Introduction to social care

If you think either yourself or a loved one would benefit from some care support the first step is to request a Care Needs Assessment from the East Lothian Adult Social Work Team. 
 

When to request a care needs assessment? 

A Care Needs Assessment should be requested if you are looking to organise any of the following care services: 

• care at home support. 
• frozen meals delivery.
• home adaptation.
• attendance at day service.
• considering a Care Home placement.

For Carers: 

• organised support for carers.
• respite / break from caring. 

What happens during a care needs assessment? 

During the assessment, a social worker will:

• discuss your needs with you and your family
• discuss any medical conditions or disabilities that you have
• check what support you currently have in place
• advise you of the various care options within East Lothian or further afield if you wish
• check if you are eligible to receive funding.

Who is eligible for social care support?

The Care Needs Assessment is used to determine the level need and risk that this subsequently has on a person's independence.

The assessment takes into consideration a variety of personal needs relating to:

• physical and mental health
• personal care, domestic routines, home environment
• family and social responsibilities
• carers. 

There are four levels of defined risk:

• critical: the risk of major harm / danger to a person or major risks to independence.
• substantial: the risk of significant impairment to the health and well being of a person or significant risk to independence.
• moderate: the risk of some impairment to the health and well being of a person or some risk to independence.
• low: promoting a person's quality of life or low risk to independence.

In order to qualify for a service you must be assessed as meeting minimum needs thresholds.  

This is explained in more detail in a downloadable eligibility criteria for service users.    

A separate eligibility criteria for carers is also available to download.
 

How can I request an assessment?

You can contact the Social Work Team to ask for an assessment, or you can ask a friend, relative or carer to contact us on your behalf.

Telephone: 01875 824 309  Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

Email: communityaccess@eastlothian.gov.uk

Following the initial call, your details will be passed to the duty social work team who will get in touch with you to make arrangements to carry out the assessment.  

Waiting times for assessment may vary depending on demand for the service and your own circumstances. If the need for an assessment is urgent, this process can happen more quickly.

Find out more about the care assessment process and how to organise your care support in the link below:

Organising care support at home