Getting a care needs assessment

If everyday things are becoming harder, whether that is washing, dressing, cooking, getting about or simply feeling safe at home, please do not struggle on alone. The first step to getting help is a care needs assessment from the council. It is free, anyone who seems to need support can have one, and it is the gateway to the right kind of help to keep you living as independently as possible. Here is how it works.

What it is, and who can have one

A care needs assessment is a free assessment, carried out by Derbyshire County Council's adult social care team, of the help you need with day-to-day life. Anyone who appears to need care or support is entitled to one, whatever your income or savings, because the assessment itself is free and is not means-tested.

You can ask for one for yourself, or for someone you are worried about, with their agreement, and you do not need a referral from your GP or anyone else.

How to ask for one

Contact Derbyshire County Council's adult social care team on Call Derbyshire, 01629 533190. You just need to explain what you are finding difficult, and they will take it from there.

What happens in the assessment

Someone from the council, usually a social worker, will talk with you, normally at home, about how you are managing day to day and what is becoming hard. They will look at things like washing and dressing, eating and drinking, moving around safely, looking after your home, staying safe, and keeping in touch with people, as well as how you are feeling and what you would like to be able to do.

It is a conversation rather than a test, and they consider you as a whole person. You are very welcome to have a family member or friend with you, and if you would find it hard to take part on your own and have no one to speak up for you, the council must arrange an independent advocate to help.

What happens next

After the assessment, the council decides whether your needs meet the national eligibility rules. If they do, the council must help to meet them, and you will be given a care and support plan setting out how, along with a personal budget, which is the amount your care will cost.

You can choose how that care is arranged. The council can organise it for you, or you can take the money as direct payments and arrange your own, for example employing a carer you choose yourself, or you can have a mix of the two. Even if your needs are not found to be eligible, the council should still give you advice and point you towards other help.

Will I have to pay? The financial assessment

This part is separate from the needs assessment, and it is worth understanding. While the assessment of your needs is free, help with care usually is not, so the council carries out a financial assessment to work out whether, and how much, you contribute.

As a rough guide, if you have savings and capital above £23,250 you will usually pay the full cost. Below £14,250 you will not pay anything from your savings, only from your income. Between the two, there is a sliding contribution. If you are being cared for in your own home, the value of your home is not counted, and you are always left with a set amount of income to live on.

You may have heard about a cap on care costs and higher thresholds that were planned a while ago. Those were scrapped, so the figures above are the ones that apply now.

Free help first to get you back on your feet

If you have had a fall, an illness or a spell in hospital, you may first be offered free short-term support, called reablement or intermediate care, to help you regain your independence, usually for up to six weeks. We have a separate guide on coming home from hospital.

Equipment and changes to your home

Sometimes a few simple aids make all the difference, such as grab rails or a raised toilet seat, and these are often provided free after an assessment by an occupational therapist. For bigger changes, such as a level-access shower, you may be able to get a Disabled Facilities Grant through your district council.

If you will be paying for your own care

Even if your savings mean you will fund your own care, you are still entitled to a needs assessment and to free advice and information, and the council can arrange the care for you if you would like, sometimes for a small fee. It is well worth having the assessment anyway, as it helps you understand all your options.

Support for the person who cares for you

If a husband, wife, family member or friend helps to look after you, they are entitled to a carer's assessment in their own right, which looks at their needs and wellbeing and what support would help them. Derbyshire Carers Association offers advice and a friendly ear to carers across the area.

If you are not happy with the outcome

If you disagree with the council's decision, you can ask for it to be reviewed, and you can make a complaint. Free, independent advice from Citizens Advice or Independent Age can help you understand your rights and put your case.

Where to get help, locally and nationally

Close to home, across Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire:

• Call Derbyshire, on 01629 533190, to request a care needs assessment and to arrange care.
• Derbyshire Carers Association, for support if you care for someone.
• Your district council, for a Disabled Facilities Grant towards home adaptations: Chesterfield Borough Council, Bolsover District Council, or North East Derbyshire District Council.

Across the country:

• Citizens Advice, for free advice. For Bolsover and North East Derbyshire, call 0808 250 5702, and for the Chesterfield Borough area, find your local office at citizensadvice.org.uk.
• Independent Age, on 0800 319 6789, for free advice and factsheets on care and on paying for care.
• GOV.UK, for information on care and support and on being assessed.