Assessment for care and support services

An assessment is when Adult Social Care find out about your care and support needs and how meeting these can help you achieve what is most important to you.

The assessment will help decide if we can meet your care and support needs. This is based on national rules called eligibility criteria.

A social worker will talk to you (and anyone who helps you, with your permission) about:

• what you can do for yourself - your strengths or assets
• any support you already have (from family, friends and your community) - your natural support

A social worker will look at whether your needs:

• are caused by a long-term disability or illness, age, substance misuse, learning difficulty, mental health problem
• make it very difficult or impossible to do daily living tasks

and 

• what impact this has on your wellbeing.

The social worker will also talk to you about what outcomes you want to achieve.

After the assessment

The social worker will give you information and advice about your options. This may include putting you in touch with other organisations.

If you are eligible for publicly-funded care and support, Adult Social Care may arrange short-term support to help you regain your independence. This will help everyone to understand if you have any longer-term needs.

Everyone working with you will try to make sure you have as much independence as possible: living at home; using natural support; involved in your local community and with information and advice that gives you control.

If you need longer-term support, a social worker will discuss with you different ways of meeting your needs:

• using equipment
• using a personal budget to arrange your own support, or asking Adult Social Care to arrange it for you
• adaptations to your home
• moving to a care home or extra care housing scheme

Whatever is agreed, the social worker will give you an indication of the costs involved and other options you might think about.

Access to mental health services

If you are worried about your mental health and want help, you should start with your GP. Most mental health services are provided by Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Trust.

Adult social care is now provided by Northern Care Alliance