Buying your own social services
If you want to buy your own social services, you should get some advice first.
We can advise you about choosing the best social services for you, we can support you if things go wrong and we may even be able to help you financially.
The Commission for Social Care Inspection lists some of things that you should think about when choosing a care service. Help the Aged and Age Concern also produce some excellent advice guides which are available online or through their advice lines – these are good even if you’re not an older person.
All care services must be registered with the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and you can search the CSCI website for a list of services that meet your needs. CSCI gives care organisations star ratings - 0 stars means it's a poor service and 3 stars means it's excellent. You can use the star ratings plus you should read the CSCI inspection reports to help you choose a 'shortlist' of organisations you're interested in.
- If you're looking at residential or nursing homes then you should visit the home and even ask if you can stay overnight.
- If you're looking at home care service, you should ask them to visit you so that you can see if you like them.
Even if you are arranging services yourself, you can have a a social work assessment. At the end of the assessment, we'll give you a care plan which you can use as part of the contract you make with the care service you choose.
Financial help
Social services can be a lot more expensive than people realise and we can offer some financial help to most people.
We can't give you precise figures but, for example, if you're thinking about residential care then you should contact us when you have about £22,250 or less of savings.
We can help make sure that you're claiming all the benefits you're entitled to and may be able to cover some of the costs of any care you're getting.
If things go wrong
Unfortunately, things can sometimes go wrong - for example, carers might not turn up or may hurt you when they're trying to help. If you want to complain, you should start by talking to the manager of the service. If this doesn't help, then you can contact our customer care manager who may be able to help you.
If you are worried that you are being neglected or abused by someone, then you should report it by telling someone you trust or by calling 0161 909 6517. We will work to make you safe.
This page was last updated on 30 October 2008
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