Social Services - Helping People to Live at Home

Social Services can provide a range of services for people to help them live at home.

The aim of these services is to support older people and adults with disabilities to live at home as independently and safely as possible. This includes support for Carers.

If you are in need of such community care services you are entitled to a Community Care Assessment.

The assessment is an opportunity to discuss your circumstances and needs; help you find solutions to these; and arrange community care services if this extra support is needed.

Social Services has to provide services to people in the greatest need. In order to decide if you are able to receive such help we have an eligibility criteria. This ensures that we are providing services fairly to the public.

For the circumstances in which Social Services are not able to provide services, you will be assisted with obtaining alternative sources of help.

What Type of Services Can Social Services Provide?

Care services could include support and assistance with:

• Personal Care (such as washing or dressing).
• Mobility in the home such as getting to and using the toilet.
• Doing laundry, shopping or collection of benefits.
• Managing daily living activities whilst your Carer has a break.

The above assistance would be provided by a Care Assistant visiting you in your own home.

You may wish to organise these care services yourself through Social Services Direct Payments, or prefer to have Social Services make the arrangements on your behalf.

Other services could include:

Meals on Wheels

Delivery of a main meal to your home, if you have no other means of obtaining a meal.

Day Care Services

Attending a local Day Care Centre.

Equipment and Adaptations

Advice from an Occupational Therapist and equipment or adaptations may be provided in your home to enable you to regain or maintain independence and promote your safety.

Equipment such as rails, and toilet seat raisers, can be provided according to your needs to help you and (where applicable) your Carer to manage more easily and safely within your home.

Carer Support Services

If you are a Carer - providing regular and substantial care to someone who for reasons of illness or disability cannot manage without your help, then you may wish to access support for yourself.

Social Services will discuss your caring role within a Carers Assessment.

Useful Contacts

For further information or to request a Community Care Assessment please contact:

Care Line

Tel: Freephone 0800 085 66 66

For information and to access Social Services for older people, adults with physical disabilities and their Carers.

(See also: Care Line.)

The Swindon Carers Centre

Tel: 01793 531133

Provides a wide range of information, support, advice, educational and recreational activities, for all Carers in Swindon.

Further Information

More detailed information about some of the above-mentioned services are available. Please follow the links to the right.

Your Views

We would welcome your comments. If you would like to give us your thoughts and ideas about this information or other Social Services publication please contact:

Customer Liaison Officer
Tel: 01793 463496
E-mail: yourcommentscount@swindon.gov.uk

Printed Leaflet

The information contained in this web page is also available in a printed leaflet. If you would like copies of this leaflet, or the same information in another format, please contact:

Customer Services
Tel: 01793 463725

The leaflet is also available as a downloadable pdf document:

Help to Live at Home