How can social care help?

You may need some extra care and support if you are struggling with aspects of your daily life due to:

• illness
• a disability
• frailty
• a fall or an accident
• recovering from an operation
• a major change in your life
• a crisis
• a health condition

If you have physical difficulties which impact on daily living activities in your home, you can contact the Occupational Therapy Service who will provide advice, assessments and solutions, including equipment and adaptations, either on the phone, or by visiting you at home.

If your needs are more complex, we will arrange for a trained assessor to visit you and undertake an assessment of your situation.

To be eligible for social care support from us, your needs will be assessed against national eligibility criteria. If you don’t meet the criteria, we will still give you advice and information, and help you to find services in the community, some of which may be free, which can help to keep you as independent and active as possible.

You might also wish to visit a local retailer who can provide simple aids for daily living. 

You could also be referred to the reablement service, a free short term service that provides support with the aim of helping people learn or relearn skills to keep them independent.

If you do meet the criteria, we will work with you to decide which services would help you most to meet your needs and achieve your outcomes. These can be a mixture of formal and informal community support services, some of which are free. These will form your Care and Support Plan.

We will carry out a financial assessment to determine whether you have to contribute financially to your care and support. This will be based on your financial circumstances. We will also provide advice on where to get independent financial advice, and will work with you to ensure that you are in receipt of all the benefits to which you are entitled.

Your situation will be reviewed on a regular basis, to ensure that your needs are being met. You can also request another assessment if your circumstances change. 

If you're finding everyday tasks difficult because of illness, disability, frailty, or a major life change, you might be eligible for support.

You may need extra help if you or someone you care for is struggling due to:

• illness or a health condition
• a disability
• frailty or ageing
• a fall, accident, or recovery from surgery
• a crisis or significant change in circumstances

What happens during the assessment

A trained assessor will work with you to carry out the assessment. They will look at your needs, strengths, and the outcomes you want to achieve. They will also consider how these factors affect your wellbeing and what matters most to you.

You will be at the centre of the process. The assessor will build a full picture of your wishes and needs.

You can choose to have someone with you during the assessment, such as a family member or friend. If you find it difficult to take part and don’t have anyone suitable to support you, we can arrange for an independent advocate to help

What happens after the assessment 

If you have eligible needs, we will work with you to create a Care and Support Plan that outlines the support you require.

You will have financial assessment to see if you need to contribute towards the cost of your care. We’ll give you information about independent financial advice and help you check that you're receiving all the benefits you're entitled to.

If you’re not eligible for support from the council, we’ll still offer advice and information, and signpost you to other organisations or services that may be able to help.

Advocacy helps you understand your rights, express your views, and be involved in decisions about your care and support.

If you find it hard to speak up for yourself, an advocate can help make sure your voice is heard. 

Eligibility for advocacy

You may be entitled to advocacy if:

• you have care and support needs
• you find it difficult to understand information or make decisions
• you don’t have someone else to support you

You may be offered advocacy if you're going through a social care assessment, planning your care and support, or having a review of your care arrangements.

Types of advocacy available

Statutory advocacy is provided by Voiceability. They offer:

• Care Act advocacy – support during assessments, care planning, and reviews
• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) – for people who lack capacity to make certain decisions
• Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) – for people detained under the Mental Health Act
• Relevant Person’s Representative (RPR) – for people under a DoLS authorisation with no suitable RPR
• Continuing Healthcare advocacy – support for adults with complex long-term needs navigating NHS Continuing Healthcare

Voiceability does not provide health advocacy for general NHS complaints, but they do support with Continuing Healthcare.

Health advocacy

If you need help with NHS complaints or health-related issues, you can contact PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) - available through your local NHS Trust.

Appropriate adult support 

If the police arrest you and think you may be vulnerable, they must call an appropriate adult to support you.

This could be a carer, relative or friend. If no one suitable is available, Wirral Council can provide an appropriate adult through its dedicated service.

The appropriate adult will:

• make sure you are treated fairly
• help with communication between you and the police
• stay impartial
• ensure you are seen by medical staff
• make sure you have food and drink
• monitor how long you are in custody
• help you understand your rights
• support you in getting legal advice

They do not need to know the details of an alleged offence - only your solicitor can offer confidential legal advice. Remember, the police can question anyone who may have useful information.

To be eligible to receive social care support from us, your needs will be assessed against national eligibility criteria. If you don’t meet the criteria, we will still give you advice and information, and help you to find services in the community, some of which may be free, and can help to keep you as independent and active as possible.

To be assessed as eligible for support, you need to show that:

1. Your needs arise from (or are related to) a physical or mental impairment or illness, and
2. The issues you face have a significant impact on your wellbeing, and
3. You are unable to achieve two or more of the following activities:
   • eating and drinking
   • maintaining personal hygiene
   • managing toilet needs
   • being appropriately clothed
   • being able to make use of your home safely
   • maintaining a habitable home environment
   • developing or maintaining family or other personal relationships
   • accessing and engaging in work, training, education or volunteering
   • making use of necessary facilities or services in the local community including public transport and recreational facilities or services
   • carrying out caring responsibilities the adult has for a child

These national criteria are standard across the country, making the system fairer and equitable if you have to move between local authority areas.