Needs Assessments - Adult Social Care

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How do adult services in Hackney understand and agree if a young adult needs support?

Adult services are different from children's services and have different thresholds of eligibility. Before support from adult services can be arranged they will need to understand your needs. This means they will ask you to have a needs assessment.

The Care Act (introduced in 2015) provides

  • a national needs assessment framework
  • includes an eligibility criteria
  • sets a standard for care and support

The Care Act assessment helps services understand your needs, how they affect you, and what support can be matched to your needs. The Care Act needs assessment will:

Who is involved in a Care Act assessment?

You as the young adult being assessed

A trained member of staff

The assessment can include other people who know and work with you such as your GP.

You can bring someone to the assessment with if it helps you feel more comfortable and supported. 

Can I bring someone with me for support?

Yes of course. You might want to involve someone who looks after you, this could be your parent or carer, or someone else to support you.

  • It should be someone who can help you tell us about your needs, views, and wishes.
  • If you do not speak English or if you use sign language we will arrange for an interpreter.

What happens after the assessment?

Services aim to complete assessments as quickly as possible.

The maximum time you will have to wait for an assessment will be 28 days from the date your request is received.

We will consider the information shared with us at the assessment. This will include your views and the views of your Carer. We will make sure everyone works together effectively.

We then use this information to decide if we are the right service to help and which services to arrange for you. If necessary, we can arrange services to provide support before the assessment is fully completed.

If you are eligible for a care assessment:

  • The assessment will be carried out within 28 days.
  • Once your assessment is complete, your care package will be put in place within 28 days (unless further assessment is needed)
  • We will provide you with a statement of need and a care plan, this is an agreement of how you will be helped.
  • The service we provide or arrange for you and your statement of need will be reviewed each year to make sure it still meets your needs
  • If you need simple equipment following your assessment it will be installed within 7 days

What will we ask you during the assessment?

We will ask you about:

  • Your needs and the difficulties you have because of these needs
  • What help (if any) you currently have in place
  • What help you think you need now

It is really helpful if you have thought about all these things before the assessment. 

How can you request an assessment?

To arrange an assessment for a young adult over 18 years of age please contact one of the following services:

  • Hackney’s Information and Assessment Team (Self-referral assessments for young people over 18 years of age who have a physical or sensory disability. Also for older people)
  • Locality mental health teams (People with mental health problems. Referrals to these teams normally come from your GP who has information about how to refer)
  • Integrated Learning Disabilities Service (ILDS). Assessments for young people over 18 years of age with Learning Disabilities (Also for older people with Learning Disabilities)
  • Hospital services or services offered by City and Hackney Primary can also request assessments on behalf of adults.

How will you know what we have decided and why?

After your assessment, we will tell you:

  • which services you will get
  • who will provide them and where they will be provided
  • when they will be provided and how often
  • the name of your social worker OR the name of the person responsible for managing your care

What happens if I disagree with the outcome of the assessment?

If you do not agree with the results of the assessment, you can appeal the decision.

  • You MUST tell the assessment team you want to appeal within 2 weeks of receiving the result of an assessment. They will give you an appeals form when they tell you about their decision.
  • Fill in and return the form to us within one month so the appeal can be considered.
  • Keep a copy of the completed appeal form for your own records.

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Page last modified: 10/10/2023