Social Services plays an important part in providing people with services to enable them to be safe and independent. We can provide:
- Information about community care services
- An assessment of needs
- Practical help for some people
Before providing or arranging help we always carry out an assessment. Anyone who is disabled due to
- A physical impairment
- A sensory impairment
- A learning difficulty
- Mental health problems
- Drug or alcohol misuse
- Any long term illness (including HIV /AIDS) which has a substantial impact on abilities to carry out tasks of daily living
can ask for an assessment of their needs and information about the kind of services that may be available to help them. Our information sheet 'A Handy Guide to Community Care’ explains how to get an assessment.
Carers who provide a substantial amount of care on a regular basis are also entitled to an assessment.
Domestic Cleaning
We do not generally provide cleaning help when this is a person's only requirement for assistance.
Eligibility Criteria
We have a limited budget and cannot provide or arrange services for everyone who asks. We therefore have eligibility criteria which concentrates help on those most in need.
We will not generally provide or arrange services for people who have savings over our saving threshold.
We also have eligibility criteria based on Fair Access to Care Services which is government guidance requiring all Councils to use the same framework for deciding which adults are eligible to receive community care services such as home care. The idea behind the national framework is to ensure that there is greater fairness in services provided to adults across the country.
The government has put needs into four bands that reflect the severity of risk to a person’s health and safety or independence if these needs are not met :-
| Critical |
Substantial |
Moderate |
Low |
In Bath and North East Somerset we have decided that we can afford to help all those people who have needs within the critical or substantial band.
The government framework is set out below:-
Critical risk to independence
- Risk is present now or may occur within one week
- Life is and/or could be threatened
- Major health problems have developed and/or are likely to develop
- Serious forms of abuse or neglect have occurred or are likely to develop.
- There is, or could be, an extensive loss of choice and control over vital aspects of the immediate environment.
- There is, or could be, an inability to carry out essential personal care, domestic, family or other daily routines.
- Vital social support systems and relationships are, or could be, at great risk.
- Individuals cannot undertake, or will be unlikely to be able to undertake, vital family and social roles and responsibilities that are important to them and other.
- Critical risk to your carer’s ability to sustain any of the essential/critical aspects of their caring role.
Substantial risk to independence
Risk is present now or may occur in the next three months.
- There is, or could be, some substantial loss of choice and control over the immediate environment.
- Involvement in some substantial aspects of work, education or learning is, or could be, at risk of not being sustained, causing substantial risks to your independence.
- There is, or could be, an inability to carry out some personal care, domestic or other daily routines, causing substantial risk to your independence.
- Individuals cannot undertake or will be unlikely to be able to undertake, some substantial family and social roles and responsibilities that are important to them and others.
- Substantial risk to your carer’s ability to sustain some key aspects to their caring role.
- Substantial health problems have developed or are likely to develop.
- Involvement in work, education and learning is, or could be, at great risk of not being sustained, causing a major loss of independence.
Moderate risk to independence
Risk is present now or likely to arise in the next six months.
- Several aspects of work, education or learning are, or could be, at risk of not being sustained, causing a degree of risk to your independence.
- There is, or could be, some inability to carry out several daily routines, causing a level of risk to your independence.
- Several social support systems and relationships are, or could be, at risk.
- Individuals cannot undertake or will be unlikely to be able to undertake, several family and social roles and responsibilities, leading to a level of risk to your independence.
- Moderate risk to your carer’s ability to sustain some aspects of their caring role.
Low risk to independence
Risk is present now or likely to occur in the next twelve months
- There is, or could be, some inability to carry out one or two personal care or daily routines.
- One or two social support systems and relationships are, or could be, at risk of not being sustained.
- Individuals cannot undertake or will be unlikely to be able to undertake, one or two family and social roles and responsibilities.
- Low risk to your carer’s ability to sustain some aspects of their caring role.
If your needs are assessed as Moderate or Low, we will not be able to provide or arrange services for you. However, we will give you advice and information to help you find support from elsewhere.
What Should I Do If I Am Not Satisfied
You should always be given a copy of your assessment and care/service plan. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your assessment, please discuss with the person who is working with you, they will provide you with more information about how the decision about eligibility was reached.
If you remain unhappy, you can make a formal complaint, please ask for a copy of our leaflet - ‘How To Comment On or Complain about Social and Housing Services’.
For further information, or to ask for an assessment, please contact your nearest Social Services Office:
| Bath
The Guildhall, High Street, Bath.
Tel: 01225 396000
Mobile No. (Text only) 07980 998948 |
Midsomer Norton
The Hollies
High Street
Midsomer Norton, Bath. BA3 2DP
Tel: 01225 477000 |
ack to List of Adult Care Leaflets
also available to print out in pdf
Eligibility Assessment pdf 48kb
| This information can be made available in a range of languages, large print, Braille, on tape, electronic and accessible formats. Contact the Information Officer on 01225 477983, Minicom 01225 477043 or email information_officer@bathnes.gov.uk |