FACTSHEET No. 33

Social Services

How to get help from Social Services

You may need help in your caring role for any number of reasons. You may be working or studying, or have other responsibilities like looking after children.

In order to get help you need to be assessed by Social Services. They have powers and duties under various Acts of Parliament, like the Community Care Act (1990), to provide help and services to adults and children who need them.

There are many different Acts of Parliament which cover services for adults, children and people in mental distress. This is a brief guide to getting help in your caring role. For more detailed information please contact the advice service.

The Social Work Teams have a Carers Support Worker who can assess your needs and carry out a Carers Assessment for you. Make sure you request an assessment of your own needs as a carer.

What is an Assessment?

An assessment is when a care manager or social worker visits to find out what sort of help an ill or disabled person needs. They will ask the person about how they manage on a daily basis, including things like their personal care, for instance washing, dressing and going to the toilet; preparing meals, getting out of the house and social activities.

What is a Carers Assessment?

You are entitled to an assessment of your needs if you provide or intend to provide ‘substantial care of a regular basis’. Substantial care used to be defined as over 14 hours. It is not so rigidly defined now but you have to be providing care on a regular basis.

You may already be caring for someone and their needs have changed, or your own circumstances have changed, for example you may wish to go to work or study. You may be caring for a disabled child as well as other children.

You may be considering becoming a carer, for example, if someone you know has had a stroke and is in hospital recovering you may want to know what help would be available after they are discharged.

If you don’t know how you will manage remember you do not have to accept someone home from hospital until you are certain you can.

Some people feel more comfortable talking to the care manager or social worker in private. It can be difficult to talk about any concerns or problems you are having in front of the person you care for. You are entitled to an assessment on your own and can request this at any time.

What happens in the assessment?

Your Carers Assessment is an opportunity for you to discuss with the Care Manager the kind of help you provide. This may include

• personal care, like washing and bathing,
• practical help, like helping someone get in and out of bed/wheelchair, cooking, shopping, helping someone organise and pay bills and do paperwork, giving medication
• emotional support like encouraging someone with a mental health condition to get up and do something with their day, pay bills or open post
• or something else altogether.

You will be able to say what things you are able to carry on doing and the things which are difficult for you to do.

• Things may be difficult because you have other responsibilities like children or a job,
• or they may be difficult because you are ill, disabled or because you can’t do everything all the time.

This is an opportunity for you to say what help would make it easier for you to manage looking after the person you care for.

Your Care Manager will write up a Care Plan for the person you care for, together with your Carers Assessment and should give you a copy. You should be given contact numbers of people who will be coming to the home and times to expect them, and the number of the Care Manager who coordinates the care plan.

You have the right to say that you do not want to be a carer. You might not want to take on the responsibility for looking after someone who has just begun to need your help; or after months or years of looking after someone, you might decide that you just cannot continue. Many carers feel that it is impossible for them to say this, but you are entitled to do so.

Direct Payments

Direct Payments are an initiative set up by the Government to help carers and disabled people have more control over their lives and achieve independence.

Instead of accepting services from the Council that you or the person you care for have been assessed as needing, you can choose to have a Direct Payment to pay for the service, which you then organise yourself. For example you or the person you care for may wish to employ someone you already know and trust rather than having a care worker from an agency or that is provided by the Council.

You can have a Direct Payment for just some of the services you have been assessed as needing, or all of them. Ask your Care Manager about Direct Payments during your assessment.

Direct Payments are not meant to be used to employ close family members, except in exceptional circumstances.

They do not affect your welfare benefits, but you must only spend them on the support you have been assessed as needing by Social Services.

Getting a Direct Payment could mean that either you or the person you care for will be employing someone directly. This means that you will have to know about employments rights, Tax and National Insurance. You may not wish to take on this responsibility.

You can get help to manage all aspects of your Direct Payments including managing the payments, dealing with financial matters like payroll and completing financial returns, so that all you have to do is find the support you need, and arrange when you need it.

In Hackney there is an organisation called the Shaw Trust which deals with all these matters. They can help you find a suitable person to provide care and also receive Direct Payments on your behalf. Ask your Social Worker for more information.

For further information about your rights as a carer see our list of helpful organisations or contact the Advice Service.

How to get help from Social Services

You may need help in your caring role for any number of reasons. You may be working or studying, or have other responsibilities like looking after children.

In order to get help you need to be assessed by Social Services. They have powers and duties under various Acts of Parliament, like the Community Care Act (1990), to provide help and services to adults and children who need them.

