Care Act assessment help · England
Care Act Assessment Help & Advice
Independent professional advice to help you understand Care Act assessments, eligibility decisions and your options.
If you or someone you care for is dealing with adult social care, a Care Act assessment can be an important part of determining what support may be needed. But knowing whether an assessment properly reflects someone's circumstances — and understanding what should happen next — isn't always straightforward.
Social Care Answers provides independent adult social care advice across England, helping individuals, families, carers and self-funders make sense of their situation and identify practical next steps.
Make a Free Initial EnquiryNo obligation. Your initial enquiry is free.
Concerned about a Care Act assessment?
People contact us for many different reasons. You may be:
- waiting for a Care Act assessment and unsure what to expect
- concerned that important needs or circumstances have been overlooked
- struggling to understand an assessment you've received
- unsure why particular needs have not been considered eligible
- concerned about the support or care plan being proposed
- dealing with a change or reduction in existing support
- unsure whether a reassessment should take place
- self-funding care and unsure how the Care Act applies to your situation.
Adult social care decisions are highly dependent on individual circumstances. General information online can explain the Care Act, but it cannot tell you what an assessment or decision means for your particular situation.
That's where independent professional advice can help.
Understanding Care Act assessments
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities in England have responsibilities for assessing adults who may have needs for care and support.
An assessment can involve much more than simply identifying whether somebody needs help with particular tasks. The person's circumstances, needs, wellbeing and the outcomes they are trying to achieve can all be relevant.
What this means in practice depends on the individual situation.
If you've received an assessment and aren't sure whether it properly reflects what is happening, Social Care Answers can provide an independent professional perspective.
Care Act eligibility decisions
After an assessment, you may receive a decision about whether particular care and support needs are considered eligible.
These decisions can sometimes be difficult to interpret.
You may understand the difficulties someone is experiencing but be unclear about how the local authority reached its decision, what that decision means, or what options are available to you.
Rather than trying to apply general online guidance to a complex individual situation, you can speak to an experienced registered social worker who can help you understand the issues relevant to your circumstances.
What if you disagree with an assessment or decision?
You don't necessarily have to understand the entire adult social care system yourself.
If something doesn't seem right, the first step may simply be to understand what has happened and why.
We can help you make sense of the information you have received, identify the issues that may require closer consideration and understand the practical options available to you.
We don't promise a particular outcome or make decisions on behalf of a local authority. Our role is to give you a clear, independent professional perspective so you can make informed decisions about what to do next.
Make a Free Initial EnquiryCare Act advice for families, carers and self-funders
Adult social care can be particularly difficult to navigate when you're trying to arrange support for somebody else.
Families may find themselves dealing with assessments, care planning, funding questions and different organisations at the same time.
Self-funders can also have questions about where they fit within the adult social care system and what involvement they can expect from their local authority.
Social Care Answers provides independent advice to individuals, families, carers and self-funders across England.
Speak to an experienced registered social worker
Sometimes you don't need another website explaining social care legislation.
You need someone who understands the system to look at your situation and explain it clearly.
Social Care Answers provides independent professional adult social care advice from experienced registered social workers.
Online Consultation
£125
Up to 60 minutes of independent professional adult social care advice and guidance online.
Use the time to discuss your circumstances, ask questions and get a clearer understanding of your options and practical next steps.
Not sure what to do next?
Tell us briefly what's happening.
Your initial enquiry is free and there is no obligation to book a consultation.
We'll consider the broad issue, whether it falls within the type of support we provide and whether there are any potential conflicts before discussing next steps.
Make a Free Initial EnquiryPlease don't send medical records or highly sensitive personal information with your initial enquiry.
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About our advice
Social Care Answers provides independent professional social care advice and guidance in England. We do not provide legal advice or representation, replace statutory services, or guarantee a particular outcome. Social Care Answers is not an emergency service. If someone is in immediate danger, contact the emergency services.