What happens when you need our support?
When you contact us we may carry out an assessment of your needs.
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Assessments
An assessment is a conversation with you to find out more about the types of things that you might need help with. Assessments start at the point someone contacts us and can take place over the telephone or in your own home. You can ask a family member, carer or friend to be present at your assessment. You can also get help from organisations who offer to speak on your behalf and provide advocacy support.
At your assessment we will ask you questions about how you manage with everyday tasks such as:
- Getting washed and dressed
- Making and eating meals
- Moving around your home safely
- Accessing the community and using local services.
We will also find out about any support you may already have in place. We use national criteria about care and support throughout your assessment to determine if you qualify for some help from us.
If you are entitled to help, we will work out how much money is needed to support your needs. You may be required to pay a contribution towards the cost of your support. You can find out more about what we need to look at in our information about having a financial assessment.
An occupational therapy assessment is when we assess your functional needs, such as moving around your home, getting up, getting into and out of bed and cooking. After this assessment we may be able to provide adaptations such as grab rails, stair lifts, raised toilet and bath seats, ramps, and wet rooms or bathrooms.
Some of the equipment may be free but you may have to pay for others. You may be able to get some financial help through a disabled facilities grant for other adaptations.
If you are over 18 and look after someone, you now have a right to have a carers assessment if you appear to need support.
Support planning
We together will then write a support plan which will tell us:
- What your support needs are.
- Who will provide your support to meet these needs.
- How much your support will cost.
You can write your plan yourself, with the help of a family member or carer, or with our help.
Elsewhere on the web
Information on best practice in support planning and brokerage
Reviewing your support
Where people are in receipt of services we will periodically review their circumstances on a planned basis. This will be proportionate to the stability and complexity of the individual’s circumstances.
Unplanned reviews can also be initiated when circumstances change. We will then respond to these in a timely way, based on the presenting risks.
Urgent needs will be immediately addressed. We need to make sure your support reflects your needs and we will discuss any changes before they are made. This could include receiving more or less support.