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Eligibility criteria for adult community care

We have to make sure that community or social care services reach people who are most in need. We decide whether or not you should receive help and at what level by carrying out an assessment of the risks to your independence both in the immediate and longer term. We will also assess carers’ needs.

Our assessors look at four areas, each of which is important for you to maintain independence:

• your ability and freedom to make choices that affect your life;
• your health and safety, including freedom from harm, abuse and neglect;
• your ability to manage personal and other daily routines;
• your involvement in wider family and community life

The government has said that all local councils responsible for social care must use the same ‘eligibility criteria’ and apply those to everybody who asks for help. People with similar needs should all be treated in the same way. We will assess your level of risk to one of the following four:

Critical risk to independence when:

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

Substantial risk to independence when:

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

Moderate risk to independence when:

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

Low risk to independence when:

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

Knowsley Council has to take account of its available resources and has decided that the priority is always people who are assessed with critical and substantial risks to their independence. We are working to ensure that preventative, low level support services are also available to help residents with more moderate needs. We will provide you with information and advice about other sources of help. If your circumstances change at any time, you should contact us for a re- assessment.

If we assess that you are eligible for a service from us, we will look at what best meets your needs. This is known as ‘care planning’. We will also advise you about any costs that you may need to pay before we arrange those services.

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