Care and support assessments are conducted according to a set of national eligibility criteria.
They are provided on two levels for:
- people needing help and support to live the life they want are care and support assessments
- people providing help and support to others are carer’s assessments
The criteria helps to ensure that everyone receives a fair assessment. Your needs will be identified according to you and your ability to achieve the life you want to live.
The trained staff at your local Community Advice Hub can explain national eligibility criteria for care and support, and the care and support assessment process.
National eligibility criteria
The national eligibility criteria means that your needs have to:
- be caused by or be related to a physical or mental impairment or illness
- cause you to be unable to achieve two or more of the specified outcomes listed below
- significantly impact your life and wellbeing as a result of not being unable to meet the specified outcomes
Solihull Care and Support services will be able to provide you with help if you meet all three of these conditions.
If you need more information, the Social Institute for Excellence explain eligibility under the Care Act.
Specified outcomes
The specified outcomes which are measured as part of the national eligibility criteria will be tailored to your situation.
Typically, they can include:
- overall wellbeing
- your ability to manage daily living activities
- managing and maintaining a healthy nutrition
- the balance of your diet and how you plan and cook meals
- maintaining your personal hygiene
- your ability to wash yourself and your clothes
- managing your toilet needs
- any toiletry conditions such as incontinence that you experience
- being able to dress appropriately
- how you dress for the right weather conditions
- being able to move around and get into your home safely
- your safety at home and how you safely get into and out of your home
- keeping your home sufficiently clean and safe
- how you clean and tidy your home and keep your home safe
- being able to develop and maintain family or other personal relationships
- your risk of being lonely and/or isolated
- accessing and engaging in work, training, education or volunteering
- the opportunities that are available in your local area
- being able to safely use necessary facilities or services in the local community
- how easy or difficult it is for you to get to and use public transport, parks, shops and so on
- carrying out any caring responsibilities
- if you care for children or other people