1. Adult Social Care Support Step by step

2. Joan’s story Joan needs some extra support She may ask for support from friends, family members or her neighbour, local Drop In or GP - all are part of her ‘circle’ of trusted support

3. Information and advice www.yourcircle.org.uk By offering better access to information and advice, Joan can resolve some of her own issues with support from her family or friends, if that is what she wants.

4. Needing extra support Joan feels that she would like to make more friends and needs to lose weight for health reasons, but her family are concerned that she is unable to walk to the leisure centre safely without support She calls the Adult Social Care Help Desk – 01452 426868

5. Joan’s initial assessment The Help Desk arrange an initial assessment for Joan She can invite a relative or a friend to be involved in her assessment – we would welcome their input We can arrange an independent advocate to help her speak up and express her wishes

6. Completing Joan’s Assessment Questions during her assessment might include: -Have there been any recent changes or events in your life? -What is a good day or a bad day like for you? -Who are the people most important to you? -What activities do you most value? -What do you feel is going well for you at the moment, and what is not working so well? -How would you like your situation to improve?

7. Allocating money towards Joan’s support Using Joan’s assessment, a computer system calculates Joan’s estimated (or ‘indicative’) personal budget This is a guide, rather than an allocation of money, based on what we estimate it will cost to meet her identified support needs. It will help her start her Support Plan.

8. Contributing to the costs Financial and Benefits Assessment (FAB) The council may contribute to her personal budget according to Joan’s financial situation (income, savings & financial commitments) During the FAB we will help make sure that Joan is getting all the right benefits. We need to work out how contributions to Joan’s personal budget will be made up

9. Developing Joan’s Support Plan Joan can write her support plan herself, or get help from family, friend, another organisation or our staff. Whichever she chooses, it is important that she is as involved as much as possible.

10. Step by step – Joan’s story We will look at all means of meeting her needs, including services such as information and advice, or technology such as ‘Telecare’ – for example alarms to remind her to lock the back door or an easy to use telephone.

11. Joan’s circle of support

12. 1.Meet the needs identified during her assessment 2.Be legal 3.Keep her safe 4.Offer value for money To be agreed by the council, Joan’s Support Plan must:

13. Joan’s needs to consider: 1.What is important to her? 2.What does she want to change and achieve? 3.How will she be supported? 4.How will she use her personal budget? 5.How will her support be managed? 6.How will she stay in control? 7.What is she going to do to make this plan happen?

14. Joan’s Support Plan might include: Traditional social care – like having someone to help her get up, wash and dressed A personal assistant instead of a council carer A service offered in the community – cleaning, help with laundry or hot meals An independent care agency Transport to visit her family or friends A local club or educational activity Equipment to help her live independently

15. Joan’s Support Plan can include money from other sources: Independent Living Fund – money to help disabled people over 15 and under 65 live in the community Disabled Facilities Grant – for changes to your house, like a stair lift or a wet room Access to Work – for the cost of workplace adjustments to help a disabled person take up or retain paid work Supporting People – spent on ‘housing related support’ to help people live independently in their own home.

16. Eligibility to social care support We work out Joan’s eligibility according to the national ‘Fair Access to Care Services’ (FACS) criteria. We can only meet needs that are assessed as critical or substantial.

17. Putting her support into action Everyone’s support plan will be different. Everyone will want a different level of control. There is no formula – just what suits Joan. Joan may like to organise this support herself, get someone else to organise it all, or something in the middle.

18. Community Links Joan is put in touch with Community Links Community Links: -Free 6 month program -Tailored to Joan -Enables her to gain further independence, meet new friends and learn about new activities that she might like to try.

19. Community Links -After the 6 month program, Joan has gained further independence. -She can now prepare meals and will join in with activities with her friends, via the Drop ins.

20. After Community Links Joan still needs additional help and we work with her to complete her full assessment looking at her needs and goals

21. Contingency planning Joan needs to include a contingency plan that can be put into action should something unexpected happen. This plan should tell us how her care needs will be met in any emergency, for example if her carer suddenly became ill e.g. The Carers Emergency Support Scheme.

22. Changing circumstances If Joan needs more or less support, or her financial circumstances change then she needs to let us know as soon as possible. We will need to review her support with her.

23. Joan’s future We will arrange to review Joan’s support plan at least once a year to make sure that it is still meeting her needs. Hopefully Joan will no longer, require social care intervention in the long term and can choose instead to seek ongoing advice from the Drop In services.

24. How Joan’s manages her budget Personal Budget by Direct Payment Money is paid directly to Joan and she can use it to organise, buy and manage her agreed support. Combination Personal Budget A combination of the two options above. Managed Personal Budget The council organises, buys and manages Joan’s agreed support – a less flexible option. 1 2 3

25. Keeping track If Joan receives a Direct Payment, (option 1) she is responsible for how the money is spent. The Direct Payment Guide available from the county council gives advice and support. Joan will need to keep a careful record on how she uses the money and always keep her receipts. 1

26. Further information Visit www.gloucestershire.gov.ukwww.gloucestershire.gov.uk Visit www.yourcircle.org.ukwww.yourcircle.org.uk Contact the Adult Social Care Help Desk: 01452 42 6868