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Adult Social Care - what we do
Tower Hamlets Adult Social Care provides advice and support for adults from the age of 18 who may have :
- a physical or sensory impairment,
- a learning disability,
- a mental illness, and
- adults whose independence is at risk due to age or frailty.
Our aim
Our main focus is to help people identify ways they can continue to live their lives in the way they wish and to maintain their independence where possible.
How can I get help?
Contact us
- General questions relating to adult social care, contact Tower Hamlets Connect, opening hours 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
- If someone needs help from social care urgently, contact the council
- If you care for someone else and need support, contact the Carer Centre
- If you have a complaint about a social care council service: contact the council,
- If you require a mental health service or think you have a mental health condition please contact your GP or the mental health charity Mind,
Assessments
When you contact Tower Hamlets Connect, we will talk to you about the help and advice you need. If necessary, we will arrange a more detailed conversation - your assessment. An assessment is used to help Adult Social Care understand your situation. It is used to make decisions about what kind of support and services to offer you.
Everyone has different needs, so each assessment should be different. Your assessment should be led by you, at your own pace. The process must be flexible and adapted to meet your needs. We can arrange independent support if you need help with this.
We recognise that you may not need council-funded support to meet all your needs. Many issues can be resolved in a different way, and we will support you to identify those ways.
For more information, see the Care Act 2014 criteria.
The law requires that your assessment starts with your own views about what will support you to improve your wellbeing.
What does an assessment look at?
- Your situation: the issues you need help with and the impact those issues are having on your wellbeing. We want to understand all the issues you need help with so that we can decide how best to support you.
- What is already working to address your situation: how you help yourself and how others - friends, family members or other organisations - are helping you now or in future.
- What needs to happen or change: what you want to achieve and what needs to be put in place to enable this to happen.
- Decides your needs: the assessment will set out your situation and what is important to you. It will consider a range of options and may include support from your family, friends and the local community.
How will I be assessed?
The person assessing you will visit you at home or in hospital and ask you and your carer about:
- your health and any difficulties this causes
- your current living and care arrangements and what you are able to do for yourself• any concerns about your safety and wellbeing
- what is important to you in your life
- any specific care requirements you may have
Care support plan
Your assessment could also include solutions which require council funding. These will be pulled together into a Care and Support Plan. You will be provided with a copy of your assessment and the care and support plan and will be asked to sign confirming you have received it.
Social care support could include some of the following, depending on your situation:
- Personal care
- Support to manage daily living tasks such as house work, meal preparation, finances etc
- Occupational therapy, focused on maintaining and improving independence
- Support to engage in social / community activities.
Cost of social care
Social care is delivered by:
- voluntary organisation
- private sector organisations
- local authorities
- friends and family
Social care is not free for everyone and how much you pay towards the cost of your care will depend on your financial situation.