Assessment of your care needs

Overview What you’ll get from an assessment of your care needs How to get an assessment of your care needs Who’s involved in an assessment of your care needs What happens during an assessment of your care needs What an assessment of your care needs costs What happens after the assessment Further information

What happens after the assessment

You’ll be sent a copy of the outcome, which sets out how your needs can be met. You’re entitled to have this so ask for a copy if you do not get it.

You’ll be given a review date, which is usually 6 months after your assessment. If anything changes before your review date, you can ask for an earlier review.

The person who carries out the assessment should be told before the assessment if any part of your care package is likely to change. This means they’ll be able to discuss changes with you before they’re made.

If you disagree with the outcome of your assessment, you can ask for a further discussion of your needs.

If you have a complaint about the way the assessment was carried out, you should use the social care department’s complaints procedure. Find out more about making a complaint.

When you’ll get social care support

When you receive information about your assessment outcome, you’ll also get details about:

• what services you need
• when you’ll have access to these services

You might not get all the help you’ve been assessed as needing right away, as it’s allocated in order of priority of need. If your needs change while you’re waiting, get back in touch with your local social care department.

Emergency care

If the situation is life threatening, phone 999 immediately.

If a cared for person needs urgent social care or protection, phone your council’s social care department.

The department should have an emergency number for evenings, weekends and public holidays.