www.westsussex.gov.uk/social-care-and-health
Your life,
your choice
Getting adult social care
support in West Sussex
www.westsussex.gov.uk/social-care-and-health
Visit our website for care and support
for adults in West Sussex.
www.westsussexconnecttosupport.org
INFORMATION AND ADVICE
ASSESS YOUR NEEDS
COMMUNITY GROUPS
ONLINE MARKETPLACE OF LOCAL SERVICES
If you need help using the
website, call Adults’ CarePoint
WORKING TOGETHER
2
01243 642121
Contents
1Introduction 04
2 Areas for which we are not
directly responsible 06
3 Staying healthy and living
independently 07
People with social care needs
4 Understanding your social
care needs – assessment 10
5 Deciding who gets funded
social care support 12
6 Continuity of care –
what happens if I move
out of West Sussex? 15
7 Someone to help you have
your say – an advocate 15
11 Residential and nursing
home care
25
12 Reviewing your support 26
Family and friends carers
13 Understanding your
needs as a carer
28
14 Meeting carer’s needs
29
15 Continuity of care –
what happens if I move
out of West Sussex?
32
16 Planning your support 32
l Working out how much
money you need
l What’s in your support plan?
17 Carer’s personal budget 33
8 Planning your support 16
l Working out how much
money you need
l What’s in your support plan?
18 Reviewing your support 33
9 Deciding how to use
your budget 19 Appealing against our
decisions
34
20 Give us your views
35
21 Contact us
36
22 Useful contacts
36
18
10 Paying for your support 19
l Direct payments
l Council managed budgets
People with social care needs
and family and friends carers
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1. Introduction
In April 2015 the Care Act came into effect. This was the biggest reform
of social care in 60 years. Local authorities have new duties that focus
on promoting people’s wellbeing which means helping them achieve
the things that matter to them in their life. This means that we will do as
much as possible to help you maintain or increase your independence
and be as active as possible. We will also support you to participate in
social and community activities so you can lead a more fulfilling life.
This applies not only to people who are eligible to receive funded social
care support, but to carers and to people who pay for their own care.
We must also protect people who are vulnerable and unable to
protect themselves from harm.
We must achieve best value when spending money so that
people get the support they need in a way that the County
Council can afford. We have to spend money efficiently.
This booklet will tell you how we can help you and work with you to
support yourself. You are the best person to say what’s right for you.
When you first contact us one of our staff will ask you
about your circumstances, or those of the person you are
concerned about. We may want to share information about
you with other agencies with whom we work closely.
We aim to always ask your agreement if we need to contact others
to gather information about you. However, we will not ask your
agreement if we believe that this could place you or someone else at
risk of abuse or neglect. This is because we have a legal responsibility to
make sure we safeguard people who are unable to protect themselves.
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If you are not able to make decisions
If you are not able to make decisions for yourself about your social care
needs we will discuss these with your relatives and/or someone who
holds a power of attorney on your behalf. Alternatively, the Court of
Protection may have appointed someone to act on your behalf. If there
is no one to act on your behalf, we will always act in your best interests.
Are you caring for someone?
We also want to support people who are carers. Carers look after
family, partners or friends in need of help because they are ill, frail
or have a disability. The care they provide is unpaid. They do not
always live with the person they care for. So, if you think you are in a
caring role, please get in touch to see if we can help by contacting
our Adults’ CarePoint . See contact details at the end of the booklet.
Also see the carers’ part of this booklet in sections 13 to 18.
Accessible Information Standard
From 31 July 2016 all organisations that provide NHS or social
care services must comply with the Accessible Information
Standard. The Standard sets out the approach that organisations
must use to ensure that people with disabilities can get
information in formats that they can understand. The Standard
also tells organisations how to support people’s communication
needs, for example by offering a British Sign Language (BSL)
interpreter, deafblind manual interpreter or an advocate.
Organisations must do five things.
l Ask people if they have any communication needs
l Record their needs
l Highlight the needs very clearly on the person’s records
l Share the information about the person’s needs with other social
care or NHS providers as part of any referral or handover process
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l
Meet the need by making sure that the person gets the information
they need in a format that they can understand and that they receive
any communication support they require.
2.Areas for which we are
not directly responsible
We are committed to helping people find the support that best meets
their needs and our staff will offer advice and assistance to all residents
in West Sussex. However, there are certain areas for which we are not
directly responsible.
We are not responsible for welfare benefits
These are dealt with by the Department for Work and Pensions (you
can find out more on the Gov.uk website). However, we do have staff
who are welfare benefits advisers who can help make sure that you are
receiving the benefits to which you are entitled.
We do not deal with housing
For example, organising council or housing association homes or
supporting people who are homeless. Your local district or borough
council in West Sussex usually deals with this.
We do not provide health services
These are provided directly by GP practices, community health
services, and hospitals. You can find information about counselling
services by visiting www.counselling-directory.org.uk
or www. sussexcounsellordirectory.co.uk.
We do not directly provide legal advice
Free legal advice is available through your local Citizens Advice who
can also tell you how to obtain legal aid from solicitors, and from the
community legal advice website www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk.
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If we cannot help you directly, we will provide you with information
and point you to other organisations that may be able to assist. You
can also visit our West Sussex Connect to Support website – see next
section for more information. The local Prevention Assessment Teams
can also help you to find support and care – please see their contact
details at the back of this booklet.
