n Care and Support for Adults

A needs assessment is a conversation between you (or the person you look after if you are a carer) and a member of staff either from the council or another organisation that the council works with. You will be able to talk about your care and support needs and the goals you want to achieve.

We will use the assessment to plan your care and support needs, and to discuss how these could be met. This may take the form of a council service or put you in touch with other organisations, such as voluntary, faith and community group, who may be able to give you the support you need, help you keep well and live independently.

The national eligibility threshold consists of three criteria, which must ALL be met for your needs to be eligible. The eligibility threshold is based on identifying: • whether your needs are due to a physical or mental impairment or illness • to what extent your needs affect your ability to achieve two or more specified outcomes • and whether and to what extent this impacts on your wellbeing.

If you do have needs caused by physical or mental impairment or illness, we must consider whether the effect of your needs is that you are unable to achieve two or more of the following specified outcomes: • managing and maintaining nutrition • maintaining personal hygiene • managing toilet needs • being appropriately clothed • being able to make use of the adult’s home safely • maintaining a habitable home environment • developing and maintaining family or other personal relationships • accessing and engaging in work, training, education or volunteering • making use of necessary facilities or services in the local community including public transport and recreational facilities or services • carrying out any caring responsibilities the adult has for a child

If you are unable to achieve two or more of these outcomes we must also look at whether these have a significant impact on your wellbeing to determine your eligibility.

Following your adult needs assessment we will inform you about our decision and explain why that decision has been made.

If you have eligible needs, we will contact you to discuss what help might be available. This will be based on the information you gave us during your assessment. As far as possible the council will agree your care and support plan with you.

If you do not have needs that are eligible, we will give you information and advice about what care and support is available to help you locally, this could be help from local charities or voluntary organisations.

You may wish to have someone with you during the assessment, this can be a relative, friend, neighbour or an advocate. An advocate is someone who can help people who need assistance in getting their views across. There are a number of voluntary agencies who provide advocacy services.

This booklet contains information about organisations who may be able to help and support you. Alternatively, you can contact Sefton Carers Centre Support Team for help and advice on 0151 288 6060 (Monday to Friday, 9am – 4.30pm) or visit The Sefton Directory at: www.seftondirectory.co.uk

As a carer you may be eligible for support whether or not the adult for whom you care for has eligible needs. The eligibility determination will be made based on your needs and how these impact on their wellbeing. The determination should be made without consideration of whether or not the adult the carer cares for, has eligible needs.

In considering whether your needs as a carer are eligible, we must also consider whether your needs for support arise as a consequence of providing necessary care for an adult.

Your needs for support must be because you are providing care and that care must be deemed to be ‘necessary’. For example, if you are providing care and support for needs which the adult is capable of meeting themselves, you may not be providing necessary support. If that were the case we will provide information and advice about how the person being cared for can use their own strengths or services available in the community to meet their needs.

If the carer does have needs caused by providing necessary care we will consider whether: • the carer’s physical or mental health is, or is at risk of, deteriorating; or • because of their caring role, the carer is unable to achieve any one or more of the following specified outcomes: • carrying out any caring responsibilities • providing care to other persons for whom the carers provides care • maintaining a habitable home environment in the carer’s home • managing and maintaining nutrition • developing and maintaining family or other personal relationships • engaging in work, training, education or volunteering • making use of necessary facilities or services in the local community • engaging in recreation activities

If you are unable to achieve two or more of these outcomes we must also decide if there is likely to be a significant impact on your wellbeing to determine your eligibility.

We will then make a decision as to what care and support, if any, you may need.

Following your carers needs assessment we will inform you about our decision and give you reasons to explain what we have decided.

If you have eligible needs, we will contact you to discuss what help might be available. This will be based on the information you gave us during your assessment. As far as possible the Council will agree your care and support plan with you.

If you do not have needs that are eligible, we will give you information and advice about what care and support is available to help you locally, this could be help from local charities or voluntary organisations.

The Sefton Directory is full of useful information on a wide range of services and opportunities to keep you and your family active and healthy. You can access information at: www.seftondirectory.co.uk