Assessment

Disabled man playing football

An assessment is when we find out as much as possible about:

what you find difficult
how you manage your situation
what you would like to be able to do - your goals.

We will talk to you and we will want to talk to anyone else who helps you (with your permission) - carers, friends, family and your doctor for example. We will only ask them about relevant information and the information we collect is protected by the Data Protection Act.

During the assessment, you should ask as many questions as you want.

Together, we will:

Understand your situation better
Understand what the risks are if you don't have any support
Work out what options there are for managing or making your situation better
Work out what you want to be able to do and how much support you think you'll need
Make decisions about what happens next

We will look at how you manage every day living tasks (such as washing, going to the toilet, cooking, cleaning, moving inside and outside your home), your freedom to make choices, your safety and how much involvement you have with your family and your community. We may use a supported self assessment - there is a copy at the bottom of this page.

We will agree with you the risks to your independence if you do not get services and it is the level of risk which helps decide the level of support we can help with.

If the risks to your independence are low, then we will help you by offering you advice and information.
If the risks to your independence are critical, substantial or moderate, you are eligible for (will be able to have) support from us.

Even if you decide to pay for and arrange your own support, you can still ask us for an assessment and advice/information. We can even help you make a support plan to use with care providers to buy your support.

How long does an assessment take?

Depending on how urgent your situation, we will start the assessment between four hours and two working days after you have contacted us. If your situation is complicated, it can take up to 28 days to complete the assessment.

Services may start within a few days of the assessment, or shortly after it is completed. After six weeks, we will contact you to review that you still need a service and to check that you are happy with the services you are getting.

Fill in our online enquiry form to start an assessment.