3.Staying healthy and
living independently
All our services aim to help people stay healthy and be as independent
as possible. We have a range of services designed to meet lower level
social care needs which are available to everyone. These include:
Prevention Assessment Teams
These teams support the health and wellbeing of adults, including
those with high functioning autism and Asperger’s.
Wellbeing Hubs
A single point of contact for information and helping people to
improve their health and wellbeing.
My network
Providing information, advice and support for people with learning
disabilities. The network also gives an opportunity for informal
socialising as well as structured activity sessions.
Carers Support West Sussex
The organisation is funded by us to provide a wide range of
support services for carers. This includes a county-wide information,
advice and support service. They run a number of support
groups for carers, provide carer health checks and produce a
regular newsletter. Carers Support West Sussex also carry out
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carer’s assessments on behalf of the County Council and they
help carers access a range of services to meet their needs.
West Sussex Connect to Support
West Sussex Connect to Support is a website for all residents in
West Sussex providing information and advice about a range of ways
to help people live independently. Some of these are free or low cost
local community activities and some are products and care services
which can be purchased in an electronic market place. The website also
provides information about getting funded social care support. Please
visit www. westsussexconnecttosupport.org.
Please see section 22 for the contact details for each of the
above services.
Regaining independence services
If you have difficulty moving around, occupational therapy can help
you carry out essential activities. The occupational therapy services
aim to assist you to make the most of your abilities and reduce your
need for help from others.
If you need short-term social care support, for example because you’ve
just come out of hospital, or following an accident, or just because
you haven’t been coping as independently as you would like to at
home, the Regaining Independence Service may be able to help you.
You will need to be assessed to see if you are eligible for this service.
The Regaining Independence Service teams are led by Occupational
Therapists and can support you with activities like getting dressed,
getting around your home, washing or bathing, or preparing drinks
and meals. The aim is to help you do as much as possible for yourself.
If you receive a service which helps you regain your independence we
may contact you after three months to see how you are getting on.
8
For people with a sensory impairment, such as loss of sight or
deafness, we may be able to provide specialist assistance.
Specialist support is also available for people with mental health
needs, acquired brain injuries and learning disabilities.
You can find out more from your social care or health worker.
Telecare equipment to help people
live safely and independently
Telecare uses alarms, sensors and other equipment to help people
live safely and independently in their own homes and communities
for as long as possible.
Telecare devices range from units where you press a button to
connect to a monitoring centre if you need help, to systems that
remind you to take your medication.
Telecare systems can also detect dangers such as smoke, flood or
gas leaks and personal risk, such as having a fall.
We work with our provider of telecare to offer a 13-week, free telecare
trial. This requires a referral from a social care or health professional. At
the end of the free trial you may choose to become a private customer
and pay for the products yourself or you can have the telecare equipment
removed. You can find out more by visiting the West Sussex Connect to
Support website at: www.westsussexconnecttosupport.org or contacting
Adults’ CarePoint. See contact details at the end of the booklet.
Telecare is also provided by district and borough councils in
West Sussex, as well as by a wide range of national providers.
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People with social care needs
4.Understanding your
social care needs
We believe that you should be at the centre of the assessment
and planning process, because you understand your own needs
and how to meet them.
Self-assessment
Self-assessment is designed to help people think about their personal
circumstances – what is working well in their lives and what needs to
change. It asks you about your interests and lifestyle, your health and
wellbeing, nutrition, and day-to day activities such as getting out and
about and being able to look after yourself. It can be useful to complete
the form if you are thinking about contacting us to ask about getting
social care support.
You can send the completed form to us and ask for an assessment of
your needs. You do not have to complete a self-assessment form before
contacting us. It is simply there to help you think about your situation.
If you do not want to contact us for an assessment of your needs,
you can use the self-assessment to help you plan and buy your own
support.
The self-assessment form can be found on the West Sussex Connect to
Support website: www.westsussexconnecttosupport.org. You can also
contact our Adults’ CarePoint and ask for a paper copy of the form to
be sent to you. See contact details at the end of the booklet.
Assessment
If you think you need social care support you have the right to ask us to
assess your needs.
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When you first contact us, a member of our staff will ask you about your
circumstances or those of the person you are concerned about. If you
have completed a self-assessment form, the social care worker will look
at what you have told us as part of your assessment.
We will work with you to identify the goals or outcomes that you want
to achieve. We will look at your strengths and capabilities and identify
support that may be available in your local community that could
help you remain as independent as possible and prevent or delay the
development of your needs.
We will focus on the issues that are important in your circumstances.
The assessment may ask you about:
l your wellbeing – what is important to you in your daily life;
l any physical illness or mental health issues;
l food and drink – your diet and preparing meals;
l personal care – cleanliness and being appropriately dresed;
l looking after your home;
l getting around your home safely;
l developing and maintaining family or other personal relationships;
l accessing and being involved in work, training, education or
volunteering;
l getting out and about – using community services, including public
transport and recreational facilities; and
l carrying out any caring responsibilities.
You and your social care worker will talk about these to reach an
agreement about your social care needs.
There may be other assessments we take into account or ones we might
suggest so you can get other services.
We also explain that you may need to make a financial contribution
towards the support you need. A trained welfare benefits adviser
will visit you to assess whether you should pay towards your support.
