Website and telephone payments Sunday 19 May
Our website and telephone payment systems are unavailable between 9am and 2pm on Sunday 19 May. You will not be able to pay for any council services on our website or over the phone during this time.
Many people, either through disability or after an accident or illness, find they need a little help regaining abilities or maintaining independence.
If you have a disability or have been in an accident, been ill, or you have found you are not managing we may be able to support you regain abilities and maintain your independence.
An assessment means having a conversation about you and your life. We will talk with you about your current situation, the effect this might have on your wellbeing and the outcomes you want to achieve. This helps us to understand what your needs are and how help you plan for your future.
During the conversation, we will talk to you about information and advice, which may help you manage your needs and maintain your independence, including information about services available in your community to help prevent, reduce and delay.
After the conversation has taken place, a decision can then be made about whether you have eligible needs and if you are entitled to care and support arranged by the local authority. This criteria is used by adult social care services nationally and is set by the Government.
A person will have eligible needs if they meet all of the following criteria:
We will tell you about our decision, explain our reasoning and provide you with copies of both the assessment and eligibility determination.
You are entitled to have support to meet your needs from the local authority if:
If you have eligible needs, and you want the local authority’s help to meet them, then we (the authority) will help to develop a care and support plan with you.
We will discuss whether you will need to pay towards the cost of support. This depends on your income and savings and is determined through a financial assessment.
Whether you are eligible or not, we will give you advice and information about what support is available in the community to help you.
This could be help from local charities or voluntary organisations. We may also be able to provide you with Telecare or other equipment to help you to stay independent.
If your needs change, you can always ask for a reassessment. To do this, either speak to your social care worker or contact us.