How we carry out an assessment
An assessment can take place over the phone, in your own home or in hospital. We are happy for you to have someone with you, if you like.
We will ask you to tell us what difficulties you have and how you would like things to be better.
We also ask about your family or carer, and can assess them as well if they need support.
We will only ever talk to other people or professionals – for example, your doctor – if you give us permission, except in some rare cases where we have to by law.
How soon we can assess you
We will try to assess you:
- within 24 hours if your situation is urgent or you are at serious risk of harm
- within 28 days in all other situations
After your assessment
After your assessment we will talk with you about help and support:
- to meet your needs
- for the things you want to achieve
Depending on your needs, we may offer you help or we may give you information and advice on other local support that can help you.
If we are able to help you, we will agree a support plan for you, along with a Personal Budget that sets out how much your support plan will cost.
If you are eligible for help from us we will work to arrange this within 28 days of the assessment being carried out.
If you are not eligible for help we will still give you information and advice on other services that can help you live independently.
Getting an assessment
If you've looked into getting support from local community groups but still feel you need support from us, you can ask for a needs assessment.
Although we try to arrange assessments as quickly as possible, there may be a wait time of 28 working days or more.