The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 places responsibilities on Local Authorities to arrange Community Care Services for people to maintain independence in their own home or for those who require residential or nursing home care. Before any Community Care Services (including residential or nursing home care) can be put into place it will be necessary to have an assessment. The process can begin once the Adult Contact Team have been contacted.  You can refer yourself, or be referred by, a relative or friend who cares for you, your doctor, health visitor or other professional concerned with your care (or any other person on your behalf and with your prior consent). This is known as the Contact Assessment Process. You will be asked about your current circumstances and whether you are at any immediate risk . This will help to determine how urgent your Contact Assessment is and what priority it will be given for a detailed assessment to be carried out. To make a referral contact:

The Adult Contact Team (DMBC)
PO Box 251
The Council House
College Road
Doncaster
DN1 3DA
Telephone: 01302 737391
Fax: 01302 736939
Textphone: 01302 737796

Your Assessment
An assessment will be carried out to help identify your needs and to decide whether you qualify for community care services. The assessment will be carried out by a ‘Key Worker' who will visit you at home. They will want to discuss, in detail, your current situation and how you are managing and identify any problems that are affecting your independence. You may wish to have your carer present or someone who knows you well, like a relative or friend to support you during the assessment. The key worker may want to ask others who know you and care for you, such as your carer, doctor or district nurse, to help with your assessment or to provide further relevant information where necessary. They will ask for your permission to do this. When the detailed assessment is complete and you qualify for services under the eligibility criteria, the assessment will be used to plan the services that you may receive. You will not have to pay for the assessment.

Eligibility Criteria
To ensure that assessments are carried out as fairly as possible with everyone being treated on an equal basis, assessments are guided by eligibility criteria which have been introduced by the Government for all Local Authorities to apply in accordance with the ‘Fair Access to Care Guidance'. Under this system the nationally agreed eligibility criteria are used to assess the level of risk to a person's independence if help is not available to support them. The eligibility criteria are divided into four categories or bands: critical, substantial, moderate and low. Although Local Authorities have to apply this system to assessments, they can decide which bands of risk they will  provide help for. In Doncaster, if you have needs that are assessed as critical, substantial or moderate, you will be eligible for services. If you only have low needs, you will not be eligible for services, unless there are exceptional circumstances, however, you should be given advice and details of services that may be able to offer you help. For more information about banding and eligibility contact the Adult Contact Team on 01302 737391.

Your Care Plan
When the Local Authority decides that you meet the eligibility criteria for receiving services a Care Plan will be agreed with you. The key worker will discuss the care plan with you and the options that may be available to you. The Care Plan is a written document that states what your needs are, how it is proposed that those needs be met and how the Care Plan will help to meet those needs to enable you to be as independent as possible. Your Care Plan can be available to all those that are involved in your care with your prior consent. Your Care Plan will be reviewed annually or sooner if your circumstances change. Your key worker will agree a date for your review with you.