The amount we may ask you to pay will depend on your financial
circumstances. For further information on this please see our booklet
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www.westsussex.gov.uk/social-care-and-health
called ‘Paying for non-residential social care services’ at
www.westsussex. gov.uk under ‘Adults’ social care publications’
or contact our Adults’ CarePoint and ask for a copy. See contact
details at the end of the booklet.
The welfare benefits adviser will also check that you are receiving the
benefits you are entitled to. They will provide benefits advice and help
you to complete claim forms.
We aim to complete your assessment within 28 calendar days from
the time you first contact us. If urgent action is needed to protect your
safety and reduce serious risk, we can provide support before a full
assessment of your needs is carried out.
5.Deciding who gets funded
social care support
We have to make sure that we treat everyone fairly and that those who
are most in need receive the highest level of support.
To do this we use national guidelines to help us understand whether or
not people’s needs mean they are eligible to receive funded support
from us. This applies to people needing social care and to carers. The
guidelines are called ‘eligibility criteria’ and they are set out in the Care
and Support (Eligibility Criteria) Regulations 2014.
When deciding whether someone has eligible social care needs,
we must consider whether:
l the person’s needs arise from or are related to a physical or
mental impairment or illness.
l as a result of the person’s needs they are unable to achieve
two or more of the outcomes set out in the ‘eligibility decision
process’ on the opposite page.
l as a result of being unable to achieve these outcomes there is, or
there is likely to be, a significant impact on the person’s wellbeing.
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Eligibility decision process
The adult’s needs arise from or are related to a physical
or mental health condition.
Outcomes
Wellbeing
As a result of the needs, the adult
is unable to achieve two or more
of the following.
As a result, there is or is likely
to be a significant impact
on the adult’s wellbeing,
including the following.
1. eating well – managing and
maintaining nutrition
2. keeping clean – personal hygiene
3. managing toilet needs
4. being appropriately dressed
5. keeping their home clean and
tidy
6. being able to make use of
their home safely
7. developing and maintaining
family or other personal
relationships
8. accessing and engaging in
work, training, education or
volunteering
9. making use of facilities
or services in the local
community, including public
transport and recreational
facilities or services
10.carrying out any caring
responsibilities the adult has
for a child
A. personal dignity (including
treating the person with
respect)
B. physical and mental health
and emotional wellbeing
C. protection from abuse and
neglect
D. control by the person over
day-to-day life (including over
care and support provided
and the way it is provided)
E. participation in work,
education, training or
recreation
F. social and financial wellbeing
G.domestic, family and personal
relationships
H.suitability of living
accommodation
I. the person’s contribution to
society
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A person’s needs are eligible when they meet the conditions
relating to needs, outcomes and wellbeing set out above.
We will look at what you have told us and work out how much money
may be available for your support. We will consider your strengths
and capabilities and look at what is available in your local community
that might be able to help you before we make this decision.
If you are not eligible for funded social care support
We will provide you with information, advice and assistance to
help you plan the support you need; for example, information
about other care providers, prevention and wellbeing services,
equipment, community activities and care funding advice.
You can find information about all these services and more, by
visiting the West Sussex Connect to Support website at www.
westsussexconnecttosupport.org or by contacting our Adults’
CarePoint. See contact details at the end of the booklet.
If you have been assessed as having eligible social care needs but
you have savings or investments over the national threshold of
£23,250 (not including the value of your home) , we can help you
arrange and buy the services you want if you would like us to do this
for you. We call this a brokerage service. This only covers services
within the community – it does not include residential care.
We make a charge for this service but it is only to cover
the cost to us of making the arrangements.
We will make an initial charge of £157.25. If you want us to change
your support later on we will make another charge of £157.25.
If you want us to buy services for you and then reclaim the cost
from you, we will charge you an ongoing fee of £5.05 per week.
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If you have savings or investments over the national threshold
of £23,250 but you are not able to make decisions about arranging
your own support and you have no one to help you, we will do this
for you free of charge.
See section 8 for more information about support brokerage
6.Continuity of care – what happens if I move out of West Sussex?
If you decide to move out of West Sussex to live in a different
local authority area and you have been assessed by us as having
eligible needs for care and support, we will work with you to
ensure that the move is as trouble-free as possible. Before your
move is finalised, we will work with your new local authority
to help plan the move, and to make sure that there is no
interruption to the care and support you need after the move.
We will also do this if you are a carer and you have been assessed as
having eligible needs for support from Adults’ Services in West Sussex.
7.Someone to help you
have your say – an advocate
You may want some help to say what you want. An advocate
can help you do this. They can also help protect your rights,
represent your interests, find things out for you and help you
get the support you need.
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There are a number of advocacy services in West Sussex, some of
which we fund. For more information about this support please ask a
social care worker, visit the West Sussex Connect to Support website:
www.westsussexconnecttosupport.org or contact our Adults’
CarePoint. See contact details at the end of the booklet.
There are some people who have great difficulty in being involved in
planning their social care support and do not have someone else to
represent them. We must provide them with someone to speak on
their behalf – an independent advocate. This will help them be fully
involved in their social care assessment, care planning and review. It
will also help them if we are supporting them because they are at risk
of abuse or neglect. We provide this service free of charge.
8. Planning your support
Working out how much money you need
We use the information from your assessment to work out how much
money is available to meet your needs. We take into account ways of
meeting your needs which may work well for you and do not require
County Council funding. We make sure it is a fair way to allocate money
to anyone needing support and we use the same method for everyone
– this is called the ‘resource allocation system’.
The money you receive is called your personal budget.
