In order for us to decide if you qualify for a service from us, we look at your needs around your:

• health and safety
• independence and freedon to make choices
• ability to manage your own support
• involvement in work, family and social life

We then have to decide if the needs we have identified are a risk to your independence, and if so what level the risk is.

The Department of Health gives us a framework within which to assess the risk. The levels of risk have been put into four bands: critical, substantial, moderate and low. You can find out more about these below.

In Sandwell we have agreed to provide social care services to people who are in the critical and substantial bands. If we decide that you are in either of these bands it means that you meet our "eligibility criteria". This means that you can get services from us, however we cannot guarantee that these will be instantly available. We will produce a care plan with you to confirm what services you need, who will provide them and where, and give you information about any charges for services and other sources of help. Our aim is to support you to live as independently as possible.

If you are assessed as having a moderate or low level of risk you do not meet our eligibility criteria and will not get a community support service from us. However, we will still provide you with advice and information about other sources of help.

If your circumstances change, you should contact us so that we can look at your situation again.

Levels of risk

Critical level of risk is when

• life is, or will be, threatened
• significant health problems have developed or will develop
• there is, or will be, little or no choice or 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 level of risk is when

• there is, or will be, only partial choice and 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 level of risk is when

• 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 level of risk is when

• 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 responsibilites cannot or will not be undertaken

What if I do not agree with your decision?

If you don't agree with our decision, either about the services we have told you we can help you with, or about the level of risk to your independence, then you can discuss this with the person who assessed you, or with their manager.

You can also contact our Service Insight Team to make a complaint or comment about the decision.

Further information

A booklet is available that explains more about getting community care services, 'Can I have community care services?' You can either download this from this site, or request a paper copy by contacting us using the details on our leaflets and publications page.