A care and support assessment:
- is carried out to see what support you may need in your daily life
- will find out if you're eligible for support from your local council (Southend-on-Sea City Council)
- can be the first step towards adult social care
Anyone who lives in Southend-on-Sea can request a care and support assessment. Requests can be made for:
- yourself
- someone you look after as a carer
How does a care and support assessment work?
The assessment is usually a conversation between:
- you (or the person you look after)
- us (a trained person from Southend-on-Sea City Council or an organisation we work with, for example, Carers First)
- anyone who supports you already, such as a doctor or your neighbour
During an assessment, we will consider:
- your strengths, needs and what outcomes you want to achieve
- what help and support you have or could have from the people in the community around you
- the things you may need some support with to keep you well and independent
The assessment will cover your:
- physical needs, for example any help you may need to wash, dress, or get in and out of bed
- mental and emotional needs, for example how you can be enabled to carry on doing the things you enjoy such as working, volunteering or be being able to meet your friends and family
What happens after the assessment?
You will receive a copy of the assessment and outcome. This will show if you're eligible for help from the Council (Southend-on-Sea City Council) based on the Care Act's national eligibility criteria.
If you're eligible for help
We will complete a financial assessment to see how much you or the person you support needs to pay towards care.
Find out more about paying for care.
If you're not eligible for help
We can put you in touch with organisations that may be able to help you, for example local charities or services.
How to request an assessment
You can ask for help by using our online portal, which is the quickest and easiest way to make a referral for yourself or the person you care for. If you don't have access to the internet, you can call our Contact Centre on 01702 215008.