Risk levels for aspects of independence

Tower Hamlets Council is responsible for providing or arranging a wide range of care and support services to a large number of people in Tower Hamlets.

The Council has to decide what needs require the provision of community care services, and which services will best meet those needs.

Eligibility criteria enable the Council to target services at those people who are in most need, and so address and manage the relationship between potentially unlimited needs and the limited resources available.

To be eligible for community care services, you must have needs arising from:

• frailty due to age,
• physical disability or impairment or life-limiting illness,
• sensory disability or impairment,
• learning disability or impairment,
• cognitive disability or impairment,
• substance misuse,
• mental health difficulties,
• your role in providing substantial and regular care to somebody with one or more of the above difficulties.

Within this, eligibility for services depends on the risk to independence if services were not provided to meet identified needs.

The aim of community care services is to promote independence by helping people to live as independently as possible in their homes or in an alternative setting in the community.

The eligibility criteria are used to establish the level of risk to your independence in four areas:

• health and safety including freedom from harm, abuse and neglect,
• autonomy and freedom to make choices,
• the ability to manage personal and other daily routines, and
• involvement in work, family and wider community life.

Tower Hamlets Council has set out in the following eligibility criteria for services its view of different needs for care and support, and the levels of risk to independence that result.

The needs we will meet are those that result in a level of risk above the threshold for services.

Services will be provided to reduce the level of risk below the threshold in the most cost-effective way.

We will not normally provide long term care in the home that costs the council more than it would cost to meet the same needs by providing residential care.

We will give priority to responding to the highest levels of risk.

People whose needs are assessed as resulting in a risk level below the threshold will not get a community care service.

In this case, we will give you information about organisations that may be able to help or advise you.

Social services funds a number of voluntary sector organisations to provide a wide range of supports that anyone can access, including advocacy, advice, befriending, day support and activities, and lunch clubs.

In deciding the level of risk to independence that will attract community care services, the council must take its resources into account as it must be able to afford services to meet needs that fall above the threshold.

It must review the level of risk for which services will be provided every year.

Because the same criteria are used for everyone, services are offered on a fair and consistent basis.

This means that while we recognise that everyone is different, you will get a similar level of service to meet similar needs wherever you live in Tower Hamlets, and whatever your age, abilities or cultural background.

There are separate, statutory eligibility criteria for freedom passes (bus passes) and blue badges (previously orange badges).