Community Care Law is about the duties of Social Services Departments and Health Authorities to provide services in the community (including in residential or nursing accommodation) These services could include provision of residential accommodation, adaptations in the home, personal care, assistance with domestic tasks, day centre care and other forms of support.
A wide range of people can require advice about Community Care Law at some stage in their lives including the elderly, people with physical disabilities or mental health difficulties, people with learning difficulties, people suffering from drug or alcohol dependency, and those whose immigration status means that they are not able to access public funds.
We know how stressful it can be when you feel that you are not getting the help you need. The first step in getting Community Care Services is normally to go through an assessment. Although it should not be necessary to ask for an assessment if it is obvious you need services, in practice it is often the case that nothing happens unless you ask. We can request a Community Care Assessment for you and push to make sure this is done.
Once the assessment is done there should be a care plan setting out the services you will receive. We will go through the care plan with you to check if it really meets your needs. We can also advise you on getting direct payments so that you can make your own arrangements for your care.
If you have concerns we will advise on the law and negotiate with Social Services for you.
We will advise what can be done if negotiations break down. This could include assistance with the Complaints Procedure or if that does not work out referral to the Ombudsman. In serious cases we can advise and represent on applications to the High Court for Judicial Review, on an emergency basis if necessary.