This FAQ answers common questions people with care and support needs have.
What is care and support?
‘Care and support’ is the help some adults need to live as well as possible with any illness or disability they may have.
It can include help with things like getting out of bed, getting dressed, into work, cooking meals, seeing friends, caring for your family and being part of our community.
It can also mean support from community groups and networks, for example giving others a lift to a social event.
Where is care and support provided?
Most care and support is provided informally by family, friends or the local community, for example community groups, churches and charities.
You may need support in your own home, support to get out and about in the community, support with daily living tasks etc.
This can be provided in a range of ways by different organisations, including the Council, depending on your personal circumstances.
Care and support can be given in your own home, which may include home care or supported living arrangements (sometimes called ‘domiciliary care’), out and about in the community or in a residential setting such as a nursing or care home.
When can care and support be provided by the Council?
If you have eligible needs then you can use care and support services available from Rutland County Council.
What do you mean by ‘eligible needs’?
We have national eligibility criteria, and your needs must meet certain requirements to receive care and support from the Council.
How can I find out if I have eligible needs?
To find out the answer to this question, you need to complete an assessment.
Rutland County Council will work with you to assess your care and support needs and decide whether you meet the eligibility criteria.
To get an assessment, contact the Adult Duty Team.
What is an assessment?
An assessor will either complete your assessment with you, or you can be supported to complete it yourself.
The assessment will focus on a number of things: what’s working well, what’s not working so well and if you need any help etc.
You willl talk about things like your current situation, what concerns you, your health, your safety, your physical abilities, your home environment, who supports you if anyone, what your needs are etc.
It will also involve pulling together a summary of your needs and the outcomes you want to achieve.
The assessor will look at whether there are any risks to you and your wellbeing and agree with you how they can be best managed.
They will also look at how to help you prevent and delay the need for care and support.
They will then give you their professional opinion and following the assessment, your assessor will determine whether you are eligible for support from Rutland County Council.
If you are then together you will draft a care and support plan looking at how your needs can be best met.
Can my family and friends be involved in my assessment?
Yes – if you would like them to be.
We will work with you and any carers, family members or friends that you would like to be involved in the assessment.
What happens if I can’t express my views or need help communicating what I want?
Rutland County Council can arrange for an independent advocate to represent and support you if can’t express your views or need help communicating what you want.
What happens after the assessment?
You will be notified, in writing, of the outcome of your assessment and whether your needs are eligible or not.
If you have eligible needs, you will be fully involved in developing your care and support plan showing the outcomes you want to achieve, and how these will be met.
Whatever the decision, you will be offered advice and information about the services who could help you, and prevent or delay your need for care and support in the future.
What is a care and support plan?
A care and support plan is an agreement between you and the Council that shows how your care and support needs will be met.
The plan will make it clear whether there are eligible needs that the council will pay for or needs that can be met in other ways.
It will also include a personal budget to help you understand how much it will cost to meet your needs and how this money will be spent.
You and anyone else you ask for will be involved in preparing your plan and agree with its contents. It will ultimately set out how you can continue to do the things that are important to you and your family with the right level of care and support.
The Council will review your plan with you at regular intervals, to make sure that your needs continue to be met over time. If anything changes, the Council will carry out a new assessment with you. You have the right to ask for a review of your care and support plan, at any time if you wish.
Is care and support free?
Care and support is not a free service, like the NHS.
Whilst some types of care and support are provided free (for instance, information and advice), many other types cost money to use.
There are many different ways to pay for your care and support.
What will I have to pay?
Most people who need care and support will pay at least something towards the costs. You will only be asked to pay what you can afford for your care and support.
Sometimes a person will pay the full cost and sometimes the cost will be shared between the person and the Council, depending on their circumstances.
To decide what you can afford to pay, we will carry out a financial assessment with you. We will consider your income and any assets you own, like a house or other investments.
We will then calculate how much you can afford to pay towards your care and support costs.
Should I get independent financial advice?
Paying for care and support can be complicated sometimes.
It is a good idea to get some independent financial advice before making any decisions.
Some of the benefits:
- Financial advice and information is often free
- Experts can give you accurate advice on complicated matters
- Independent advice is impartial and your needs will be the most important
- You may be given options that you have not previously considered
- You may increase your income by accessing benefits that you are entitled to, but have not already claimed
- You might be able to reduce any debts or bills
What is a personal budget?
This is a statement that sets out the cost to the council of meeting your care needs.
It includes the amount that you must pay towards that cost yourself (on the basis of your financial assessment), as well as any amount that the council must pay.
This means that you will know how much it will cost to meet your needs and how much the council will contribute towards the cost, making it easier for you to plan now and in the future.
You will also have more control over how the money the council contributes to your care is spent, helping you to do the things that are important to you and your family, with the right level of support.
What is a direct payment?
A direct payment is a payment of money from Rutland County Council to either yourself (the person needing care and support) or to someone else acting on your behalf.
This money is to pay for the cost of arranging all or part of your own support.
The Council could make a direct payment instead of arranging or providing any services ourselves, if you ask us to do so.
This helps you to take more control over your own care.
We must provide a direct payment to you if you meet the eligibility criteria for getting care and support.
What can I do if I am unhappy about any decisions made about my care and support?
If you feel able to, talk through your concerns with the people directly involved and see if you can resolve the issue together.
If you are unhappy with a decision that has been made about your care and support, you may be able to appeal against the decision. Contact the Council on 01572 722 577 or email enquiries@rutland.gov.uk to find out if you are able to appeal.
If you are still unhappy, you can make a complaint to Rutland County Council.
Making a complaint will not adversely affect the care and support services you receive or how you are treated by us.
How can I give the Council feedback about the services they provide?
Rutland County Council is always keen to receive your comments on services generally, not just in relation to complaints.
We would welcome any views you have about any of our services.
For example, if you feel a service is working particularly well we would like to know about this.
Tel: 01572 722 577 or email letusknow@rutland.gov.uk.
Safeguarding: Important Information
Keeping vulnerable adults safe...
The national eligibility criteria don’t apply to safeguarding situations where there is concern about potential abuse or neglect. Rutland County Council will always respond in situations where there is concern.
If Rutland County Council reason to suspect that you or any other adult in Rutland is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect then the Council will make enquiries.
This applies even where the person doesn’t normally live in Rutland but is in the county at the time.
If you are worried about yourself or another person, please contact the Adult Duty Team on 01572 722577 or email dutyteam@rutland.gov.uk.
For more information about safeguarding generally, visit the Leicestershire and Rutland Safeguarding Board website: http://lrsb.org.uk/adults.