SJP The steps involved with social care
Most of us probably won’t have much experience with social care until there is a specific need to, and the whole process can seem quite daunting. And it’s not surprising; there are many moving parts, many different people to speak to and lots of decisions to make to find the right care for you or your loved one.
The steps below may help with understanding some of the steps to expect when deciding what care is right for you. These are not exhaustive, and no two experiences are likely to be the same, however these should give a broad idea to help you with your planning.
Your St. James’s Place Partner will be able to help provide you with advice and guidance with finding the care that is right for you.
Identifying a need for care
- Be clear about what is causing the need – e.g. illness or just simple ‘old age’
- Think about how the situation is likely to develop in the future
- Contact your St. James’s Place Partner to discuss your options
Assessing your care needs
- Build an understanding of what specific needs you have
- Have a care needs assessment with your local authority
- They will tell you if you qualify for local authority care
Understanding your options
- Think about whether care in your own home is possible
- If you need residential care, be clear about whether you’ll need specialised nursing care or just general support
- Investigate whether your local authority or the NHS is likely to pay for some or all of the care
Finding the right kind of care
- Be clear about your specific needs, both now and in the future
- If you haven’t already, contact your St. James’s Place Partner – our association with Care Sourcer means we can give you expert guidance on finding the right solutions for you
- Do plenty of research and ask the care providers lots of questions
- The services offered by Care Sourcer are separate and distinct to those offered by St. James's Place.
Paying for care
- Have an idea of what your care is likely to cost, according to your needs
- Find out if your local authority will pay some or all of the costs through a financial assessment
- If you will need to fund your own care, speak to your St. James’s Place Partner for guidance on the best ways of meeting the cost
Further support
The following pages will help provide more information on the various stages of putting care in place, and also answer some of the more common questions that most people have when researching social care options.
