How to get care services - care assessment

Community care services are provided to adults, and children with disabilities and their families, who need support to help them live as independently as possible, in their own homes or in a homely environment, within their community.

When you ask us for help with daily living at home, we will support you to regain and maintain your independence. We will help you recover your skills and abilities after illness, injury or increased frailty. Focusing on what you can do, rather than what you can't. This is because recovering your skills and abilities has a positive effect on your health and wellbeing.

Referral

Call us on 03456 08 12 06 if you:

  • feel you need help with living independently at home
  • are looking after someone and you feel they need help at home
  • are concerned about the welfare of a child or adult
  • feel you need help with looking after children

You can phone us, visit one of our local social work offices or email us at aberdeenshireHSCP@aberdeenshire.gov.uk. This is called a referral.

Many people get someone to help them do this.  You can give permission to a member of your family, a friend or neighbour, your doctor or anyone else to contact us.

Care management

A care manager will help you to assess the care you need and agree a care plan setting out how your care needs can be met. You, your carer and any other professionals who are working with you will be involved in this process. The care manager will give you a copy of your care needs assessment and your care plan.

The assessment and care plan will help to set your goals and preferences to improve your quality of life and help you live as independently as possible at home or in the community.

Community assessment

We will arrange to meet with you and discuss your needs in more detail. Our social work staff will talk with you about:

  • how you are managing with daily living activities like shopping, eating, dressing
  • what you can and cannot do for yourself, and
  • what help you feel you need

We may need to talk to other people who know you, like your doctor, to help make sure we have all the information we need. If you have a carer, such as a relative or friend who you rely on for help, we would like to listen to their views and take their needs into account. This is called an assessment.

Your assessment will look at:

  • your personal care needs
  • your health
  • your living conditions
  • how much help you need with daily living, and
  • the health of your carer.

Your assessment will help us decide what services you should be offered and how soon you will receive them. You may also need an occupational therapy assessment

You may be asked to contribute towards the cost of the services you receive. Many people will pay nothing, or will only contribute towards part of the cost. Once the services are in place they are regularly reviewed.

If, after your assessment, we feel that your needs are better dealt with by someone else, we will ask you if we can pass your referral on.

If you disagree with the decision

If you don't agree with your assessment you should discuss it with the worker who did the assessment. If you aren't satisfied with the outcome, you can ask to have your case reviewed by the Local Manager. This doesn't replace our complaints procedure.

Privacy notice

View our Adult and Older People Services privacy notice (PDF 297KB) to find out how information about you is gathered and used.