There are many different Acts of Parliament which cover services for adults, children and people in mental distress. This is a brief guide to getting help in your caring role. For more detailed information please contact the advice service.

The Social Work Teams have a Carers Support Worker who can assess your needs and carry out a Carers Assessment for you. Make sure you request an assessment of your own needs as a carer.

What is an Assessment?

An assessment is when a care manager or social worker visits to find out what sort of help an ill or disabled person needs. They will ask the person about how they manage on a daily basis, including things like their personal care, for instance washing, dressing and going to the toilet; preparing meals, getting out of the house and social activities.

What is a Carers Assessment?

You are entitled to an assessment of your needs if you provide or intend to provide ‘substantial care of a regular basis’. Substantial care used to be defined as over 14 hours. It is not so rigidly defined now but you have to be providing care on a regular basis.

You may already be caring for someone and their needs have changed, or your own circumstances have changed, for example you may wish to go to work or study. You may be caring for a disabled child as well as other children.

You may be considering becoming a carer, for example, if someone you know has had a stroke and is in hospital recovering you may want to know what help would be available after they are discharged.

If you don’t know how you will manage remember you do not have to accept someone home from hospital until you are certain you can.

Some people feel more comfortable talking to the care manager or social worker in private. It can be difficult to talk about any concerns or problems you are having in front of the person you care for. You are entitled to an assessment on your own and can request this at any time.

What happens in the assessment?

Your Carers Assessment is an opportunity for you to discuss with the Care Manager the kind of help you provide. This may include:

• personal care, like washing and bathing,
• practical help, like helping someone get in and out of bed/wheelchair, cooking, shopping, helping someone organise and pay bills and do paperwork, giving medication
• emotional support like encouraging someone with a mental health condition to get up and do something with their day, pay bills or open post
• or something else altogether.

You will be able to say what things you are able to carry on doing and the things which are difficult for you to do.

• Things may be difficult because you have other responsibilities like children or a job,
• or they may be difficult because you are ill, disabled or because you can’t do everything all the time.

This is an opportunity for you to say what help would make it easier for you to manage looking after the person you care for.

Your Care Manager will write up a Care Plan for the person you care for, together with your Carers Assessment and should give you a copy. You should be given contact numbers of people who will be coming to the home and times to expect them, and the number of the Care Manager who coordinates the care plan.

You have the right to say that you do not want to be a carer. You might not want to take on the responsibility for looking after someone who has just begun to need your help; or after months or years of looking after someone, you might decide that you just cannot continue. Many carers feel that it is impossible for them to say this, but you are entitled to do so.

Direct Payments

Direct Payments are an initiative set up by the Government to help carers and disabled people have more control over their lives and achieve independence.

Instead of accepting services from the Council that you or the person you care for have been assessed as needing, you can choose to have a Direct Payment to pay for the service, which you then organise yourself. For example you or the person you care for may wish to employ someone you already know and trust rather than having a care worker from an agency or that is provided by the Council.

You can have a Direct Payment for just some of the services you have been assessed as needing, or all of them. Ask your Care Manager about Direct Payments during your assessment.

Direct Payments are not meant to be used to employ close family members, except in exceptional circumstances.

They do not affect your welfare benefits, but you must only spend them on the support you have been assessed as needing by Social Services.

Getting a Direct Payment could mean that either you or the person you care for will be employing someone directly. This means that you will have to know about employments rights, Tax and National Insurance. You may not wish to take on this responsibility.

You can get help to manage all aspects of your Direct Payments including managing the payments, dealing with financial matters like payroll and completing financial returns, so that all you have to do is find the support you need, and arrange when you need it.

In Hackney there is an organisation called the Shaw Trust which deals with all these matters. They can help you find a suitable person to provide care and also receive Direct Payments on your behalf. Ask your Social Worker for more information.

For further information about your rights as a carer see our list of helpful organisations or contact the Advice Service.

Choice in Hackney

Choice In Hackney provides advocacy and independent living services to disabled people in Hackney, aged 16 and over. It is run by, and for, disabled people and supports disabled people to live independently and make choices about their own lives.

Tel: 020 7613 3206, Fax: 020 7739 8599 Email: info@choiceinhackney.org

Hackney Council

Information, help and advice on council services and complete and or print council forms.

Tel: 020 8356 3000, Fax: 020 8356 2080 E-mail: info@hackney.gov.uk

National Health Service

NHS Direct provides information and advice on health services and health problems.

NHS Direct line: 0845 4647

Community Care

A leading website in the social care sector

Consumer Direct

Consumer Direct is the government-funded telephone and online service offering information and advice on consumer issues.

Tel: 08454 04 05 06