What is Adult Social Care

Adult Social Care is about weaving together relationships and support in our local communities. We do this so we can all live positive lives, with meaning, purpose and connection. No matter our age or stage of life.

Adult Social Care is there for us when we need support to live well. It is about how people, families, communities and organisations can work together to make sure support is there when it’s needed. 

Many of us will need support from Adult Social Care at some point in our lives and for a variety of reasons.

We have a specific role in Adult Social Care. A law called the Care Act 2014 means we must provide support in certain situations. This includes providing information and advice to help people get support. 

If you have specific support needs (also known as eligible needs), we must make sure you are still able to live well. This includes making sure you have support with every-day things like washing and dressing. We also want to make sure you have help with things which give your life with meaning and purpose, like work, education and relationships.

Support arranged through us is not always free. There is sometimes a wait before the right support is in place. We will always keep you informed about charges and any delays. 

Where charges apply, we will look at your finances to decide how much you can afford to pay towards your care.

You can read more about eligibility in our factsheet. 

You can find updated information and advice about Adult Social Care on:

• our dedicated Adult Social Care section
• Simply Connect website 

We frequently update this so you can easily find information about support options. 

If you need to speak to someone, we are happy to have a conversation. As a first step, we offer information and advice to help you find the right support. If more help is needed, we will talk with you in more detail to understand your situation and what needs to happen next. Together, we will agree a plan. 

We will work with you, people you tell us are important to you, and other organisations. This is so you can live as independently as possible. Being independent doesn’t always mean doing things without support. But it does mean being able to live the life you choose.

Sometimes support is only needed for a short period, for example after being in hospital. At other times, you may need support for longer. We will talk to you to agree the type and amount of support which is right for you. 

If you think you might need support from us in Adult Social Care, please contact us to start a support conversation. 

More details are available our contact us page. 

We have gathered stories to share with you from people would have experienced support from Adult Social Care. You can read about this further in our support stories document. 

If you would like to tell us your story, please get in touch and we will arrange for someone to come and talk to you.