There may be some flexibility in the amount if you have higher
or more complex needs.
The resource allocation system gives you a ‘provisional’ amount of
money to start planning your support. Please ask your social care
worker if you want the details about how your provisional budget
has been reached.
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What’s in your support plan?
We want you to be able to get good advice and support when you are
planning how to spend your budget. Once you have agreed what you
want to achieve with the social care worker you will be referred to our
Support Brokerage Service.
A support broker is someone who provides information and advice
about what services are available in your local area. They will help you
think about different ways that you can get support and they can find
the services and work out the costs.
A support broker from one of our local Support Brokerage Teams will
work with you and help you understand your options and how to get
the best support with the money available to you.
You will then create a support plan which describes how you will use
your money to achieve the results you want – your outcomes. You can
complete it yourself, with or without support, or you can get someone
else to complete it for you. The support broker can help you develop
your support plan.
Your plan must set out what you want to achieve and how the support
will be arranged and delivered. You and your family are expected to
think about getting best value for the money when choosing services
and developing your support plan. Your support plan will need to be
agreed with your social care worker. If a person is not able to create
their own support plan because they are not able to make decisions
for themselves, we will need to be satisfied that those who take
responsibility for developing it have acted in the person’s best interests.
The plan must include the following.
l Your needs identified in your assessment
l What is important to you
l What you want to achieve – your outcomes
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What help you need to achieve your outcomes. This will
include support that we have agreed to provide.
l Your support network
l How you will receive and manage your personal budget
l If you need help, who will support you manage your
personal budget
l How you intend to spend your personal budget
l How you would prepare for any unplanned changes to your
support. For example, if someone who provides care to you
was suddenly unable to support you
l
Other sources of funding or support will be taken into account
when completing your support plan. This is because social care
funding cannot be used to pay for things such as NHS funded care,
regular household bills, or needs that are already being met.
Support planning for people with
learning disabilities or mental health needs
If you have learning disabilities or mental health needs, a social
care worker will help you develop your support plan. You will
not be referred to a support broker.
9.Deciding how to use your budget
You may already know how you want to use the money in
your budget. If not, you can take advice from:
l a family member or friend;
l our Support Brokerage Service; or
l a support service provided by another organisation or person.
Some people use their personal budget to employ a personal
assistant to help them. It can also be used to buy care, support, or
other services from the independent or voluntary sector. You may
choose to spend some of your personal budget on other things,
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such as transport, services from other organisations or people, or
services in your local community. You could choose services we
provide, such as a day service.
You can pay for transport if you have no other way of getting to
an activity that is essential to meet one of your goals or outcomes.
If we are funding transport, we will often make shared arrangements.
If this is the case, we will not include funding for transport in your
personal budget.
Remember that you can use the West Sussex Connect to Support
website www.westsussexconnecttosupport.org to help you think
about the options that are available to you.
The amount of your personal budget will be agreed when your support
plan is finalised. You can then use the personal budget to start paying
for the support described in your plan. Your social care worker will
then agree with you how your personal budget will be paid to you.
10.Paying for your support
There are various ways to receive your personal budget
l Direct payments – where we make payments direct to you,
or to an ‘appointed suitable person‘. This is someone, such as
a family member, who can act on behalf of a person who is
not able to consent to receive a direct payment. If you choose
to have a direct payment you can arrange your own support
instead of using the services we provide. You may also have
help from someone else to manage your direct payment.
l Council managed budget – where we manage the personal
budget and arrange the support for you.
The money can be also be managed using a mixture of these
options. Your social care worker will explain the details when
you discuss your support plan.
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Direct payments
Payments can be made to:
l disabled people aged 16 or over (with short or long-term needs)
l parents and carers aged 16 or over, (including people with
parental responsibility for a child with disabilities).
l elderly people who need community care services
The person also has to:
l be willing to have direct payments; and
l be able to manage the direct payments, either on their
own or with someone else’s help.
If necessary, a social care or health worker may carry out an
assessment under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to find out
whether someone is able to make decisions about whether to
receive and manage direct payments.
Direct payments are now available to most groups of people
eligible for social care support. However, there are some people
who are excluded because of certain legal conditions or
requirements. We can tell you whether or not this applies to you.
Receiving the direct payment
The money is paid into a bank account that will need to be set
up specifically for this purpose.
When someone is ready to have direct payments, we will discuss our
direct payments agreement with them. This includes the conditions
and arrangements for direct payments. It is signed by the person, or
the appointed suitable person, and their social care worker.
You will need to give us bank statements for the direct payments
account and keep a record of how you have spent the money.
We will make sure you have information on who to contact if things
change, or if there is anything else you want to discuss.
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Spending the direct payment
Direct payments must pay for your social care support and
help towards meeting your personal outcomes. It cannot be
used for other things, such as:
l health care
l general household bills and living costs
l residential or nursing home fees, unless it’s for short periods of care
l the wages of certain people such as a close relative who you live with,
your spouse, partner or civil partner, unless we have agreed to this
because of special circumstances.
l buying one of our services, for example, coming to one of our
day centres. This does not mean that you cannot have one of our
services, it just means this part of the personal budget will need to
be managed by us through a council managed budget.
l equipment that is usually supplied through the Community
Equipment Service
l adapting your property
l paying for things that do not help to meet the outcomes which
are in your support plan; for example, gifts for people who are
supporting you.
