Assessment, Eligibility, Charges and Direct Payments

For services for adults, Social Services has a duty to assess people who, if they either appear to have an illness or are disabled, may benefit from receiving community care services.

For children's services, an assessment follows after you, or someone else on your behalf, have asked Devon Social Services for help with some difficulty you are having which affects your child or children.

Carers also have a right to an assessment where they give substantial and regular care to a spouse, relative, friend or neighbour who, due to disability, frailty, illness or vulnerability, cannot manage alone.

Find out more:

Assessment of care needs for services for Adults
Single Assessment Process
Single Assessment Process - information aimed at professionals
Assessment for Services for Children

Eligibility

As the demand for services is greater than the money available to provide them, not everyone will be eligible to receive a service.

Following an assessment, each type of need requiring Social Services' assistance is divided into the following bands:

Critical
Substantial
Moderate
Low

At present, a person is only eligible for social care services where, following assessment of their needs, an adult falls into the 'critical' or 'substantial' categories - and there is no-one else willing or able to assist.

Eligibility criteria for services for adults is based on the Department of Health Guidance - 'Fair Access to Care Services' (FACS).

Devon County Council approved the response by Devon Social Services to the national FACS initiative at the County Council's Executive Committee on 6 June 2002.

Devon County Council

Social Care & Health