about your current situation. 

This assessment can be carried out by completing an online form, or if you prefer by talking to you, about how your life is affecting your wellbeing and what you want to achieve. This helps us to understand what your needs are and how we can help you plan for your future. 

We are experiencing high levels of demand, which means we may not be able to arrange an assessment as quickly as we would like. If you have contacted us and are waiting for a response, please be assured that we have received your information and will be in touch with you as soon as possible.

We will also provide you with information about how to maintain your independence, including services that are available in your community.

The government sets the criteria (rules) within the Care Act to show who has eligible needs and whether you can receive support or money from us to help with your care needs.

You will be eligible to have some of your care and support needs met if you meet all of these criteria:

• you need support due to a physical or mental impairment, or illness
• your impairment or illness means that you cannot do two or more of the outcomes specified in the regulations
• your daily life and wellbeing is significantly affected because of the things you cannot do

After your assessment, a decision will then be made about your eligibility for social care. We will explain our reasons behind the decision, and provide you with copies of the assessment and the eligibility criteria. 

Having your needs met by the council

You are entitled to have support from us if:

• you have ‘eligible’ needs
• your established home is in the local area
• one of these five situations apply to you:

1. The type of care and support you need is provided free of charge.
2. You cannot afford to pay the full cost of your care and support.
3. You ask the council to meet your needs.
4. You do not have the mental capacity, and have no one else to arrange care for you.

Your total care and support costs have exceeded the cap on care costs.

If you have eligible needs, and you want us to help meet them, we will develop a care and support plan with you.

You may need to pay towards the cost of care services that we provide to you. This will depend on your income and savings. You can complete a free financial self-assessment online to help you find out if you need to pay.

If you need care and cannot afford it, we can help. Please note that if you have savings and / or financial assets of £23,250 or more, you will be asked to pay the full cost of care yourself.

In some cases, we will provide you with a short period of free, intense care and support in your own home, such as when you leave hospital. We will then review your circumstances and discuss whether you need further help.

To find out more about the costs involved and to complete a financial assessment visit our paying for care page.