Social Care Assessment

To receive social care and support there is a two part assessment process:

1. Social care assessment of your care and support needs
2. Financial assessment to decide if you need to contribute towards the cost of your social care

The assessment puts you at the centre of the process. It focuses on:

• What is going well for you, your strengths, as well as any difficulties you may be facing
• What you want to achieve and the solutions that fit your needs and your life
• Understanding what kind of support you need and how best to arrange that support
• Your eligibility for support or funding from us, or from other organisations we work with. The national eligibility threshold is used to do this

Am I eligible?

There are three criteria, which all must be met for a person’s needs to be eligible for care and support:

1. If a person’s needs are due to a physical or mental impairment or illness
2. The extent a person’s needs affect their ability to achieve two or more specified outcomes*
3. Whether and to what extent this impacts on the person’s wellbeing

*The two or more specified outcomes which help determine eligibility are:

• Managing and maintaining nutrition
• Managing personal hygiene
• Managing toilet needs
• Being appropriately clothed
• Being able to make use of the home safely
• Managing a habitable home environment
• Developing and maintaining family or other personal relationships
• Accessing and engaging in work, training, education or volunteering
• Making use of facilities or services in the local community. For example, public transport and recreational facilities
• Carrying out caring responsibilities a parent has for a child

What if I don't meet the criteria for adult social care?

We will still be able to give you information and advice. We can direct you to to universal services as well as prevention services provided by the council and other partner organisations.

Support is available to people who have had a social care assessment and those who receive support from other agencies. Information on welfare benefits is available here.

If you have had a social care assessment

If you or someone you care for is assessed for adult social care support you will be contacted by a Welfare Benefits Officer. This is part of the social care assessment process. If this doesn’t happen automatically please contact the Adults Front of House Service: 0300 555 0055.

The Welfare Benefits Officer will:

• help you claim any benefits you are entitled to
• if appropriate, carry out a financial assessment to work out how much, if anything, you should pay towards the cost of your support.

If you haven't had a social care assessment

The Welfare Rights Service can provide information and advice on benefit entitlement, and benefit checks. We can also help to resolve disputes and appeals.

Please contact our advice line for further support. The number to call is 01384 815002, available Tuesdays and Thursdays 9.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 4.30pm.

We also provide training about welfare benefits. This is available to services within Dudley Council and external agencies within the borough that provide support to vulnerable adults.

You can also find out more information on our Dudley Community Information Directory.

You can also call the Adults Front of House Service: 0300 555 0055