Fair access to care services
We have a duty to provide services to vulnerable children and adults in Ealing. We work with organisations such as health, housing, the police, voluntary sector and benefits agency to provide:
- advice, information and counselling
- home care, mobile meals, special equipment and day care opportunities services to help people live independently in their own homes
- residential care services
- direct payments and independent living schemes
- support to carers
Do I qualify for help from social services in Ealing?
You must be over 18 years of age and normally resident in the
borough or a homeless person/a patient in an Ealing hospital (for
whom no other council has responsibility).
You must also need help because of one or more of the following:
- a physical disability or difficulty,
- a sensory impairment, such as difficulties with seeing and/or hearing
- a learning or cognitive disability or difficulty
- a mental health problem
- problems with drug and alcohol misuse
- been suffering from abuse and/or neglect
- you are over 65 with one of the above difficulties
- you are a carer which means you provide personal assistance without payment to someone in the above categories
How to ask for help from social services
Please contact the social services customer contact centre on
(020) 8825 8000, or complete the
self-referral form (word) and email it to
sscallcentre@ealing.gov.uk
, or visit your nearest
social services reception point.
What happens when I contact social services?
You will be asked for information about yourself, your needs
and circumstances. Some requests can be dealt with quickly and
easily. Others are more complex and we will need a detailed
understanding of the situation, so we can offer the best possible
response. The process for doing this is called an assessment of
need.
What is an assessment and who is involved?
An assessment means gathering all the relevant information
about you, so your situation is fully understood. The kind of
assessment you have will depend on the needs you tell us about.
Sometimes we may need to involve other people who know you, such as
your doctor. However we will ask you before we contact them. All
information is treated as confidential.
Interpreters and/or advocates can help you if necessary. Your carers and family may also be involved in part of the assessment. If you have a carer (such as a friend of relative who looks after you) they will be offered an assessment too.
How do we make decisions about whether care will be provided and
at what level?
The decision will be based on eligibility criteria - a set of
standards that determine how vulnerable a person is, what risk they
face, now and in the future. Priorities for help depend on the
level of need, based on the immediate and longer-term risks to the
person. Priorities are needed to make sure resources are used
fairly and wisely.
What are the priority levels?
There are four priority levels for help:
- priority one – critical
- priority two – substantial
- priority three – moderate
- priority four - low
Ealing social services will only be able to meet those needs that fall into the first two categories – critical and substantial.
Full details of these standards are given our brochure Can I get help from social services (word).
What happens as a result of an assessment?
We will plan your care with you and other organisations (such
as the health service) if necessary. The amount of service and how
quickly it can be offered depends on your priority levels, which
take into account your overall circumstances and what current
support you have.
You will receive a written statement about the care arranged for you, so that it is clear what can be provided and at what cost.
Is there a charge for services?
For some services you will need to contribute towards
the cost of the service - depending on your financial
circumstances. Further information on charging is available from
the social services contact centre on (020) 8825 8000 or the social
services finance team on (020) 8825 7066 (for residential services)
or (020) 8825 5998 (for home care).
What happens if I don't qualify for help?
We will:
- put our decisions and reasons in writing
- give you useful information about other sources of support
- explain how you can contact us again, and if we are informed that your situation has changed we will review the decision.
- tell you how to make a complaint if you are dissatisfied