Article: Adult Social Services - how to get help Article Body Getting Help from Adult Social Services If you or the person you care for has a disability, a mental health problem, hearing or sight loss or is older and having difficulties managing with daily living tasks it is important to contact Adult Social Services to find out about the full range of help available. You may be having problems with getting out of bed, getting dressed, going to the toilet, getting out and about in your community and need advice or support to remain independent and safe. For those who are in need of the most help we can arrange to carry out an assessment to find out more about your circumstances. An assessment is a discussion with you to determine the kind of help and support that you may need. You may wish to have someone such as a family member or friend with you at your assessment. The assessment takes into account: • Your health and safety • How independent you are • Your ability to manage daily living tasks • The support you receive from other people, family or friends who are providing you with regular help with daily living tasks (carers) It is your right to ask for an assessment of your needs. The assessment will also find out if you qualify for help from Adult Social Services in arranging and paying for your care, based on your needs. The Government provides Adult Social Services departments with guidance to decide who can receive help following their assessment and to make sure that people are treated fairly. This guidance is called Fair Access to Care Services. To download the criteria please click here. Fair Access To Care Services. It is applied to everybody who has an assessment. Social care, unlike health care is not free to everyone. Services need to reach those who are in most need. In Barnsley we offer the most help to people whose needs are in the 'critical' or 'substantial' bands of the guidance. If you qualify for support at this level you will have the option of a personal budget from the Council to arrange and manage your own package of care and buy the services that you need. We will provide you with information about a personal budget at the time of your assessment. For those with 'low' or 'moderate' needs there may still be some kind of support that we can provide to prevent your situation from getting any worse, for example: • Follow the link to the webpage Telecare community alarms • Follow the link to the webpage A piece of equipment or a minor adaptation to your property If you don't qualify for help we can provide you with a list of the many organisations and services in the borough that offer help to people to live as independently as possible in their local community. Follow this link for details of voluntary and private providers of adult social care services. Voluntary Action Barnsley lists details of community organisations on their website vabarnsley.org.uk Here are some of the ways in which services in your community may be able to help: • You could have a volunteer to help take you out or transport to take you to the library, a class or club. • You could visit a local leisure centre to take part in activities aimed at people who are older or have a disability. • You could join local classes and groups, for example those run by charities such as Age Concern and MIND. If you are providing care for a relative or friend on a regular basis because they need some help with daily living tasks then you are a 'carer'. You can contact Adult Social Services for information to help you in your caring role and can ask for an assessment of your needs as a carer. Carers are entitled to an assessment in their own right, independent of the person they are caring for. You can find out more about contacting Adult Social Services and read about our standards for care and support services by clicking on the the link to the Adult Social Services Our Commitment to You leaflet. You can also pick up a copy at any Barnsley Connects Service Centre. Paying for Services Adult social services will provide you with information and advice regardless of your financial circumstances and it is your right to ask for an assessment no matter what your ability is to pay for any care that you may be entitled to. If you qualify for help it is likely that you will have to pay some money towards the cost of your services, depending on your financial situation. This will be worked out with you as part of your assessment. You can ask for advice and assistance with benefits claims at the time of your assessment or you can follow the link to the Welfare Rights web pages. If you do not qualify for help because your needs have been assessed as 'low' or 'moderate' or if you do not want to be assessed you may want to make your own arrangements with a private care provider. Adult social services can provide you with details of services, for example home care agencies, that are registered with the Care Quality Commission. The Council has reviewed the way that we decide how much customers pay towards the cost of their adult social services. A new Contributions Policy and new charges for services are being implemented from 1st July 2011. You can download a copy of the full report to Council that sets out the changes by clicking on the link below. Adult Social Services Contributions Policy Report Useful leaflets for you to download: About adult social care and support service, assessments and what's involved and Personal Budgets: Your Guide to Adult Social Care Services Fair Access to Care Services Your Assessment Paying for Services Planning your Support Managing the Money for your Support Useful Contacts For people using their Personal Budget to employ a personal assistant: Being an Employer Contracting with Someone on a Self Employed Basis Contacting Adult Social Services You can write to, telephone or call in at your nearest Adult Social Services Locality Team you can follow the link to the Adult Social Services contacts and addresses to find out where they are located. You can also call in person at any of the Barnsley Council Connects Service Centres and ask them to put you in touch with somebody from Adult Social Services follow the link to their webpage Barnsley Connects locations for details of opening times. Or telephone (01226) 775656. If you prefer, you can ask a relative or friend to contact us on your behalf. The Social Care Record Guarantee The Social Care Record Guarantee was launched by the National Information Governance Office for Health and Social Care in 2009. It explains how the personal information that you provide to us is used and what controls you have over this. To read more you can download a copy by following this weblink The Social Care Record Guarantee The Care Quality Commission The Care Quality Commission is responsible for making sure that social care services in England are as good as they can be. Their website contains lots of useful information about finding the right care service for you. They regulate and inspect adult social care services and award a quality rating for based on their findings. You can download inspection reports from their website www.cqc.org.uk . Health Care Information For information about healthcare services and NHS Barnsley log onto barnsley.nhs.uk