Community Care in Bexley
Your Guide to Community Care in Bexley
What is Community Care?
Most older, sensory impaired, or disabled people or those who
have special needs want to continue to live in their own home for as long as possible.
Bexley Social Services works with the health service and voluntary groups to give
people the help that they need to do this. This is called Community Care.
Will I receive help from social services?
New requirements came into force in April 2003 under the Government's
"Fair Access to Care Services" legislation. This requirement aims to
ensure equity of services across all adult client groups and that the criteria
by which people are assessed as eligible is consistent throughout the country.
For Bexley, Council Members have agreed the Eligibility Threshold for 2003/2004
to be set at the moderate level. This means that anyone who has their needs assessed
as low will not, at present, receive a social care service unless their needs
are likely to deteriorate in the near future. This threshold will be reviewed
in April 2004.
For more information on the eligibility criteria and to see what in practice
this may mean for you, view
the eligibility matrix  here (694KB, PDF file).
If you would like a hard copy of this document, please contact Nicola
Couchman on 020 8836 8164.
How do I get help?
If you need help, you can phone, visit or write to your Social
Services office. If you prefer, you can ask someone else to do this for you -
a neighbour, a member of your family, your doctor or someone else who cares for
you. This first contact is called a "referral".
Telephone 01322 356363
Services for people with mental health problems
Community Mental Health Teams are based at the following centres:
Erith Centre
Park Crescent, Erith
Kent, DA8 3EE
 020
8308 3110
Bexleyheath Centre
4 Emerton Close, Bexleyheath
Kent, DA6 8DX
020
8301 9400
Services for people with learning disabilities
Learning Disability Team
Stuart House, Halfway Street
Sidcup
Kent, DA15 8LH
020
8269 3300
 All
the offices listed above are wheelchair accessible.
Directory of Stroke Services in Bexley
For a comprehensive directory and information about the services
available locally, for individuals who have experienced stroke, you may download
the following pdf file. If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader, simply click on the
link and save the file that opens. Find more
information about pdf files here.
Directory of Stroke Services in Bexley (1.29MB, PDF file)
What happens next?
We will want to talk to you, your relatives, or carers, and
ask questions to find out more about your home life and the difficulties you have.
It is important to tell us as much as possible about yourself and your situation
at home. If you need emergency help, it can be arranged at once.
Many people just need advice, information or a practical service. This can
be arranged quickly. If you need more extensive help, we will arrange for you
to have an assessment to see what help you need.
What is an assessment?
The aim of the assessment is to find out your needs and those
of any carers you may have. The assessment will include questions like:
- What can you do for yourself?
- What do you need help with?
- What do you need to have done?
- Who helps you and cares for you at the moment?
- What help does your carer and helper need?
- What income and savings do you have?
You can invite anyone else to the assessment who you would like to be there,
such as a relative or friends. We will work with you and your carers to draw up
a "care plan" based on the assessment.
Your carer can have a separate assessment of their needs if they wish.
What is a care plan?
A care plan is a way of organising help to meet your particular
needs. Your care plan will say:
- What help will be given
- Who will give this help
- When this help will be given
- Who your 'key worker' will be - the person who checks your care plan to make
sure it is working.
What happens if my needs change?
Your key worker will check your care plan with you regularly
and will make any necessary changes. You can ask for this to be done if you feel
your needs have changed.
How much will it cost?
This will depend on your income and the level of services you
need. We will explain the cost before services are provided. You may be entitled
to benefits and we will help you claim them.
What happens if care in my home no longer meets my needs?
Many people want to continue to live in their own homes for
as long as possible but there may come a time when this is no longer the best
way to meet your needs.
You may need a level of care that can only be provided in a residential or
nursing home. Or you may be ready to move from your family home to independent
living or a group home.
We will assess your needs and those of any carers you may have and help you
to decide what is best for you. We will explain how much you may have to pay towards
the cost of your care and we will help you apply.
Other services
Community care services in Bexley are provided by the health
service, voluntary organisations and private care agencies. Information about
these services can be found in the Directory of Community Care Services which
is available from libraries.
Local voluntary organisations can give advice, support and practical help to
older people and people with disabilities or special needs. To find out more about
voluntary services, contact:
Bexley Voluntary Service Council
8 Brampton Road, Bexleyheath
Kent, DA7 4EY
020
8304 0911
Services for older people
Services for people with physical and
sensory disabilities
Services for people with mental health problems
Services for people with learning difficulties
|
