CouncilCommunity care services
A guide to social services for adults
Many adults need support in their daily lives and there are lots of reasons for this. For some people, getting older means you can’t do as much as you once could; for others, you need help to cope because of a learning or physical disability, mental health needs, long-term illness, or problems with drugs or alcohol.
The kind of support people need varies from help with daily activities such as washing, dressing and meals, to visits to day centres or short breaks for carers or ‘respite care’ for the people they look after.
Most people can manage with the help of family and friends. Some people qualify for support from social services that helps them to live independently. For others, more intensive help may be needed and other options can be looked at, such as supported housing and residential or nursing care.
Who we can help
To be eligible for services, you must be 18 or over, normally resident within Tower Hamlets. You may also qualify if you are a patient in a Tower Hamlets hospital but do not live in the borough and no other council has responsibility for your care. You must also have needs arising from:
- frailty due to age
- physical disability or impairment
- 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.
How we decide who can receive help
When deciding who receives help we use the ‘Fair Access to Care Services’ (FACS) rules. The Government says all councils must use these rules so that everyone, no matter where they live, is treated in the same way. They also make sure that the people who are in most need receive services. According to the rules, eligibility for services depends on 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.
Your needs will be categorised into one of four bands – critical, substantial, moderate or low. Councils are not able to help everyone who asks for support. They set a level of need that is the minimum requirement for people to receive services and in Tower Hamlets, the level is ‘substantial’. An example of this would be if you are unable to carry out most personal and domestic routines.
If you reach that level or are likely to reach that level soon, you will have some services arranged for you. 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 the highest levels of risk.
If you do not reach the 'substantial' level but still wish to have services, you will need to arrange your own care. Wherever possible a member of council staff will offer information about organisations that may be able to help or advise you.
Social services also 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.
Finding out if you can receive help
The first step in finding out if you or someone else is eligible for help is to call the social care team within the contact centre or visit your local One-Stop-Shop. You can ask for social services assessment either in person, by letter or by telephone. You can also ask a relative or friend to request this for you.
The council’s Contact Centre and Local Service Centres have friendly and trained staff to answer your enquiries about social services for adults. Help and advice for customers whose first language is not English is also available.
These staff will make an initial decision about whether you qualify for care and you will be given a copy of their decision in writing.
What to do if you’re unhappy with our decision
If you do not agree with the decision, you should in the first instance discuss the matter with the member of staff. If you are still not happy you can ask their manager to review the decision.
If you have a complaint about the way your assessment was conducted you can contact the complaints officer by sending a letter for free to:
The Complaints Officer
Adults Health and Wellbeing Directorate
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Freepost Plus RRBZ-UCYT-ZLRX
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London E14 2BG
Or you can call for free on: 0800 374 176
It is important to realise that the complaints procedure can only be used if you do not believe your assessment was carried out properly. It cannot be used to change the council’s assessment of your needs.
Further information
There are several ways you can contact us if you want help for yourself or another person. Your enquiries will be dealt with in confidence.
Through our social care team
Contact the council’s social care team:
Tel: 020 7364 5005
email: adultcare@towerhamlets.gov.uk
In person at a local one stop shop