Family members living in the same household as you can be
paid a proportion of the direct payment to assist with managing
and spending the money.
The direct payment cannot be used from outside the UK for more
than two weeks in a year without written agreement from us.
As long as you keep to the above restrictions you can choose
how to use direct payments. We do not give a list of what someone
can and cannot spend their money on. That would go against the
principles of self-directed support, which offers people more choice
and greater control.
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For example, you might want to use direct payments to pay for a
personal assistant, or use the money to pay for a carer from an
independent care provider. You may want to pay for a community
service that helps you to be more independent.
If the money is spent on things not covered by your support plan
you may be asked to pay that money back.
Paying for services from an independent care provider
You can use some or all of your direct payments to pay for services from
an independent care provider. You may wish to check they are registered
with the Care Quality Commission or an equivalent organisation.
You can find information about providers in the West Sussex Care
Guide. Please ask to see a copy of the guide at your local library or
look on our website: www.westsussex.gov.uk/careguide. You can also
contact our Adults’ CarePoint and ask for a copy. See contact details at
the end of the booklet.
You can also find information about providers on the West Sussex
Connect to Support website at www.westsusseconnecttosupport.org
Employing a personal assistant
If you want to use direct payments to pay for a personal assistant, we
strongly recommend you contact Independent Lives with whom we have
a contract to support such arrangements. We pay for them to advise,
support and provide information to customers. Please see the ‘Useful
contacts’ section at the end of this booklet for their contact details.
Where appropriate, this organisation will give people one-to-one
support to make sure they clearly understand the responsibilities
of being an employer.
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What happens if you don’t spend all the money?
People can build up (accrue) money in their personal budget to make
sure they are able to cover future costs and unexpected expenses.
Accruals must be agreed by us. Currently, if you have more than eight
weeks of your personal budget allocation which you have not spent,
we will look into the reasons why this has happened.
If you have a direct payment and the accrual has not been agreed
with your social care worker, you will be expected to return this money
to us. If you have a council managed budget (where we manage your
personal budget) we may take back this money.
Keeping people safe
Everyone has the right to live a life free from abuse and neglect. We
work hard to safeguard adults and children who are unable protect
themselves. If someone has direct payments they should know about
the arrangements in West Sussex for safeguarding adults and children.
Please ask our staff if you would like more information.
Council managed budgets
A council managed budget is where we manage your personal
budget for you and arrange your support. This can be because:
l you want to use services provided by us, as our services cannot
be purchased directly from us;
l you do not want to manage the money yourself;
l you are not able to consent to receive direct payments because
you are not able to make decisions for yourself, and there isn’t a
‘suitable person’ who can manage the personal budget on your
behalf; or
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l
you are in prison and not eligible for a direct payment. Please see
the ‘Prisoner care and support’ leaflet for details of arrangements
for prisoners by visiting our website www.westsussex.gov.uk and
searching under ‘Adults’ social care publications’ or you can contact
our Adults’ CarePoint and ask for a copy. See contact details at the
end of the booklet.
A council managed budget can be used for:
l care provided in your home (domiciliary care) by an independent
provider;
l day care provided by an independent provider or by us;
l residential or nursing home respite (short-term) care;
l transport; or
l outreach support, for example, practical support in your home or
local community.
You will need to discuss what support you need with the support
broker in the Support Brokerage Team. This information will be
included in your support plan.
We will arrange the service, but you will need to agree with the
provider how and when you want the service.
We have arrangements that require us to give a provider at least
four weeks notice if a service needs to be cancelled. If you wish to
change your care provider it is important that you tell us in good time.
If you wish to change some of your support arrangements at any
time, please discuss this with the support broker in the Support
Brokerage Team.
If you would like more choice and flexibility in the way your
support is provided it may be possible for you to receive direct
payments for some of your personal budget.
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11. Residential and nursing
home care
Wherever possible, care and support will enable you to continue
living independently in your own home. Some people go into a care
home, often at a time of crisis, because they are not aware of the care
and support available in the community. You are advised to seek
information about the options available to you.
If you have high needs and your condition is complex and perhaps
changes regularly (fluctuating), it may be that residential or nursing
home care is the right option for you. Admission to a care home can be
for a short-stay following a period in hospital, to provide respite or on a
long-term basis.
If you need to stay in a residential or nursing home it is important to
make sure this is the right choice for you and you understand how
much the care home may cost for the length of your stay. If you are
funding the care home fees from your own savings/capital you are
strongly advised to seek the help of an independent financial adviser
specialising in long-term care.
We want people to choose the best solutions to meet their needs and
the Carewise care funding scheme can help you do this.
Carewise provides information and advice about the range of available
care and support options, and the most cost effective ways of paying
for care. Carewise is a partnership between the County Council’s Adults’
Services and Trading Standards departments, Age UK West Sussex, the
Society of Later Life Advisers, West Sussex Partners in Care, and a panel
of Carewise-approved independent financial advisers.
The locally-based independent financial advisers specialise in providing
later life financial advice to help people afford the best quality care at
home or in their preferred care home. They are independent of the
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County Council and they offer advice from across the whole financial
market. Age UK West Sussex provides information and advice about
a wide range of issues affecting people in later life, including a free
money advice service.
Carewise aims to help you make the right choice about your care
and support with the right funding solution for you. Please see
‘Useful contacts’ at the end of the booklet.
You can of course, get advice from other financial advisers if you prefer.
