Requesting Adult Social Care Support

1. Raising a Safeguarding Concern

Adults

To raise a safeguarding concern about an adult:

Online: Report a safeguarding concern

Telephone: 01344 351500 (Mon-Fri during office hours)

Telephone: 01344 786512 (evenings, weekends and bank holidays)

If you are concerned that an adult is in imminent danger from abuse or neglect, or that a criminal act has taken place you should contact the police by dialling 999.

Children

To raise a safeguarding concern about a child:

Telephone: 01344 352005 (Mon-Fri during office hours)

Telephone: 01344 786543 (evenings, weekends and bank holidays)

E-mail: mash@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

Online: Safeguarding referral

If you are concerned that a child is in imminent danger from abuse or neglect, or that a criminal act has taken place you should contact the police by dialling 999.

2. Steps to Consider before Requesting Adult Social Care Support

Self Assessment

Self-assessment processes are currently under review.

In the interim please telephone 01344 352000 to speak to a member of the customer service team, who will be able to put you through to the right team for an informal discussion.

Information and Advice

If the purpose of the contact is to access information and advice about adult Care and Support there are a range of alternative options available.

ARK-Covid 19 Community Response

Any of the following residents of Bracknell Forest can access help and support from the community response network using the details below:

• Is, or was being shielded or living with someone who is/was shielding;
• Is self-isolating due to Covid 19 symptoms;
• Is social distancing but has other health conditions, disabilities or caring responsibilities making it difficult to leave home;
• Has no support from friends or family.

Telephone: 01344 266911

E-mail: community@theark.org.uk

Citizens Advice Bracknell & District (CAB)

The CAB provides free confidential and independent advice on a range of subjects:

Address: The Columbia Centre, Market St, Bracknell, RG12 1JG

Telephone: 0344 411 1306

Online: Citizens Advice Bracknell

Bracknell Forest Help Yourself

Connecting people to a range of online information regarding Bracknell Forest Council and the services available.

Online: Bracknell Forest Help Yourself

Please be aware that the Bracknell Forest Help Yourself website is currently under review and some of the information may be out of date.

Carers

Signal 4 Bracknell Forest Carers are there to support all adult carers providing unpaid, informal care:

SIGNAL's community workers can provide advice and guidance over the telephone, via email, a home visit or from our offices in North Ascot.

E-mail: info@signal4carers.org.uk

Telephone: 01344 266088

Address: SIGNAL, Trax, Mill Ride (Off Fernbank Road), North Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 8JW

Forestcare

Forestcare is a 24-hour Telecare response centre based in the heart of Bracknell. They provide a range of telecare solutions to both individuals and organisations.

For more information, please see: Forestcare

ARK

The Ark is committed to improving the quality of life and provide opportunities for people with disabilities, the disadvantaged and those that support them by encouraging their active participation in their community.

The ARK offer a range of information, advice and advocacy.

Telephone: 01344 266899

E-mail: info@theark.org.uk

Promise Inclusion (formally Wokingham, Bracknell & Districts Mencap)

Promise Inclusion work with people with a learning disability and their families, they provide information on a range of subjects.

Address: Terrace Road South, Binfield, Bracknell, RG42 4JF

Telephone: 0300 777 8539

Online: Promise Inclusion

Disabled Facilities Grant

If a person is experiencing difficulties at home, for example getting up the stairs, a disabled facilities grant may help.

These grants assist with the cost of making changes to the structure of a property that will enable a better quality of life.

For more information about grants, see: Disabled Facilities Grants

Grants cannot be awarded without an assessment from an Occupational Therapist.

Anyone wishing to apply for a grant should contact the Adult Community Team (ACT) on 01344 352000.

Financial assessment

See the Financial Assessment and Charging FAQ Response Support Tool for the answers to some frequently asked questions around financial assessment, including questions relating to Disabled Facilities Grants.

National information and advice contacts

Sometimes it is helpful to contact a well known national organisation with a dedicated information and advice service or help-line. See: National Organisations with Information and Advice Helplines for details of some national organisations offering this service.

Some national organisations do not have dedicated information and advice services but can still provide such support upon request. See: National Contacts for Adult Care and Support for a wider range of useful national contacts for adult Care and Support.

Understanding the Information and Advice

If the person for whom the information and advice is intended will need additional support to understand it then the Local Authority may be able to facilitate access to an independent advocate. However, there is no duty upon the Local Authority to do so and any decisions will be made on the available evidence and presenting circumstances. To discuss this further please contact us.

Consent

Referral

Referrals for adult Care and Support interventions cannot be taken unless:

1. The person or carer the referral relates to is making the referral;
2. The person or carer the referral relates to has given their consent to the referral; or
3. The person that the referral relates to lacks mental capacity to make a referral and a decision has been made under Best Interests that a referral should be made; or
4. The person that the referral relates to is at risk of harm from abuse or neglect.

