Community Care Services: Eligibility for Services Consultation
Eligibility criteria for social care services
All Councils with Social Services responsibilities have a range of legal obligations to assess and provide care for vulnerable adults. Access to services is governed by the Fair Access to Care Services (FACS) guidance issued by the Government. This guidance gives Councils discretion over the level of need and risk at which they offer adult social care services. There are four categories of risk and need:
- Critical
- Substantial
- Moderate
- Low
At the Council's Executive meeting on 17 April 2007 it was agreed that Kingston's Community Care Services would only meet people's social care needs which are assessed as 'critical' and 'substantial'. This decision was subsequently called-in by the Chair of the Scrutiny Panel for review.
Following the Executive meeting on 10 July 2007, where it considered the Scrutiny Panel's recommendation to defer the implementation date for the new eligibility criteria to allow for further development work, the Executive decided to go ahead with the new eligibility criteria from 1 August 2007. At the same time it was agreed that we would develop an 'Independence and Well Being Strategy' by 2 October to support those people with 'moderate' and 'low' social care needs who fall outside our new eligibility criteria.
A training programme for staff on the new criteria has taken place over recent weeks backed up by some comprehensive practice guidance. The new arrangements will be closely monitored to ensure they work well and fairly.
Consultation feedback
The feedback presented here comes from various public meetings and correspondence received during the counsultation period.
Send us your views
Phil Levick
Hollyfield House
22 Hollyfield Road,
Surbiton
KT5 9AL
Telephone: 020 8547 6103
Email: philip.levick@rbk.kingston.gov.uk
Fax: 020 8547 6110
Related Documents:
Get help accessing files or request files in alternative formats- Consultation document This document discusses the options for changing the eligibility criteria for our services.
- Report to the Executive Committee (17 April 2007) This report sets out the case for changing our eligibility criteria and our proposal to develop an ‘Independence and Well Being Strategy’ to support those people whose social needs are assessed as 'low' or 'moderate'.