This section covers community care and Wolverhampton's priorities in this area.
The care section also includes information on continuing care paid for by the NHS.
There is information on direct Payments (the Payments button above), the Independent Living Fund (ILF), contacting a social worker, and seeing your files.
If you need help with day to day living like looking after yourself, or getting meals, or socialising, you may be entitled to Community Care services or money for those services.
First you need a community care assessment – contact your area Adult Assessment Team to arrange this:
South East Team
(Bilston, Blakenhall, East Park): (01902) 553635 (textphone: 01902 553637)
South West Team
(Penn, Merry Hill, Graisley, Whitmore Reans, Springfield, Tettenhall, Tettenhall Wood, Wightwick, Aldersley, Claregate, Dovecotes): (01902) 553700 (textphone: 01902 553931)
North East Team:
(Wednesfield, Heath Town, Ashmore Park, Scotlands, Low Hill, Oxley, Bushbury, Fordhouses, Pendeford Park): (01902) 553600 (textphone: 01902 553602)
The time it takes to get an assessment will depend on which priority level you come under.
The Assessment Team’s priorities are:
(1) Urgent Cases – people in immediate danger of coming to harm or harming others – assessment made within 24 hours.
(2) People needing care and attention very soon because they are in imminent danger of coming to harm or harming others – assessment made within 3 weeks.
(3) People requiring ongoing help – people needing help and support to live independently in the community – assessment within 6 weeks.
(4) People needing basic help – people who may be isolated or lonely, people with a limited ability to look after themselves, people who may need help with shopping, or with aids and adaptations – assessment within 12 weeks.
(5) People who need a specific service – assessment within 12 weeks.
The Assessment will be done by social services staff who will visit you in your home, and ask you questions about your day-to-day life. Make sure you tell them about your needs, and what you can and cannot do, and difficulties you have getting around your home, any social, educational and leisure needs not being met.
They will write down what you say and ask you to sign it.
They may also want to talk to any carers, assistants, doctors or providers of medical or support services you might have, so you need to give them permission to do this.
They will assess you based on your needs and also any money you have.
Some services may be charged for – you do not to have the services they say you need.
After your assessment you will be sent a copy of your care plan.
The Care Plan is detailed information on what services they assessed that you need, who will be providing them ,how often, and what (if anything) you will have to pay.
If you are not happy with their decision, you can ask for a senior manger to look at your care plan. If you are not happy with that person’s decision, you can ask for the decision to be reconsidered at a review panel.
A review panel includes at least 2 people who are independent from the Council. You can be present at the review panel, and you can also bring someone with you to speak for you.
If you are unhappy with the decision of the review panel because you think it is unfair and not in line with your legal rights, you can refer your case to the Local government Ombudsman:
Telephone 0845 60218983 www.lgo.org.uk
Disabled and older people who have been assessed as eligible for services under their community care assessment can choose to receive the money to buy and control the service themselves, under the Direct Payments Scheme.
You can use the payment to buy in the service from an agency, or to employ someone to provide the service for you.
The Direct Payments Scheme runs with the help of the Penderels Trust who can help and advise you on recruiting staff, paying their wages, tax and National Insurance etc.
The service provided by Penderels Trust is free to people on the Direct Payments scheme.
For more information on Direct Payment you can contact your area social worjk office or contact the Direct Payments Co-ordinator Janine Tye:
Telephone: (01902) 556772 email:Janine.tye@wolverhampton.gov.uk
The Independent Living Fund (ILF) is a government fund to help people live in their homes independently rather than in a residential home.
Anyone who did not apply for this fund before 1993 must apply to The Independent Living (1993) Fund.
You can only apply for money from the Independent Living Fund if you are already receiving services (or Direct Payments) from Social Services of at least £200 a week.
You must also be receiving or entitled to Disability Living Allowance high rate care component, and have less than £18,500 in savings and other capital.
You can only use the money from the fund to employ personal assistants/carers or a care agency to help you with personal care like bathing, toileting, washing, dressing and domestic care like laundry, shopping, cooking and cleaning.
You can also use the fund for the administrative costs of employing carers/personal assistants – things like payroll, sickpay, employers national Insurance etc.
You cannot get the fund to pay someone who is a relative living with you, even if they are your carer.
You can get an application from Social Services, or online:
http://www.ilf.org.uk/making_an_application/application_form
Adults who require a social worker should ring their area number:
North East Area: (Wednesfield, Heath Town, Ashmore Park, Scotlands, Low Hill, Oxley, Bushbury, Fordhouses, Pendeford Park)
Telephone (01902) 553600, Textphone 01902 553602
South East Area: (Bilston, Blakenhall, East Park):
Telephone (01902) 553635, Textphone 01902 553637
South West Area:
Telephone (01902) 553700, Textphone 01902 553931
Emergency out of hours social worker
If you have an emergency outside office hours, such as a mental health crisis that cannot wait until the next morning, you can contact the emergency social worker.
The Social Work department describes crisis situations as:
allegations of child abuse, urgent assessment of people with mental health problems or a breakdown of care arrangements for a vulnerable adult or dependant child.
The service runs from 4.30pm-8.30am on weekdays and all day on weekends and bank holidays
Telephone: (01902) 552999 Minicom: 01902 553929
Seeing your Social Services Files
If you have had help from social services as an adult or a child, there will be a file about you. /you have a right to see these files if they are about you.
Wolverhampton City Council’s Social Services Department does not charge you to look at your file.
All requests to see your records must be in writing.
People under 18 can see their records as long as they understand why they are asking to see them. People under 18 can also refuse permission for their parents to see their records.
When you write a letter requesting your records, you should include in your letter any information which will help them find the file, such as the relevant dates, your name and address at the time, the social worker’s name if you can remember it.
For records relating to children or for adults who were in care when they were children write to:
Principal Administration Officer, Children’s Services, Beldray Building, 66 Mount Pleasant, Bilston, WV14 7PR
For records relating to adults contact:
The Principal Admin Officer, Adult Care Services, Social Services, Civic Centre, St. Peter’s Square, Wolverhampton, WV1 1RT