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Who can get help from Community Care Services?

Community Care Services help people to live safely and independently in their local communities, with family, friends and relatives, for as long as they are able. We work in partnership with Bournemouth family doctors, other health services and with private and voluntary agencies to promote independent living.

When you first contact us we will ask about your situation and discuss how we can help. You may require advice to enable you to make your own arrangements for your care. If so, our staff will always give information to help you do this. If necessary, we will arrange to assess your needs using guidelines called eligibility criteria. This involves meeting with you and, if you choose, the people who regularly care for you to find out how you can be helped.

The following tells you about the stages in deciding who we can help and the guidelines we take into account. We understand that each person has individual needs and consider this when making what are sometimes difficult decisions about what services we can provide.

How we decide who is eligible for Community Care Services

Community Care Services have to work within fixed budgets but at the same time must make sure help is provided to those most in need. Not everyone will be eligible to receive a service. However, you will not be discriminated against on grounds of age, gender, race, disability, living arrangements or location.

Here are the basic stages to decide which services, if any, we can provide:

Based on what we are told we decide whether you are eligible for an assessment to work out your needs.
If appropriate, a member of staff will meet with you and, if you choose, the people who regularly care for you. Together we talk about the difficulties which arise and ways in which help can be provided. This is known as an assessment and helps us understand your care needs.
We compare your needs with our eligibility criteria which set out the levels of need we are able to help meet. This enables us to decide if we are able to assist.
You do not have to pay for the assessment of your needs or information to help you. There may be a charge for services provided to meet your needs.

What we consider when assessing your needs

We talk to you about the following aspects of maintaining independence:

• daily routines and home environment
• family and wider community
• the needs of your carers
• health and safety.

We then consider the risk of harm or danger and the impact on your independence if your needs are not addressed. There are four levels of need. These are described on pages 6 and 7. You will only be eligible for support from Bournemouth Community Care Services if your needs are critical or substantial and if there is no one else willing or able to assist.

How we decide what services can be arranged

Following the assesment we will tell you which needs are eligible for a service. We then discuss with you the best way to meet these needs. This could include services arranged by us or Direct Payments to enable you to make your own arrangements. We draw up a care plan to describe what support will be available and who will provide it. The type of service you can expect will take account of help from family, friends or other organisations.

Examples of ways we can meet your needs include:

• day care
• home care
• carer support
• rehabilitation
• supported employment
• direct payments to enable you to buy and pay for services yourself.

In general we will encourage you to find your own solutions to your problems or provide short term help to enable you to become independent or to give you time to arrange your own services.

How quickly can you get help?

If you need information about services we can usually provide this straight away during office hours. For immediate response/emergency situations the assessment will start within 24 hours. All other assessments will commence within 48 hours.

What happens if your needs are not eligible for a service?

If your needs do not meet our eligibility criteria, we will give advice and information to help you. This may include details of other organisations which can provide support.

Bands of Need

Critical

Either now or in the next few days:

• life is, or will be, threatened
• significant health problems have developed or will develop
• there is, or will be, little or no choice and control over vital aspects of the immediate environment
• serious abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur
• there is, or will be, an inability to carry out vital personal care or domestic routines
• vital involvement in work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained
• vital social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained
• vital family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

Substantial

Either now or in the next 3 months:

• there is or will be only partial choice and control over the immediate environment
• abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur
• there is, or will be, an inability to carry out the majority of personal care or domestic routines
• involvement in many aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained
• the majority of social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained
• the majority of family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

Moderate

When either now or in the next 12 months:

• there is, or will be, an inability to carry out several personal care or domestic routines
• involvement in several aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained
• several social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained
• several family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

Low

When:

• there is, or will be, an inability to carry out one or two personal care or domestic routines
• involvement in one or two aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained
• one or two social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained
• one or two family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

Reviewing services

We review the services with you regularly to make sure they are meeting your needs. We will invite you and your carer to review your needs to help us see if they are still eligible for services or if changes are needed.