How to arrange adult social care support

If you are finding it difficult living independently at home, we can help you access adult social care and identify how you can be supported.

Who this applies to

Care and support for adults is help that some people over 18 may need to live a good life. This may be because of a disability, ill health or other problems. Help can include support with things like washing, dressing, eating, getting out and about and keeping in touch with family and friends.

We can offer support to you if you:

• are aged 18 or over
• live in Kirklees

and have care and support needs because you:

• are older or frail
• have a physical and/or learning disability
• have mental health issues
• have problems with drugs and/or alcohol.
• or you care for someone who has the above needs

Accessing care and support

There are a range of care and support services available to you, both in your local community and provided by, or on behalf of, the council.

Our aim is to support you to choose the services that best suit your needs and enable you to live as independently as possible.

Step 1 - Your needs

To access care and support you will need to have a care and support needs assessment. This can be arranged through adult social care services.

If you prefer not to phone you can do an online self-assessment of your needs through Better Care Support . This will help you find the support you need and to self-refer to social work teams. The information you give will help teams to work with you to find services that meet your care and support needs.

You'll be asked about:

• the things you can do for yourself
• the things that someone else is doing or can do for you
• what you need help to do
• anything that you would like to be able to do in the future.

This will help us to work out:

• what support you need
• whether you can access this support in your local community (often these are free services)
• what other options there are to support you such as assisted technology and/or equipment
• if you need to access any services run by us or other agencies
• how much it will cost for the support you require.

Step 2 - Paying for your care

The cost of your care and support package will depend on which services you are accessing. Some of our services are free, others are chargeable.

Most people must pay some or all the cost towards care services they receive from us. If you would like to know if we can help with the cost of your care and support, you can complete the online financial assessment or someone can support you to complete this.

This will look at things like:

• any benefits you receive
• your savings and income.

If we can help, you may have to pay for some, or all, of your care and support, you'll receive a personal budget from us.

If you are unable to receive help from us, we can advise you of other services in the community that may be available to you and could be free. We can also advise how you can fund your own support.

If you are planning to move into a care home, you may be able to take out a loan with us to help pay for your care. This could also cover any 'top up' payments, which are required if you choose care accommodation that is more expensive than your personal budget allows. Family members are also able to make 'top up' payments on your behalf.

Step 3 - Planning your care

Once we know what your needs are, and how you will pay for your care, we'll help you put together a care and support plan.

This could include things to help you:

• live well, such as adaptive equipment to make daily tasks easier or help to get out and about in the community
• stay safe around your home, such as personal safety alarms (Carephones) or a stair lift
• with your personal care, like someone to help get washed and dressed
• move home, if you are finding it difficult to live in your own home and would like to move somewhere more suitable to your care needs
• community services, that could benefit you are often free to access.

Better Care Support

If you prefer you can do a self-assessment of your care and support needs through the Better Care Support online platform.