Adult Social Care is about supporting adults of all ages, disabilities and backgrounds to be independent, healthy, safe and well. Your care and support should enable you to live your life and do the things that are important to you as independently as possible.
If you are 18 or over and living with a disability or a long-term condition, learning disability or autism, you may be eligible for assistance from social care services.
Additionally, if you have mental health needs, are an older person, or you’re recovering from hospital treatment, these services can support you in living a happy and fulfilling life.
Social care is different from the support you may receive from the NHS and is usually provided in your home, care home or in your community.
There are different forms of social care including:
- personal care
- residential care
- reablement and
- day care services
To receive support from your local authority you will need to complete an assessment where you can talk about what’s important to you and the support you may need.
If you need support for yourself, this is called a care and support assessment. After this assessment you can decide whether to access council services or not.
If you provide care for someone else, you may wish to complete a carers assessment to explore any support you may need.
The information you provide on your assessment will determine if your needs can be met with local authority support. At this point, your local authority will work with you to develop a personal care plan.
Unlike health care, social care isn’t always free. A financial assessment will determine whether you qualify for free social care or need to contribute towards the cost of your care. Most people pay for some or all of their care costs.
Your local authority is here to support you through each and every step of your adult social care journey. There’s lots of information, advice and guidance available to help you stay well and independent. This includes social support in your community alongside organisations, resources and equipment that can help you in your day-to-day life.