The West Sussex Care Guide also provides useful information and
advice about care and support options and choosing the right type of
care for you. It lists all the registered care homes and care providers in
your area. Please visit our website: www.westsussex.gov.uk/careguide
or contact our Adults’ CarePoint and ask for a copy. See contact details
at the end of the booklet.
We would also recommend asking for our leaflet called ‘Choosing
and paying for care in a residential or nursing home’ and talking to us
before making any final decisions. You can find the leaflet by visiting
our website www.westsussex.gov.uk and searching under ‘Adults’ social
care publications’ or you can contact our Adults’ CarePoint and ask for
a copy. See contact details at the end of the booklet.
12. Reviewing your support
We have a responsibility to regularly review your support with you.
This is to make sure it still meets your social care needs and is what
you and your family want.
A review is an opportunity for us to discuss with you the support
you are receiving. It is important that together, we make sure things
are going well. Reviewing your support plan with you is one way of
doing this.
26
Your first review will take place within three months of receiving your
support. After this, you will have a review at least once a year, or more
often if necessary. However, you can ask for a review at any time.
We may not always need to meet with you for you to tell us how
things are going. For example, if your needs have not changed and
you are happy that your support is working well you may tell us about
your situation by writing to us, emailing us, or phoning. We will check
back with you to make sure that we have clearly understood what you
have told us.
If you have a support plan but you are not receiving long-term
services or funded support from us, we will review your plan with
you within the first three months. If everything is working well for
you, we will provide you with details of how to contact us if anything
changes. You can ask for a re-assessment or a review if things change
for you or you need support for a longer period of time. Examples of
where you may receive this type of support from us could be where
you need support to help to keep you safe from risk of abuse or neglect,
or while we are helping you to access other more relevant support.
There will be a written record of your review that will show what we
have agreed. A social care worker will explain the review process.
We have a review leaflet ‘Is your support working for you? A guide to
reviewing adult social care’ that has more information. Please visit our
website www.westsussex.gov.uk and search under ‘Adults’ social care
publications’ or contact our Adults’ CarePoint and ask for a copy. See
contact details at the end of the booklet.
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Family and friends carers
13. Understanding your
needs as a carer
A family or friend carer is a person who provides unpaid support to a
partner, family member, friend or neighbour who is ill or disabled and
could not manage without this help. A carer does not need to live in
West Sussex to have an assessment of their needs, but the person they
care for must live in the county.
Carer’s self-assessment
The carer’s self-assessment is designed to help people who are
caring for someone to think about their personal circumstances –
what is working well in their lives and what needs to change. It can
be useful to complete the form if you are thinking about contacting
us to ask about support.
You will find the carer’s self-assessment form on the West Sussex
Connect to Support website www.westsussexconnecttosupport.org.
You can also contact our Adults’ CarePoint and ask for a paper copy of
the form to be sent to you. See contact details at the end of the booklet.
You do not have to complete a self-assessment form before contacting
us. It is simply there to help you think about your situation.
Carer’s assessment
We want to make sure that people who regularly provide unpaid care
are supported and have their needs and wellbeing taken into account.
If you are a carer you are entitled to an assessment of your needs even
if the person you care for has not been assessed or is not receiving any
services from us. If you have completed a carer’s self-assessment, what
you have told us will be included in your assessment.
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Carers Support West Sussex carry our most of the carer’s assessments
on our behalf. However, our social care workers will carry out a carer’s
assessment in some circumstances; for example if a person’s needs are
more complex or if someone specifically asks for a social care worker to
carry out their assessment. You can contact Carers Support West Sussex
and ask for an assessment or you can contact our Adults’CarePoint. See
contact details at the end of the booklet.
Your assessment can cover the following things.
l your caring role and how it affects your life and wellbeing
l your health –physical, mental and emotional issues
l your feelings and your choices about your caring role
l work, study, training and leisure
l your relationships and social activities
l what goals or outcomes you’d like to achieve
l the suitability of your home
l planning for emergencies
If the person you care for agrees, we will invite you to take part
in any discussions we have with them about their needs and
how this affects you. The aim is to complete your assessment
within 28 calendar days from the time you first contact Carers
Support West Sussex or the County Council.
14. Meeting carer’s needs
When deciding whether a carer has eligible needs we will take
account of the impact your caring role has on your wellbeing.
We will consider whether:
l your needs arise as a result of providing necessary care.
For example, the health and/or emotional wellbeing of the
person you care for is likely to deteriorate if the care and
support you provide stops.
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the effect of your needs means that you are not able to
achieve any of the outcomes listed in the ‘carers eligibility
decision’ process set out below.
l as a result of your caring role there is likely to be significant
impact on your wellbeing
l
A carer’s needs are only eligible when they meet all three of
these conditions.
We will look at what you have told us and consider what support
is available to you through your own networks and through
community services provided by carer organisations that we fund.
If your needs cannot be met in this way, we will work out how much
money may be available for your support or we may provide additional
support to the person you care for.
Carers’ eligibility decision process
The needs arise as a result of providing necessary care to an
adult, and the carer is unable to achieve the following.
Outcomes
Wellbeing
As a result of the carer’s
needs, either:
• the carer’s physical or mental
health is, or is at risk of,
deteriorating; or
• the carer is unable to achieve
any of the following outcomes.
1. carrying out any caring
responsibilities the carer has
for a child
2. any caring responsibilities for
other people
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As a consequence, there is,
or is likely to be, a significant
impact on the carer’s wellbeing
including the following.
