Care

What is Home Care?

Care in your own home is offered to people who require assistance, it may be with personal care such as washing or dressing or toiletting, (including help with some health tasks) or other practical daily tasks such as help with domestic chores like cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping and Any other task which a family member could reasonably be expected to carry out

West Berkshire Council's Home Care Service provides care to people in their own homes. The Service may be provided by West Berkshire Council's own service or arrangements may be made through one of the local independent agencies to provide the care. Services are generally provided between the hours of 7am and 10pm but there is a service which provides help throughout the night.
You can also take control over the way your care is arranged through the Direct Payments scheme. Click here for more details.

Staff are trained in personal care, medication, how to move and handle people in line with health and safety legislation, and many other areas.

How do you go about getting help, getting a Care Manager or if you are not sure whether you can get help from Community Care?

Step 1

Get in touch by telephoning, visiting or writing to the Community Care Enquiry Centre, based at Theale.This is the main enquiry point about services for adults - (0845) 601 4726. Calls are charged at local rate. OR

You can also Fax the Enquiry Centre on 0118 930 5272 or E-mail: ccenquiries@westberks.gov.uk
There is also a Minicom line for the deaf or hard of hearing: 0118 930 5721

Step 2

A member of staff will contact you as soon as possible.
If you face an emergency between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday - and it cannot wait until the following day - call the Community Care Enquiry Centre on (0845) 601 4726 (calls charged at local rate).
If out of these hours call the Emergency Duty Team on (01344) 786543.

Step 3

Someone will then meet with you, or with you and your carer, to assess your needs by discussing the problems you face and what help you think you need.
If you also have housing or health needs they may ask you if they can involve staff from these services to look at your situation.

Step 4

If they agree that they can help they will follow up the assessment by nominating a member of the Community Care team to be your 'Care Manager' and to prepare a care plan with you.

What is the assessment?

The assessment is your opportunity to tell your Care Manager in more detail about the help that you need, and ask you questions about how you manage your daily routine at home. The more information you can give the better to give a better idea of how the Home Care service can help you.

Planning Your Care

Your Care Manager will then draw up a care plan setting out the services they will provide, when they will provide them and how often. This is to help you to live safely and to have a better quality of everyday life.

The care plan may include:

Help with personal care (home care)
Aids and house adaptations to help with daily living
Other support to help you remain living at home
Day care and activities outside the home
Help and breaks for carers
Welfare and benefits advice
Respite
Direct Payments - payments from Community Care to help you organise your own support

Choice

You will be consulted about the services they arrange for you. They will only recommend services which they have carefully vetted or which have been officially registered by the Social Services Registration and Inspection Unit.

Will you have to pay?

Care Charges

There is no payment for having your needs assessed or a care plan drawn up - so you need not hesitate to ask for help. However, there are services for which a charge can be made. The amount you may have to pay will depend on your income and your ability to pay. All assessments are done on an individual basis and you will be offered a financial assessment to help calculate the charges.

You may be asked to pay towards:
Care in your home (home care)
Community support
Day centre activities
Direct Payments
Meals served at home or in day centres
Laundry service
Transport

West Berkshire Social Services will also help you claim all the grants and benefits you may be entitled to.