Community Care

*Please note that the content of this section is being reviewed and may change

What is Social Care?

Social Care aims to enable people to live safely in the community whether this is in their own home, a specialist home, a residential home, a nursing home or in the home of other families. Under Social Care arrangements, Cheshire Social Services assesses the needs of people and arranges for the provision of social care services considered necessary to meet these needs.

Who can get Social Care Services?

Community Care Services may be made available to all of the following:

People who are over 65 years and in need of assistance.
Social care services are available for carers.
People over the age of 18 whom:
Have a disability (physical, sensory or learning disability).
Have mental health problems.
Have a drug or alcohol related problem.

Support is also available to those who care for someone who falls within one of the above categories.

Priority has to be given to people most at risk, particularly people who live alone and are vulnerable, and people who could not cope without support from others including their regular carers.

Who provides Social Care?

Many people and organisations play a part:

Individuals, particularly neighbours, friends and relatives;
Public organisations, such as Cheshire East Council, the Health Services and District/ Borough Council Housing Departments;
Specialist organisations or voluntary organisations and other local community groups, like Age Concern, MIND, MENCAP and local disability groups;
Housing Associations and independent sector providers.

Social Care encourages all these different people and organisations to work together to provide the essential support the people and their carers need.

What Social Care Services are available?

Firstly, it is necessary to decide what sort of needs exists and then look at how these needs can best be met. Local service solutions are always explored first. The main services which individual's access are either arranged by the local authority via a Care Manager or are arranged by the individual via a Care Manager. They may also be arranged by the individual via a Direct Payment. These will include:

Services for people in their own homes:

Advice and support with personal and family problems.
Care4CE run a range of services and centres providing support in your home and at external centres as well as respite care.
Home care provides personal care and help with essential domestic tasks.

Contact the community nurse or health visitor to support you with medical and nursing needs

A trained and approved carer to help or assist your regular carer by coming to your home - see Family Based Care.
Equipment to help you to be more independent or to assist your carers to look after you.
Adapting your home to allow you to get to and use facilities such as toilet, bedroom and bathroom.
Contacting the housing agencies to look into moving to specially adapted accommodation or housing with a warden, provided by a District/Borough Council or Registered Social Landlord.

Services for people outside their own homes:

Participating in activities provided through a day service which will help you towards regaining your independence.
Participating in activities provided in an individuals own home by a carer who is trained and approved to care for you. We call this Family Based Care.
Care in a family based carer's own home, whether for short or long term as part of the Family Based Care Service.

Direct Payments

You may be assessed as needing Community Care Services to help you live independently in your own home but prefer to arrange these for yourself. Support is available to you to make such arrangements.

How can I find out what Community Care Services are available?

Get in touch with your local Access Team for further information on Social Care Services.

Information is also available from Cheshire County Council Information Points in Libraries, from Health Service points - e.g. your doctor's surgery, hospitals or health centres. It can also be obtained at the District Council Housing Department offices and local disability groups.

What happens next?

Some people will need straightforward information and advice, or practical services. These will be provided as quickly as possible.

Other people may need more support. To decide what you need, someone from Social Services, usually a Social Worker or an Occupational Therapist carries out an assessment of your circumstances. If your needs are mainly to do with your health, this assessment will be undertaken by your doctor or another health professional such as a community nurse. On some occasions your needs will be assessed jointly by a health worker and social worker and possibly housing and education because you may need help from more than one organisation.

An assessment involves a discussion and agreement about your social, health care and housing needs. You may choose or need to have a friend, relative or advocate with you.

Will I have to pay for Community Care Services?

Except in an emergency we will tell you the cost of services before you get them.

Charges for services vary:

Some services are free – health services, advice and information, and visits by Social Services’ social workers for example;
For others, people pay on a sliding scale according to their means, for instance care in a residential or nursing home, day care, home care.

Is my choice of services limited?

There are thresholds applied to the costs of support to individuals. This may vary depending on the immediate needs of each person. However, you will have as much choice as possible about the kind of services and who provides them, within this amount.

You and your family might decide to choose care that is more expensive than Cheshire East Council, Social Services can pay, and you may decide to commit the difference. There is a mechanism for this to happen.

What if I am unhappy about the arrangements?

You can ask the person who carried out the assessment or their manager to reconsider it. Please ask who the manager is if you do not know already. Alternatively, you can contact your local Social Care Team and ask for information about making a complaint, comment or appeal.

If you are still unhappy, you can make a formal written complaint. If the concern is about Cheshire East Council, Social Services please read our complaints procedure.

Community Care Standards

The Community Care Standards sets out performance standards that users of community care services can expect.

When you first contact the Department, or ask for a full assessment, a response will be given depending on the urgency of the situation. For example, the most urgent situations will receive a response within one working day:

When we carry out an assessment, we will agree with you how long this will take – normally it will be completed within a month (sooner if you are in hospital);
We will provide you with a written copy of your agreed care plan;
We will review the care plan at the end of a six week period after services have started. After that, we will agree a review date with you at least once a year.

In addition, we will:

Treat everyone fairly;
Treat each person as an individual;
Pay attention to your needs and the needs of anyone who cares for you;
Respect your privacy and confidence - the only exceptions being in situations where there is an overriding need to protect you from harm;
Make it easy for you to make a complaint if you are not happy with what we have done or not done.