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Adults who need a care service should contact the Adult Care Service needs assessment team that best matches their need.

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Fair Access to Care Services

The 'Fair Access to Care Services' guidelines are the guidelines the staff in Rochdale Council's Adult Care Service work to when they assess people's needs and decide who they can and cannot provide or arrange services for.

The guidelines have been given to us by the Government

When we use the guidelines, we write to you to explain how they apply to you and give you more information about them.

The guidelines cover Adult Care Services services provided for older people, adults with a physical disability or sensory impairment, adults suffering mental ill health and adults with a learning disability. They do not cover services, like Blue Badges, where there are already very clear rules to say who gets them.

What will happen to me?

When we carry out an assessment of your care needs we also assess any potential risk to your independence and well-being.

There are four levels of risk:

  • Critical
  • Substantial
  • Moderate
  • Low

We decide what level of risk you face as part of your assessment. This decision is important because we only provide or arrange services for you if the risk to your independence and well-being is moderate, substantial or critical.

If the level of risk is low, we will suggest other services that may be able to help and, if needs be, help you contact them, but we will not be able to provide or arrange services.

Every time we talk to you to assess your needs we will also assess your level of risk. This could mean we increase or reduce the services we provide. It also means that if you were a low risk when you initially asked for our help, then you should get in touch again if your circumstances change. You may now be at a higher level of risk and be eligible for our services.

What does risk mean?

The Government has said what it means when the seriousness of the risk to independence and well-being is critical, substantial, moderate and low.

The risk is critical - when
  • Life is, or will be, threatened; and/or
  • Significant health problems have developed or will develop; and/or
  • There is, or will be, little or no choice and control over vital aspects of the immediate environment; and/or
  • Serious abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur; and/or
  • There is, or will be, an inability to carry out vital personal care or domestic routines; and/or
  • Vital involvement in work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • Vital social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • Vital family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.
The risk is substantial - when
  • There is, or will be, only partial choice and control over the immediate environment; and/or
  • Abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur; and/or
  • There is, or will be, an inability to carry out the majority of personal care or domestic routines; and/or
  • Involvement in many aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • The majority of social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • The majority of family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.
The risk is moderate - when
  • There is, or will be, an inability to carry out several personal care or domestic routines; and/or
  • Involvement in several aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • Several social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • Several family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.
The risk is low - when
  • There is, or will be, an inability to carry out one or two personal care or domestic routines; and/or
  • Involvement in one or two aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • One or two social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
  • One or two family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

What do they mean by that?

Personal Care: Anything that needs personal and physical contact or support from another person, like help getting dressed or washed. It does not include medical help.

Domestic Routines: These are the things you need to do around the home, like cleaning, that keep it safe and secure for you.

What are the benefits for me?

The reasons why you do or do not get direct help from the Adult Care Service should be clearer. After we talk to you about your needs and the risks you face we will write to confirm your level of risk.

  • If your level of risk is moderate, substantial of critical we will also tell you what services we will provide or arrange.
  • If your level of risk is low, we will be unable to provide or arrange services for you but we will tell you about any alternatives we know of.

We do not have different rules for deciding who gets different services like equipment and adaptations, home care and residential care homes. Instead, we use the level of risk to decide whether we should be providing or arranging services for you and then we work out what mixture of services best suits your individual needs.

When we look at the risks you face, we not only look at needs that are immediate and obvious. We also be look at needs that could be prevented in the future if prompt action is taken now.

Do the guidelines make it easier or harder to get services?

The guidelines should make no difference to the number of people who get services. We expect to be able to help the same people always help.

Your own individual circumstances and feelings are still taken into account.

But it is still true that the range services and the number of people they can help depends to a great degree on resources. Every year, the guidelines can be reviewed in the light of the resources available. For example, if there are more resources it could mean people who are low risk can be helped directly. However, if there are less resources, it might mean people who have a moderate risk cannot be helped.

If these sort of changes are possible, there will be consultation with the groups of people affected first.