Devon Adult and Community Services has three centres which cover the Northern, Eastern, and Southern areas.  They have two main functions,

• to deal with requests for advice and support from public and professionals
• to arrange services for individuals who have been identified as requiring support.  This may include using private or voluntary organisations.

We aim to provide a service where the customer is encouraged and supported to take control and make their own choices about their lives.  We will treat you with respect and value your individuality.

What is the assessment and review team?
What is an assessment?
Who can have an assessment?
What is a review?
What is the role of the assessment and review team?
I have always had a visit before, why is that not happening now?
I am concerned that not all situations will be able to be resolved on the telephone such as if someone is hard of hearing, what will happen in these circumstance?
What if I want to see someone face to face?
How do you decide if I am eligible for support?
If I am not eligible for support, what happens?
Will I have to pay for any services?
How can you support me to have more control over my support arrangements?
What if my Carer can no longer support me at home?
What can I do if I am unhappy with my contact with the Assessment and Review Team?
How do I contact you at Care Direct Plus?
Can someone else contact you on my behalf?

What is the assessment and review team?

They are a team of experienced staff that will work with you over the telephone, your call will be transferred to us if the My Devon customer Services Centre, (Care Direct), are unable to resolve your enquiry and it is relevant for our team to advise you further.  

What is an assessment?

This is where we have a discussion with you about your day to day life and how you manage essential tasks.  We can identify with you any difficulties you are experiencing and start thinking about ways to resolve them.

Who can have an assessment?

Adult and Community 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.

What is a review?

A review (81KB - pdf help) is a joint discussion between service users, carers, service providers and possibly other agencies involved in the provision of care. This only takes place if we are providing a service on an ongoing basis not if you have arranged a service yourself.

What is the role of the assessment and review team?

• To resolve social care contacts from the public and professionals which are unable to be resolved by CareDirect.
• To complete social care assessments, and reviews of existing care packages, over the telephone wherever possible, by supporting customers to identify their needs and find solutions. This will involve discussing aspects of your daily life.
• To provide advice and information about local providers and voluntary resources.
• To ensure Carer’s are supported to maintain their role
• To respond in a timely way to all contacts (telephone, email, fax).
• To keep customers informed of what is happening at all stages of their involvement with us.
• To apply Fair Access to Care Criteria and identify where Adult & Community Services are able to provide services (where there is a substantial or critical need).
• To design a plan for your care where you do have eligible needs and identify how they will be met.
• To identify where a face to face assessment or another team is more appropriate

I have always had a visit before, why is that not happening now?

Many people are able to tell us what they want and need. At Care Direct Plus we can check for eligibility and often provide the support required without your having to wait for someone to visit you.  We have tested this way of working and found that we are able to resolve the majority of people’s enquiries over the phone.

I am concerned that not all situations will be able to be resolved on the telephone such as if someone is hard of hearing, what will happen in these circumstance?

The purpose of these centres is to assess and resolve people’s queries wherever possible over the telephone. The team will identify where this is not possible due to various reasons, such as communication difficulties, confusion about what is needed or the person does not have the ability to understand or make decisions. This is to name just a few of the situations, see next question for more detail. In these situations we will request a face to face visit from workers based in local teams.

What if I want to see someone face to face?

We are able to resolve many situations quickly over the phone however a personal visit at your home is suitable in some circumstances; examples are listed below

• your situation is unclear
• it may be easier for you to communicate your needs in person
• there are concerns about vulnerability or abuse
• you have deteriorating health (physical/mental)
• you are unable to make decisions yourself
• your carer needs support that is unable to be resolved on the telephone
• aids and adaptations around the home are required.

There may be other situations where we suggest it is more appropriate and we will discuss this with you.

How do you decide if I am eligible for support?

As part of the telephone discussion, some questions will be asked and you will be advised whether you are eligible or not.

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.

If I am not eligible for support, what happens?

We would explore alternative ways of meeting your needs, possibly through private or voluntary organisations.

Will I have to pay for any services?

We will discuss any potential costs with you at an early point. An assessment of your financial situation may be required this is because any charges (86KB - pdf help) you may have to pay are means tested so that no one pays more than they can afford.

How can you support me to have more control over my support arrangements?

Should you be eligible for support we can arrange for you to have a Direct Payment. (86KB - pdf help)  

What if my Carer can no longer support me at home?

We would explore with you and your Carer what the difficulties were and advise what may be available to resolve them.  This may include:

• Joint or separate Carers assessment
• Looking at alternative ways to meet you and your Carer’s needs
• Advise your Carer of support groups and local schemes to support them.

What can I do if I am unhappy with my contact with the Assessment and Review Team?

We would endeavour to resolve any concerns you may have at the time.  If this remains unsatisfactory, we do have a formal complaints procedure. (3.27MB - pdf help)

How do I contact you at Care Direct Plus?

Initially please contact Care Direct who are able to resolve a lot of simple enquiries; if appropriate they may pass you through to the assessment and review team at a Care Direct Plus centre.

You can ring Care Direct on 0845 1551 007 between the hours of
8.00 am – 8.00 pm on weekdays or 9.00 am – 1.00 pm on Saturdays.  

Care Direct Plus Centres are open from 9.00 am – 5.00 pm Monday to Thursday and until 4.00 pm on Fridays.
The Emergency Duty Team are available out of these hours for Emergencies Only on 0845 600 0388

Can someone else contact you on my behalf?

Yes, but they must have your consent to do so.

Data protection