Review

Requests for a review of an existing Care and Support/Support Plan can be made by anyone who has a concern that a plan may not be working as intended or a person's/carer's needs have changed. However, the person or carer whose plan it is must be consulted when deciding how to respond to the request, so it is important that wherever possible they know the request is being made from the outset.

Information sharing

Information relating to a particular person or carer already receiving a Care and Support service cannot be shared unless:

1. The person or carer to whom it relates is the one requesting it;
2. The person or carer to whom the information relates has given consent for it to be shared with the person requesting it; or
3. The information relates to a person with Care and Support needs who lacks capacity to consent for it to be shared but has a legally authorised person that agrees to it being shared;
4. The information relates to a person with Care and Support needs who lacks capacity to consent for it to be shared and the Local Authority makes a decision under Best Interests that it should be shared with the person requesting it; or
5. The information relates to a person with Care and Support needs who is at risk of harm from abuse or neglect.

What can be provided without consent

Unless one of the above situations applies only general information and advice about adult Care and Support can be provided.

Where information is gathered or shared it will be done so with full regard to the Caldicott Principles, Data Protection Legislation and local information sharing policies.

See: Providing Information about a Person or Carer.

Consent to Contact/Referral and Mental Capacity

If there are concerns that the person with Care and Support needs may lack capacity to consent to the contact or referral then a proportionate mental capacity assessment must be carried out to determine whether this is the case. This can be carried out by the person making the contact or referral if they have the necessary skills to do so, or by the Local Authority as part of the referral process.

If the person has capacity to consent following the mental capacity assessment their consent must be obtained before making the contact or referral.

If the person lacks capacity to consent following the mental capacity assessment then a Best Interest Decision must be made to confirm that making the contact or referral will be in their Best Interests.

See the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Resource and Practice Toolkit, with guidance about assessing capacity and making best interest decisions.

Prevention Services

Prevention services are those services that delay, reduce or prevent the development of Care and Support needs.

Some prevention services are provided by the Local Authority and some are provided by the community or partner organisations, such as health. Prevention services provided by the community or partner organisations can routinely be accessed without Local Authority involvement so it can often be worth exploring these before contacting the Local Authority.

If you make a referral the local authority will need to establish what prevention services have been accessed or explored already and which prevention services may be beneficial in order to fulfil its legal responsibilities around prevention.

3. Requesting Adult Social Care Support

To request adult social care support from any of our teams or services use the details below:

Telephone: 01344 352000

Online: Contact us about adult social care

4. What Makes a Good Referral

Knowing what information to provide in a referral

Under the Care Act an assessment begins as soon as the Local Authority receives information relating to the person. How the assessment progresses will very much depend on the quality and comprehensiveness of the information provided at the referral stage. As such, it is important that the person making the referral provides the right information in the right way, so that:

1. The service receiving the referral can determine the best course of action following referral; and
2. The person/carer does not have to unnecessarily repeat what they have said should their assessment progress into a more prolonged intervention.

1. All personal details, including the person's/carer's full name (and also preferred name or previous surname), address and preferred contact details, date of birth, national insurance number and NHS number;
2. The name, relationship and contact details of the person making the referral (if not the person/carer themselves);
3. When and how the person/carer consented to the referral;
4. If a person with Care and Support needs has not consented to the referral, was a mental capacity assessment carried out and is the referral being made under Best Interests;
5. What the presenting issue is from the person's/carer's perspective and what they would like to happen;
6. What the presenting issue is from the referrer's point of view (if the referrer is not the person/carer) and what action they may recommend;
7. What options have been considered with the person/carer to resolve the issue so far, including what support the person/carer has had from family and community networks;
8. What information and advice has been provided to the person/carer or what information and advice may be required;
9. What prevention services have been used, considered or may be of benefit;
10. Any specific communication needs of the person/carer that need to be considered so they can understand and be involved in any adult Care and Support process;
11. Whether the person/carer is likely to have substantial difficulty in any adult Care and Support process, and if so whether an independent advocate has been considered;
12. Details of any previous or current Care and Support services (whether the Local Authority is providing them or not);
13. With the person's/carer's consent the name and contact details of anyone involved in their life who should be involved in any assessment (family member, friend or professional); and
14. Any other information deemed relevant by the person/carer or referrer (if the referrer is not the person/carer).

Missing information: Written referrals

If any of the above information is missing without a valid reason the referral may be returned to the referrer for additional information to support the outcome decision.

Missing information: Telephone referrals

If any of the above information is not available when the referral is being made the referrer may be asked to make further contact to provide the additional information required.