Your social care journey explained
What support are you looking for?
Understanding your social care support
Social care support is about helping adults who might have difficulties because of an illness or disability. This help can include:
- Getting up and ready for the day
- Taking care of your cleanliness and getting dressed
- Going to work, school, or other appointments
- Taking part in learning activities
- Eating properly to stay healthy
- Spending time with friends and family
- Joining in on local events
You can look for help on your own or for someone else without getting in touch with us. But if you need it, you can complete a self assessment to see if you can get support from our social care services.
Figuring out if you need more help
If you’re not sure whether you need extra care and support:
- You can check by taking an online self-assessment by following the button below.
- Or, you can call Staffordshire Cares on 0300 111 8010. They will talk with you about your situation, figure out what you need, and look at different ways to help.
- They can also tell you about help that’s available in your area.
- If your situation is more complicated, they might pass your information to a social care team who will get in touch to talk more.
Online self-assessment
Guide for professionals making referrals to adult social care
Professionals should use the Professional Referral Form below if they need to refer someone for non-urgent support.
It is not for:
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Urgent adult social care referrals. Urgent referrals need to be called through to Staffordshire Cares on 0300 111 8010 (or 0345 604 2886 during out-of-hours).
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Raising safeguarding concerns. To raise an adult safeguarding referral please contact the adult safeguarding line on 0345 604 2719 (or 0345 604 2886 during out-of-hours). For children’s safeguarding concerns please contact 0300 111 8007 (or 0345 604 2886 during out-of-hours).
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Occupational therapy referrals. To raise an occupational therapy referral please contact Staffordshire Cares on 0300 111 8010, or email Staffordshire Cares at staffordshirecares@staffordshire.gov.uk.
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Adult social care referrals made by the West Midlands Ambulance Service, or by hospital staff. Please continue to use your current referral method.
The Professional Referral Form is for:
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New referrals.
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Referrals for adult social care assessments.
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Referrals for carer’s assessments.
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Referrals for assistive technology assessments (Fire Service only)
It should be used by:
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GP practices (including GPs and social prescribers)
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District nurses
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Occupational therapists
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Physiotherapists
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Police
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Fire Service
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Voluntary and community sector organisations (such as dementia support groups, befriending services, etc.)
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Local district and borough councils (including housing teams and homelessness service teams)
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Support services (such as drug and alcohol support teams)
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Community Help Point staff
To make a Professional Referral, please use the button below.
Professional referral
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We try to carry out your assessment within 28 days, but users may need to wait longer.
The social care practitioner will assess your needs and explore what your family, friends and local community can do to help. Your assessment might take place over the phone, virtually or someone may visit you
The social care practitioner will talk about things you or your carer are worried about. You can also tell them about any new worries during the chat conversation.
Some things you may want to think about in preparation are how you manage day to day routines and activities such as:
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Washing
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Dressing
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Maintaining health and keeping active
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Accessing the local community
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Managing your home
You're welcome to have a carer, a family member or friend with you during the assessment process. In some circumstances, support can be provided to help you to understand the process.
As a public service, we follow the rules set by the government in the Care Act 2014 to decide if you need our help with care and support. If you don't need our help, you might have to pay for any care you receive, depending on your financial situation.
When assessing eligibility for care and support, we carefully consider your needs and how they impact your daily life, in line with the Care Act 2014 guidelines. This includes looking at your ability to manage daily activities like washing, dressing, and maintaining your home. If you meet the criteria, we may offer short-term reablement to support your independence. If you're not eligible, we'll assess your financial situation to determine any costs for care. Our goal is to help you live safely and independently, ensuring you receive the appropriate level of support.
As part of your assessment, we will see if we can help with some short-term support to become more independent, which is known as reablement.
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When we talk about your care, if you need help to do things on your own, we will look at different ways to do things. This might include using tools and technology that make it easier for you to do things by yourself. We will also tell you about small helpful items, tools, and equipment that you can get for yourself.
Find out more information about reablement care.
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After we finish checking what care you need, we might make a plan together. This plan will include the help you need, who will help you, and when they will help you. It will also have what you hope to get from the help.
Later, we will need to look at your plan again to make sure it still fits your needs. If things change for you, you can ask for this review.
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We can set up the services that have been agreed with you, or you may wish to use a direct payment to arrange these services by yourself.
If we arrange your care and support, our brokerage service will search for a care provider who will be able to meet your assessed needs. We aim to find care within 28 days depending on how urgent your care needs are. However, some users may need to wait longer.
If you choose a provider that charges more than we have allocated to meet your needs, you will need to make a contribution. This is also called a top-up.
If you need a residential / nursing home we will offer you a home or homes that can meet your needs. It might not be as close to your home as you'd like. Alternatively if you would like to choose a different and more expensive home, you or someone else will need to pay the difference. We will check whether this arrangement is affordable for your family and can be maintained for the duration of your stay.
If you own your own property and you move into a care home, the value of this will be taken into account when calculating your contribution. Financial help may be available during this process.
Your financial circumstances will be assessed to see how much you will need to contribute towards the cost of your care and support.
If you have enough money to pay for your own care and support but you want us to arrange the care for you using our brokerage service, there will be a charge depending on your financial circumstances.
Whilst you may be required to pay for your social care, NHS healthcare is free, therefore if your social care practitioner feels you may be entitled to free health care we will ask our NHS colleagues to complete a health assessment.
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If you are leaving the hospital, a social care practitioner will talk with you to understand what help you need and will try to support you in returning home, wherever possible. This is to make sure you get the right support you need.
If this is not possible, it may be necessary to find you alternative arrangements. For example, care home bed.
Once you're considered ready to leave the hospital, the social care practitioner will aim to complete an assessment with you in two days. If you do require care, our brokerage service will aim to find the appropriate care provider to meet your needs.
If you want us to arrange care in your own home through our brokerage service and you are responsible for paying for your own care, we will charge you for this service.
We will ask you to make a swift decision on your care provider to ensure you're able to leave the hospital as quickly as possible. If you decline the offer which has been made, you may become subject to the hospital's own internal procedure.
After 6 weeks, a social care practitioner will complete a review with you to ensure the care is suitable for your ongoing needs.
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You will be assessed as to whether you require any reablement support. If you do, this will be provided for free for up to 6 weeks. You may also be eligible for some equipment.
When it comes to where you live, we want to help you stay in your own home and be independent for as long as possible. We can help you with information on a range of housing and support options. We understand that some people with more complex needs might need specialist housing and extra support.
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You are a carer if you provide unpaid support to a family member or friend who could not manage without your help. If you are a carer, you're entitled to a carers assessment.
You can request an assessment to help your supporting role by calling Staffordshire Cares on 0300 111 8010.