Fair access to care services

Many people at some time in their lives will need support to regain some abilities or to maintain their wellbeing and level of independence. If this happens to you, you may need support from general services in the community, from the NHS or from North Yorkshire County Council.

In North Yorkshire, we have a service called START (the short term assessment and reablement team), which offers a short period of support to help people with a disability to remain as independent as possible. It also helps people to regain their independence and to get back in control of their life after an accident or period of ill health. For most people contacting social care services, the short term assessment and reablement team will be the first service offered.

Your assessment for longer term social care

If you need longer term support, then social care services will discuss the following with you and your carer, if you have one:

what you can do for yourself;
where you need support;
what support you have already; and
what help might be available to you and your carer.

This is called an assessment and will look at all aspects of your life. Your carer may also be entitled to an assessment of their needs and possibly to services in their own right. After your assessment we will decide if you are eligible for help.

How we decide if you are eligible for help

The Government provides criteria to help councils decide who is eligible for support. This is to ensure that councils reach decisions in a fair, consistent and open way about who is in most need of our help and to use the available budget to support them. This helps to make sure that adults across North Yorkshire are treated fairly.

These criteria are called "fair access to care services" and look at four main areas:

any risk to health and safety for yourself or others;
your ability to control and make choices about your life;
your ability to manage your personal care and domestic routines; and
your involvement in your family and wider community including leisure, social activities, work, volunteering and education.

For each of these areas your level of need will be identified as either:

critical;
substantial;
moderate; or
low

We will identify your level of need at your assessment. Currently in North Yorkshire, people with needs in the critical, substantial and moderate bands will be offered support by social care services.

If you are eligible for social care support, we will talk about how you want that support to be provided. This service is called Your Support, Your Way. You can find more information on the your support, your way page. We will also discuss with you whether you will need to pay towards some, or all of the cost of the support. This will depend on your income and any savings you may have.

If you are not eligible

If your level of needs means you are not eligible, we will offer advice and information and put you in touch with other organisations and services in your community that may be able to help you.

If your needs change

If your needs change, then you can always ask for a reassessment. Simply speak to your social care worker or contact the customer services centre.

Fair access to care services - eligibility framework 2009 and North Yorkshire County Council eligibility criteria for 2012-13

The tables below provide the framework for fair access to care services for each level above. They also show what we will do to support people within each group.

Your level of need is CRITICAL when:

Life is, or will be, threatened;
Significant health problems have developed or will develop;
There is, or will be, little or no choice and control over vital aspects of the immediate environment;
Serious abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur;
There is, or will be, an inability to carry out vital personal care or domestic routines;
Vital involvement in work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained;
Vital social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained;
Vital family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

For 2012-13 we will:

Ensure support in this band, where critical risks or risks which are likely to become critical within six months can be improved, reduced or contained.

Your level of need is SUBSTANTIAL when:

There is, or will be, only partial choice and control over the immediate environment;
Abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur;
There is, or will be, an inability to carry out the majority of personal care or domestic routines;
Involvement in many aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained;
The majority of social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained;
The majority of family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

For 2012-13 we will:

Ensure support in this band, where substantial risks or risks which are likely to become substantial within six months can be improved, reduced or contained.

Your level of need is MODERATE when:

There is, or will be, an inability to carry out several personal care or domestic routines;
Involvement in several aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained;
Several social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained;
Several family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

For 2012-13 we will:

Ensure support in this band, where moderate risks or risks which are likely to become moderate within six months can be improved, reduced or contained.

Your level of need is LOW when:

There is, or will be, an inability to carry out one or two personal care or domestic routines;
Involvement in one or two aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained;
One or two social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained;
One or two family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

For 2012-13 we will:

Not support people in this band with social care services. However, advice and information will be offered and people signposted to other services in the community. Please note, North Yorkshire County Council continues to invest in low-level prevention services in the voluntary sector and many voluntary organisations offer open direct access to these services.

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