Search:

Advanced search

You are here:

1. Home |
2. Families |
3. Social care and health |
4. Adults and older people

Families

• Social care and health
  • Child health and social care
  • Carers
  • Adults and older people
    • Care assessment
    • Care at home
    • Care homes
    • Telecare alarms
    • Safeguarding adults
    • Older People's Partnership
    • Care and repair
  • Benefit entitlements
  • Health and medical care
  • Your say
  • Support groups
  • Policies and reports
• Education and schools
• Caring for children
• Families Information Service

Fair access to care

Levels of risk

The Government has developed a framework to help decide who should receive community care services from social services departments. This is called fair access to care and the eligibility criteria is as follows:

Critical risk to independence

• Life is, or will be, threatened.
• Significant health problems have developed or will develop.
• There is, or will be, little or no choice and control over vital aspects of the immediate environment.
• Serious abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur.
• There is, or will be, an inability to carry out vital personal care or domestic routines
• Vital involvement in work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained.
• Vital social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained.
• Vital family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

Substantial risk to independence

• There is, or will be, only partial choice and control over the immediate environment.
• Abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur.
• There is, or will be, an inability to carry out the majority of personal care or domestic routines.
• Involvement in many aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained.
• The majority of social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained.
• The majority of family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

Moderate risk to independence

• There is, or will be, an inability to carry out several personal care or domestic routines.
• Involvement in several aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained.
• Several social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained.
• Several family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

Low risk to independence

• There is, or will be, an inability to carry out one or two personal care or domestic routines.
• Involvement in one or two aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained.
• One or two social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained.
• One or two family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.