Did you know we can help with Social Care?

Getting good social care can make a big difference to your life, but what if you aren’t receiving the help you need? We can signpost you to the right people who can assist and also take your concerns to those who run Adult and Children’s Social Care Services locally.

We have statutory powers to hold local social care providers to account and we hold regularly meetings to raise issues that service users and families have contacted us about. This feedback also helps make things better.

Information provided to us from the public is extremely valuable and we take this to our quarterly meetings with Hertfordshire County Council’s Adult Social Care Executive Director. At these meetings we raise concerns that have been shared with us, so these can be addressed and services improved. We also hold quarterly meetings with the Director of Health Integration, to review how social care and the NHS can best work together for the benefit of service users.

A key part of our role is to then keep a check on how these issues are being addressed and resolved, so we can ensure improvements are made.

In the past, our work with social care has included visiting local care homes to assess residents’ quality of life, undertaking audits and investigations to improve visitation rules and information after the pandemic and, as part of our research work, we have held forums and interviewed those who use social care services to find out if their needs are being met and what could be improved.

We have also helped with patient discharge from hospital; quality of care from those who provide ‘care at home’ services; safety and processes undertaken by care homes during the pandemic; and support for people with learning disabilities.

What have people told us about Adult Social Care?

People have told us that the social care system can be complex and difficult to navigate. Different assessment and funding processes, as well as a lack of personalised information and support, means people can’t always find the right help.

People need better information, clearer advice, fairer assessments and more personalised care. Many adults are also confused about who is responsible for providing social care services, where to turn for help and the processes for accessing support.

What if I need help?

If you think you, or someone you know, needs help to cope day-to-day, the first step is to get a needs assessment from Hertfordshire County Council. You'll need to have this assessment before the council can recommend a service.

Unlike the NHS, Adult Social Care is not free at the point of delivery. It is a means-tested service, and once your local authority has assessed your needs, most people end up contributing to the cost of their care.

The Council can organise and support care for those unable to fund it themselves and organise care services for self-funding individuals.

It’s important that professionals involve you in any decisions about your care. They should give you clear information about your different options and listen to your worries.

They should also:

• Find out what matters to you and what support you need to live the life you choose.
• Give you information to make your own decisions, never assuming that you cannot decide for yourself.
• Involve your family and carers too - if you are happy with this.
• Help you get your views across, for example using communication aids or by providing an advocate.