A Guide to Personal/Care Assessments

Personal Assessments are undertaken to decide whether we can provide care as defined by the 'NHS and Community Care Act 1990'.  The purpose of Community Care is to enable you to remain in your own home with help and support such as home care, meal preparation, personal care, equipment and adaptations.

In order to match your needs with the kind of help that can be arranged it will be necessary for you to be assessed. This will be an informal discussion with you about your needs. We will ask you and your carers to be involved in this as well as other professionals who may know you.

There is no charge for seeing a social worker but many of the services we can arrange may require a financial contribution. This will be explained to you at the time of assessment.

Your Personal Assessment will help us to decide how much money you need to enable your care and support needs to be met.  Once the amount of money you need has been agreed, the Council will set up a Personal Budget to pay for your needs to be met. If you are eligible for social care services, you will be offered the opportunity to arrange your care and support yourself.  

You can use your Personal Budget in one of three ways:

1. Direct Payments
Direct Payments offer you full choice and control over the care and support that you need. This means you can choose who provides your care; when the person comes to assist you; where they go; and what care they provide. Direct Payments offer you more flexibility and independence.

For more information about Direct Payments please see Direct Payments – Money to Pay for the Support You Need.

2. Fully Supported Services
The Council purchases services on your behalf and these are paid from your Personal Budget.  This could include setting up an Individual Service Fund with a provider who will deliver their service flexibly (i.e. service may differ each week according to your needs).

3. Combined Personal Budget
You could have a mixture of Fully Supported Services and Direct (or Facilitated Direct Payments).  You can have parts of the Personal Budget managed for you and you can control the parts you want to.

For further information see the Managing Your Personal Budget information.

Information Download

Download our Guide to Care Assessments  (165 KB) booklet to find out everything you need to know about assessments including:

• What happens next?
• How will this assessment happen?
• What will we want to know?
• Will my assessment be confidential?
• In hospital
• At home
• What will happen during my assessment?
• Assessment Process
• What happens after the assessment?
• Can I remain independent?
• Can I go into a home?
• What will I have to pay?
• How much will the Council pay for my care? 
• Have I the right to complain?

 Large print version of the Guide to Care Assessments  (171 KB) information.

Find out more

You can ask for help yourself or you may ask someone such as a relative, friend or health professional to contact us on your behalf. In the first instance contact should be made with the Adult Duty Team or a Customer Services Advisor at our Access Centre.

The Access Centre.

Tel: 0845 607 2000

Email: socialcare@worcestershire.gov.uk.