A. personal dignity (including
treatment of the individual
with respect)
B. physical and mental health
and emotional wellbeing
C. protection from abuse and
neglect
Carers’ eligibility decision process (continued)
Outcomes
Wellbeing
3. keeping their home clean
and tidy
4. eating well – managing and
maintaining nutrition
5. developing and maintaining
family or other important
personal relationships
6. accessing and engaging in
work, training, education or
volunteering
7. making use of facilities or
services in the local community
including recreational facilities
or services
8. engaging in recreational
activities
9. control by the person over
day-to-day life (including over
care and support provided
and the way it is provided)
10.participation in work, education,
training or recreation
11. social and financial wellbeing
12.domestic, family and personal
relationships
13.suitability of living
accommodation
14.the person’s contribution to
society
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If you are not eligible for funded social care support
Even if you are not eligible to receive funded support from us, you
will still be entitled to a carer’s assessment and information and advice
about available services, including some support services which are
free of charge.
The West Sussex Connect to Support website www.westsussex
connect tosupport.org has a wide range of information and advice
to support carers. Also, Carers Support West Sussex provide a range
of services to carers and have a wealth of knowledge about support
that is available across all areas of the county. See contact details at the
end of the booklet.
15.Continuity of care – what happens if I move out of West Sussex?
If you decide to move out of West Sussex to live in a different local
authority area and you have been assessed by us as having eligible
needs, we will work with your new local authority to make sure that
there is no interruption to your support after the move.
If you move out of West Sussex but the person you care for stays
within the county, we will continue to provide support to you.
16. Planning your support
Working out how much money you need
We use the information from your assessment to work out how much
money is available to meet your needs. We make sure it is a fair way
to allocate money to anyone needing support and we use the same
method for everyone – this is called the ‘resource allocation system’.
The money you receive is called your personal budget.
32
What’s in your support plan?
The plan must include:
l your eligible social care needs;
l what outcomes you want to achieve for each of your needs;
l whether or not you need help to achieve these outcomes; and
l what help you need to achieve your outcomes. This will include
support that we have agreed to provide.
17. Carer’s personal budget
If your needs are being met by funded social care support then you will
have a personal budget. This will usually be made with a one-off direct
payment . See Section 10 for information on direct payments.
You might want to use a direct payment to pay for a community service
that helps you take a break from caring or perhaps gym membership or
a piece of equipment that would make your life easier.
18. Reviewing your support
If you have a carer’s support plan we will contact you within the
first three months to check whether your needs have been met. If
everything is working well for you, we will provide you with details of
how to contact us if anything changes. If you feel your needs are not
being met we will look again at what additional support you may need.
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People with social care needs and
family and friends carers
19. Appealing against our decisions
An appeal is a way of asking for a review of a decision and will
make sure you get a quick response. It is one way of dealing with
concerns or complaints.
Appeals can be made by a customer’s representative,
for example a relative, carer or someone with Power of Attorney.
Someone else can also appeal on behalf of a customer with the
customer’s consent.
If you are not happy with a decision taken about the following
issues you can appeal.
l Eligibility for funded social care;
l Self- assessment;
l Assessment;
l Financial assessment – any discretionary charges;
l Support planning; and
l The amount of money you have been given to meet your
social care needs.
If you need assistance to make an appeal please contact us and
we will help you find an advocacy service (someone who will act on
your behalf). See section 7 for more information about advocacy.
If you would like more information about the appeals process you can
ask your social care worker, visit our website www.westsussex.gov.uk
and search under ‘Adults’ social care publications’ for a copy of our
leaflet or contact our Adults’ CarePoint. See contact details at the end
of the booklet.
34
The appeals process does not affect your right to contact the Local
Government Ombudsman at any time. However, they will only usually
investigate a complaint after you have given us a chance to deal with it
ourselves first. See ‘Useful contacts’ at the end of the booklet
for the Local Government Ombudsman contact details.
20.Give us your views
Comments, compliments and complaints
We try to make sure that we always provide a high-quality service, but
we know that there may be times when you are not entirely satisfied.
If you are not happy or are worried about your situation, tell someone
you feel might be able to help you. The person from our service you
have been in contact with, or their manager, is often the best person
to help you. Or, contact our Customer Relations Team for adults. See
contact details at the end of the booklet.
Please let us know if you have found our services useful, or if we could
improve them.
Healthwatch West Sussex
You can also feedback about our services through Healthwatch West
Sussex. Your suggestions will help us improve our services. Healthwatch
is a consumer champion for health and social care. Healthwatch
represent patients, customers, and public interests locally and
nationally. It is independent of local councils and the NHS. You can
contact Healthwatch West Sussex by phoning 0300 012 0122 or visiting
www.westsussex.gov.uk and searching for ‘Healthwatch’.
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21. Contact us
To find out more information about anything you have read in this
booklet or to see how social care support can help you, please contact
our Adults’ CarePoint. See contact details at the end of the booklet.
To see other information leaflets about our services, please visit
www.westsussex.gov.uk and search for ‘Adults’ social care publications’
or contact our Adults’ CarePoint.
See contact details at the end of the booklet.
