Assessing your needs

If you are finding it difficult to cope independently, you can ask Social Services for help.  A worker from Social Services will discuss your needs and arrange to meet you to find out more about your needs and situations. This is called a ‘community care assessment'; and is usually done within you own home. We will gather information about you, listen carefully to your views, and respect your wishes about confidentiality. After this, we will make a decision on which of your needs we can meet and discuss with you the services we may be able to provide to meet your needs.

Deciding your eligibility

We use eligibility criteria to make sure that services are provided fairly to support those people who need them most. The Department of Health has developed an eligibility criteria framework for all Social Services Departments to use when deciding who can receive a funded service from Social Care. This framework is called “Fair Access to Care Services” and is based on an individuals’ needs and the risk these pose to their ability to stay independent.

The eligibility framework is graded into four bands, which describe

the seriousness of the risk your  independence and well-being or

other consequences if needs are not addressed.

The four bands are as follows:

  • Critical risk to independence
  • Substantial risk to independence
  • Moderate risk to independence
  • Low risk to independence

In general when we provide an assessment or reassessment, we will look ahead up to six months to see if your situation is likely to change, as well as thinking about the risks you are facing at the moment. There should be a formal review of your needs annually, but if your needs substantially change, your needs would then be reviewed more frequently.

  • Waltham Forest provides funded community care services for Critical and Substantial needs only. If following your assessment of need you fall into the critical or substantial banding you will be eligible for funded care services to meet those needs that the local authority are responsible for
  • If risks are assessed as Moderate or Low, these will not be eligible for funded services
  • If we cannot provide a funded service we will still try to help you address these risks by providing advice and information about other sources of support

What the risk bandings mean

Critical  

This band includes all risks that may either threaten life or result in serious harm to you or those around you if you do not receive social care help. This includes things such as:

  • Life is, or will be, threatened; and/or
  • Significant health problems have developed or will develop; and/or
  • There is, or will be, little or no choice and control over vital aspects of the immediate environment; and/or
  • Serious abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur; and/or
  • There is, or will be, an inability to carry out vital personal care or domestic routines; and/or
  • Vital involvement in work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • Vital social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • Vital family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

Substantial

This band includes all risks that may severely reduce or limit independence and, without assistance, result in a risk of harm or injury to the person or others around them. This band includes things such as:

  • There is, or will be, only partial choice and control over the
  • immediate environment; and/or
  • Abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur; and/or
  • There is, or will be, an inability to carry out the majority of personal care or domestic routines; and/or
  • Involvement in many aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • The majority of social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • The majority of family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

Moderate

This band includes all risks that may reduce your quality of life, reduce your independence or be of some risk to your health. This includes things such as:

  • There is, or will be, an inability to carry out several personal care or domestic routines; and/or
  • Involvement in several aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • Several social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • Several family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

Low

This band includes all health, mobility and impairment needs where there are no immediate risks to health. This includes things such as:

  • There is, or will be, an inability to carry out one or two personal care or domestic routines; and/or
  • Involvement in one or two aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • One or two social support systems and relationships cannot or will not sustained; and/or
  • One or two family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

» Guide to How to get support to help you live Independently

Contact us

Tel Call 020 8496 3000 and ask for Adult Social Care

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