WCC - Home Care Services
Supporting you to continue living at home
Welcome to the Council’s home care service
We promote services with the aim of helping you to achieve a maximum level of independence and to remain at home.
The home care agency staff we use are professionally trained and committed to providing high standards of care to everyone who receives the service.
What home care services are for
Home care services are designed to offer you the support you need to maintain your wellbeing and to continue to live longer at home and in the community as independently as possible.
This could involve support to:
- manage your personal care, such as showering, getting dressed and help with using the toilet
- assist with medication and some low level health tasks
- keep yourself safe
- prepare a meal and drink and assisting eating and drinking
- participate in your local community
- maintain your home, such as laundry and housework
- collect your pension and shopping.
Who the home care service is for
The home care service is for residents assessed as needing support in order to remain living at home. Home care is usually offered to residents who have undergone a short term intensive period of support first, known as reablement. Reablement is offered to those:
- planning to leave hospital
- recovering from an illness or
- having difficulties with day to day tasks around the home.
The community independence (reablement) service works with you to develop a short term care plan based on your needs and what you want to achieve, helping you to do as much as you can for yourself and setting weekly goals such as:
- regaining your confidence
- rebuilding your skills
- increasing your independence.
We will also have seen if any equipment, assistive technology such as an alarm pendant, meals service or any adaptations to your home would help you. When your reablement programme is due to finish, you will be reassessed to see if you still require other services, which may include home care.
For more information about reablement
Search for ‘community independence services’, ‘reablement’ or ‘leaving hospital’ on our People First website at www.peoplefirstinfo.org.uk, where you can download and print our leaflet ‘Community independence services’ from the Leaflets Library at the top of the homepage.
How can I get home care services?
We will carry out an assessment to look at what you can do and what you need help with.
An assessment identifies your social care needs where we decide what, if any, care and support you need to help live your day to day life, as defined by the Care Act 2014.
It is carried out through a meeting between yourself, a trained assessor, any relevant family members, carers or an advocate. The assessment considers
- your needs and how they impact on your wellbeing
- the needs of anyone who is caring for you if you live alone or anyone who supports you.
and if you can:
- make choices for yourself
- stay healthy and safe
- manage your own daily routine and personal care (such as washing, showering and getting dressed, doing your laundry, housework and shopping, collecting your benefits and meal preparation)
- be involved in family and community life
- accept support from those around you.
Will I have to pay?
We will ask you to complete a financial assessment form to enable us to work out if you will need to pay something towards your care or not.
If I qualify for a home care service what happens next?
After your assessment and if you are eligible, you will be advised of the personal budget available to you based on a care and support plan developed and agreed with you. This plan sets out in detail the services you will receive or home care services you can buy with your personal budget. You will be given a copy of this.
About your personal budget
A personal budget is the total amount of money that we calculate is required to support you.
You can ask the Council to spend your personal budget and organise your support for you or you can ask them to give your personal budget money to you in the form of a direct payment, allowing you to purchase care to meet your needs.
Direct payments
A direct payment is paid directly to you or to your representative, preferably in the form of a pre-loaded card or into a bank account or the bank account of someone else you choose, to allow you to purchase care to meet your needs and outcomes.
To take a direct payment you have to set up a separate bank account for it to be paid into and organise any services that you are managing yourself.
You can ask the Direct Payment Support Service to help you if you are thinking of employing a personal assistant.
The benefit of a direct payment is that it gives you more control over the care you choose and how you manage the care. For example, you can pay someone you know or a trained carer to provide support for you rather than using a care agency or other professional care provider.
For more information, view the Direct Payments leaflet by searching for ‘Direct payments’ under the Leaflets Library at the top of the People First webpage www.peoplefirstinfo.org.uk home page or ask your assessor to print it off for you.
People First also provides listings of suppliers of care and support services.
What if I do not qualify for home care services?
If you do not qualify for a service we will put you in touch with other organisations that might be able to help.
What can you expect from us
- ensure that staff are: welcoming, courteous, professional, make you feel safe and present themselves with I.D and appropriate clothing
- respond to your questions as quickly as possible and give you clear answers
- encourage you to do as much for yourself to maintain your independence
- work out with you how best to achieve what you want
- try to make sure you have the same set of care workers wherever possible
- ask you what you think about your home care service, so you can have a say in the service you receive
- tell you how much it will cost to meet your needs and how much the Council will contribute towards the cost so you have more control over how that money is spent.
What we expect from you
- to be more in control of decisions that affect you
- to let us know that when making a support and care plan with you, the care and support are meeting your needs
- to work with us on how you can get to do the things that are important to you, your household or carer, in and outside of your home.
- to tell us about your needs and how they impact on your wellbeing
- to think about the needs of anyone who is caring for you
- to think about what you want to achieve with your life. (These can be anything, big or small, enabling you to feel a greater sense of physical or emotional wellbeing)
- to let us know what services need to be provided to keep you independent for longer.
How do I apply?
A request for an assessment can be made by you, a friend, carer or relative, a voluntary organisation, the hospital or your doctor. If anyone contacts us on your behalf, they must have your consent to advocate for you. To apply, see contact details on the last page.
Finding out more
There are a number of ways in which you can find out more about recent changes under the Care Act, about how to access care and support, and about the care and support options which are available to you.
Online help and leaflets
The Government has produced a series of factsheets which explain the aims of the Care Act and how the changes may affect you. Visit www.gov.uk and search ‘care act’.
They have also produced a series of leaflets in formats for people with learning disabilities. Search for ‘care act easy read’ on www.gov.uk
To find out more about the changes to care and support, visit www.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/social-care
The People First website
The People First website is an easy-to-use online resource that puts you in touch with a wealth of information and local services that can help you live the life you want, be independent, and find the help you feel you might need. The website is provided by the Adult Social Care service of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council.
Contact your council
To ask for more information about the Care Act or other care and support issues, or to request an assessment of your support needs contact your council direct:
Telephone: 020 7641 2500
Email: adultsocialcare@westminster.gov.uk
Leaflets
There are a range of leaflets from your council on issues covered by the Care Act, and on other issues which may be of interest to you. To access leaflets telephone your council using the details above, or go to the Leaflets Library at the top of the home page at www.peoplefirstinfo.org.uk
Independent information and advice
The following organisations offer specialist advice on a wide range of issues including health and disability, care and support options, money, benefits and accommodation. Those marked with an asterisk offer some level of information and advice about the Care Act.
- Action on Disability*
A user-led organisation managed and controlled by disabled people, campaigning for the rights of disabled people, delivering accessible activities, information, advice and advocacy services.
Action on Disability, Clem Attlee Court, London SW6 7BF
Telephone: 020 7385 2098
aod.org.uk - Age UK*
The country’s largest charity dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life through providing services and support to inspire, enable and support older people.
Age UK Westminster, Office 1, Beethoven Centre, Third Ave, London W10 4JL
Telephone: 020 3004 5610
www.ageuk.org.uk/westminster - Carers Network*
Carers Network is the first point of contact for unpaid adult carers living in Westminster who need information, advice or support about being a carer.
Office 8, Beethoven Centre, Third Avenue, London W10 4JL
Telephone: 020 8960 3033
www.carers-network.co.uk - Citizens Advice Bureau*
Helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers.
Westminster Citizens Advice Bureau, 258 Harrow Road, The Stowe Centre, London, England, W2 5ES
Telephone: 0808 278 7834 (option 4)
www.westminstercab.org.uk - Mind
Mind provides advice and support to people with mental health needs and their carers.
West Central London Mind, Head Office, 23 Monck St, London, SW1P 2AE
Telephone: 020 7259 8100
www.wclmind.org.uk