Adult Social Care service standards

What you can expect from us.

Access and First Response

Our Access and First Response Team is the first point of contact for any resident who requires advice or support from Adult Social Services. 

• We will provide you with good information and advice and signpost you to other services as appropriate
• If we pass your enquiry on to another Council department, we will give them your details and the nature of your query, so you don’t have to repeat your story
• We will always tell you what course of action we propose and which team we will refer you to and how to contact them if you need ongoing support
• If you need equipment, we will make an appointment within two working days of your contact with us and we will visit you within the next eight working days
• If you require a more in depth assessment, we will give you an indication of how long it is likely to take before this happens, taking into account the urgency of your situation

Reablement

Reablement provides intensive support if assistance is needed after leaving hospital or after a sudden health setback. This support is for a short period only and is designed to help you regain your independence. 

• We will provide you with reablement support which is free of charge for a period of a few days up to a few weeks depending on your situation
• If you are referred for our reablement service, we aim to start the service within four working days of your contact with us or on the day arranged for your hospital discharge
• The aims of your reablement support will be agreed with you within two working days of your referral and we will set targets together that help you to regain as much of your confidence and skills as possible
• If you need longer term support after reablement, we will assess you and agree your care and support needs with you before the end of your reablement period

Long-term care and support

We provide long-term care and support to eligible Richmond residents through our locality, learning disability and mental health teams. 

• We will aim to complete all assessments for long-term support within 30 working days of your initial contact with us or before the end of any short-term support we have put in place, such as reablement
• We will tell you if you are eligible for help from the Council as soon as possible after your assessment and signpost you to other services if you are not eligible
• We will offer any unpaid carer who supports you their own assessment
• We will promote your independence and aim to support you in your own home for as long as possible
• We will explain all the options to you if you are eligible and offer you the choice of taking a direct payment
• We will work with you to understand what is important to you and put together a personalised care and support plan within two weeks of your assessment unless your personal circumstances prevent us from doing so

Paying for services      

Most people contribute something towards the cost of their care and support. The Financial Assessments team will assess your ability to pay for your support.  

• We will provide assistance if you require support to complete the financial assessment form
• We will provide information and advice about the financial assessment process and sign post you to independent financial advice if appropriate
• Providing you give us all the information we need, we will tell you how much you will pay for services within 18 working days of your initial contact with us
• If you have been assessed as having to pay a contribution towards the cost of your care and support, we will inform you each year about any changes to the amount you pay
• If you have a direct payment we will pay this to you each month in advance