22. Useful contacts
Care Quality Commission – South East
Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PA
Phone: 03000 616161
Fax: 03000 616171
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cqc.org.uk
Carers Support West Sussex
The Orchard, 1–2 Gleneagles Court
Brighton Road, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 6AD
Phone: 0300 028 8888
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.carerssupport.org.uk
Carewise – care funding advice
Phone: 01243 642121
Website: www.westsussexconnecttosupport.org/carewise
36
Department of Health
Richmond House, 79 Whitehall London SW1A 2NS
Phone: 020 7210 4850
Text phone: 020 7210 5025
Fax: 020 7210 5952
Website: www.dh.gov.uk
Disabled badge car –
Blue Badge
Blue Badge Team, PO Box 859
Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO21 9HT
Phone: 01243 777653
Fax: 01243 777324
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.westsussex.gov.uk/bluebadge
Independent Lives
Southfield House, 11 Liverpool Gardens,
Worthing West Sussex, BN11 1RY
Phone: General/Helpline: 08456 0123 99
Text Phone: 01903 823173
Fax: 01903 227811
Email: general:[email protected]
Website: www.independentlives.org
The Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771, Coventry, CV4 0EH
Phone: 0300 061 0614
Website: www.lgo.org.uk/making-a-complaint
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Meals on Wheels
Apetito
Phone: 0808 250 8950
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.mealsonwheels.info
NHS Coastal West Sussex
Clinical Commissioning Group
1 Causeway, Goring-by-Sea, Worthing,
West Sussex, BN12 6BT
Phone: 01903 708400
Website: www.coastalwestsussexccg.nhs.uk
NHS Crawley Clinical Commissioning Group
Crawley Hospital, West Green Drive, Crawley,
West Sussex, RH11 7DH
Phone: 01293 600300 ext. 4255
Website: www.crawleyccg.nhs.uk
NHS Horsham and Mid Sussex
Clinical Commissioning Group
Crawley Hospital, West Green Drive, Crawley,
West Sussex, RH11 7DH
Phone: 01293 600300 ext. 4255
Website: www.horshamandmidsussexccg.nhs.uk
My Network
My Network provides information, advice and support
for people with learning disabilities. For all the contact
details of your local network point please visit our
website www.westsussex.gov.uk/mynetwork
Or contact our Adults’ CarePoint. See contact details at
the end of this booklet.
38
Prevention Assessment Teams
Western - Chichester District and
Bognor Regis area.
Phone: 01243 642370
l Southern - Littlehampton, Worthing
and Shoreham area.
Phone: 01273 268900
l Northern - Crawley, Horsham and
Mid Sussex area.
Phone: 01403 229510
l
Wellbeing Hubs
For all the contact details for your
local Wellbeing hub please visit
www.westsussexwellbeing.co.uk
Or contact our Adults’ CarePoint.
See contact details at the end of
this booklet.
West Sussex Connect to Support
A website for providing information
and advice about a range of ways to help
people live independently which includes
an online market place.
www.westsussexconnecttosupport.org
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Contacts for Social Care
Adults’ CarePoint
2nd Floor The Grange, County Hall,
Chichester, PO19 1RG
Phone: 01243 642121
Typetalk: 018001 01243 642121
Email: [email protected]
Carers Support West Sussex
The Orchard, 1–2 Gleneagles Court,
Brighton Road, Crawley, RH10 6AD
Phone: 0300 028 8888
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.carerssupport.org.uk
Customer Relations Team
County Hall, Chichester,
West Sussex, PO19 1RQ
Phone: 01243 777100 (ask for
the Customer Relations Team)
Textphone: 18001 01243 777100
Email: [email protected]
Mental Health Recovery and Wellbeing Teams
For information and details of your local team,
please contact your GP or Adults’ CarePoint.
See above for contact details.
40
Community Learning Disability Teams
l
l
l
Western (Chichester and Bognor Regis areas)
Durban House, Durban Road,
Bognor Regis, PO22 9RE
Phone: 0330 222 7778
Email: [email protected]
Coastal (Littlehampton, Worthing and Shoreham areas)
Centenary House , Durrington Lane,
Worthing, BN13 2QB
Phone: 0330 222 7888
Email: [email protected]
North (Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex areas)
County Hall North, Chart Way,
Horsham, RH12 1XH
Phone: 01403 229129
Email: [email protected]
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Notes
42
W E S T SU SS E X | Care Funding Advice
Information and advice to help you make the right
choices and ease the worry of paying for care.
• Help to consider your care options
• Money advice and benefits check
• Comprehensive care services information
• Approved care fee specialists
Phone: 01243 642121
Website: www.westsussexconnecttosupport.org/carewise
Email: [email protected]
Looking for care in
West Sussex?
If you are looking for care services in West
Sussex, the care guide will certainly be of
help. The guide lists domiciliary care
(care at home services) and care homes
in West Sussex. As well as a benefits and
payments checklist, it also includes
information on day care and community
care services, extra-care housing
schemes and support for carers.
To find out more, please see a copy
of the care guide, visit our website at
www.westsussex.gov.uk/careguide
or phone 01243 642121.
43
Adults’ CarePoint
 01243 642121
[email protected]
 www.westsussex.gov.uk/
social-care-and-health

Second Floor
The Grange
County Hall
Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 1RG
Other formats
If you would like more copies of this booklet or you need this
information in another format, for example, on audio CD, easy
read or in another language, please contact us. Please see our
contact details above.
Current versions of all our public information are available on our
website www.westsussex.gov.uk under ‘Social care publications’.
Copyright © 2011 West Sussex County Council
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WS463 July 2016