Please note: It is important to understand that social care from any local authority, unlike the NHS, is not free. Please read more about what you might need to pay and make sure you're comfortable with this before contacting us.
We are happy to contact the person needing help or somebody else acting on their behalf (for example, a carer or family member).
If you are referring somebody else, you will need to have that person’s consent first. If the person has not provided this, we will not be able to progress the referral. You will need to provide a way for us to contact you and the person you are referring.
Make sure you are a Swindon resident
Before you contact us, you should make sure the person being referred lives in the Swindon Borough Council local authority area.
You should contact us by phone. For in hours, please call our contact centre 01793 445500.
What we’ll do
The contact centre provides information, advice and guidance. A customer advisor will ask you to tell us a little about yourself (or the person you are contacting us about) and ask what you might need support with.
The contact centre will then make an internal referral. The referrals will go to the most appropriate social work team who will arrange to contact you.
They will:
determine what is working well for you and what you need support with
determine the most suitable information, advice and guidance for you
communicate with you via your preferred method of communication
summarise your conversation and provide details about the information discussed and any recommendations
Some of the social care teams you may be referred to on your journey
The Initial Contact support working age adults and older people with care and support needs that arise from physical or mental impairment or illness and frailty. Social care practitioners will carry out a strength-based assessment. The focus of the assessment is how the persons needs impact on their wellbeing and the practitioner will work with you to establish if a short term intervention such as reablement, short-term home care or Occupational Therapy would support you.
An assessment is not completed in isolation and the social care practitioner will also draw on information from people who know you well, for example,
Your support networks; family, friends, neighbours
Health professionals such as GP, therapist or community nurse
This makes sure your assessment is holistic and considers what is happening around you in your community.
What we do:
Complete care act assessments to determine eligibility for care and support or support in the community where required through short term interventions
Arrange short term care and support with people based on their individual needs and outcomes
Work with carers to support them to access support and make referrals for further support where appropriate
We work closely with Swindon Borough Councils reablement service ensuring your independence is maximised and the most appropriate outcome is found to meet your need
We work closely with Swindon Borough Councils mental health, learning disabilities social work teams to ensure that you receive the appropriate social work interventions
The Community Led support teams support working age adults and older people with care and support needs that arise from physical or mental impairment or illness and frailty. Social care practitioners will carry out a strength-based assessment where it has been identified that there are long term support needs. The focus of the assessment is how the persons needs impact on their wellbeing.
An assessment is not completed in isolation and the social care practitioner will also draw on information from people who know you well, for example:
Your support networks; family, friends, neighbours
Health professionals such as GP, therapist or community nurse
This makes sure your assessment is holistic and considers what is happening around you in your community.
What we do:
Complete care act assessments to determine eligibility for care and support or support in the community where required through Long term interventions
Arrange long term care and support with people based on their individual needs and outcomes
Work with carers to support them to access support and make referrals for further support where appropriate
We complete reviews of support plans to ensure they are continuing to meet assessed needs and outcomes
We undertake assessments of mental capacity to inform decision making, court work for community deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) and court of protection
We work closely with Swindon Borough Councils mental health, learning disabilities social work teams to ensure that you receive the appropriate social work interventions
The Occupational Therapy team can help you if you are having difficulties in the home. The team will work with you by looking at problem solving solutions, exploring equipment or adaptations to your home.
The team support people who have trouble in everyday activities like getting in and out of the bath, or going up and down stairs.
What we do:
We will discuss what is working well for you and what you might need support with
You may be offered:
a referral for assessment
signposting to community services which can support you
The team may recommend alternative ways of doing things for example, equipment such as a grab rails, chair raisers or alterations to your home.
Assessments are undertaken free of charge. As a result of your assessment you may require some equipment which is usually loaned to you from our equipment store and is free of charge.
Major adaptations to your home are undertaken by a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which is means tested so you may need to pay a contribution depending on your circumstances.
The team provide support and advice on safe mobility, daily living and communication skills to support across the spectrum of sensory loss including visual impairment, deafness or hearing loss and deaf blindness.
What we do:
We will work you to identify suitable advice, information communication, equipment and support what will promote your independence and wellbeing
We may provide additional equipment on a long-term loan or advise you on equipment you can purchase
The Mental Health team support people who are working with a secondary mental health clinical team who may need care and support to support their recovery journey. The focus is to enable people to develop their strengths and support networks, aspire to employment and fulfilment of their goals, maximising their independence.
What we do:
We work closely with the community mental health teams
We work closely with mental health inpatient and rehabilitation units to support timely discharge from hospital back home/into the community
Complete Care Act assessments to determine eligibility for care and support
Work with people to determine outcomes and goals to support them on their recovery journey
We complete reviews of care and support plans to ensure that they are continuing to meet assessed needs and outcomes
Work with carers to support them to access support and make referrals for further support where appropriate
In conjunction with the Integrated Care Board (ICB), we are responsible for ensuring that s117 aftercare needs (as defined in the mental health act 1983) are met
The Approved Mental Health Professionals team carry out our statutory responsibilities to respond to requests for Mental Health Act Assessments.
The team is committed to the Least restrictive and empowerment principles of the Mental Health Act 1983 and as such, work with NHS colleagues and other partner agencies to advise alternative means of support, in order to support people in the community as much as possible.
When a Mental Health Act Assessment may be required
An assessment under the Mental Health Act may be arranged when a person is thought to be suffering from a mental disorder and is considered to pose a risk to themselves or others.
Prior to requesting a Mental Health Act assessment, consideration should be given to whether there may be other ways to support the person, such as input from a Community Mental Health Team or Crisis Team, a review of social care needs, family support or help from the GP.
The purpose of the assessment is to consider whether it is necessary to detain a person in hospital under a section of the Mental Health Act.
A person will only be detained under the Mental Health Act if their care and treatment can no longer be provided safely in the community, and they are unwilling (or unable) to agree to go into hospital (or stay in hospital) voluntarily.
The Learning Disabilities team work with people with a diagnosed Learning Disability and their carers. We support people to maximise independence and autonomy and live full lives within the community.
What we do:
We work closely with our Learning Disability Health colleagues in Swindon to provide holistic support for adults with a learning disability and their carers
Complete care act assessments to determine eligibility for care and support
Work with people to determine outcomes and goals to support them to live full lives in their community and arrange care and support through a variety of services including supported living and direct payments
We complete reviews of care and support plans to ensure that they are continuing to meet assessed needs and outcomes
Work with carer’s to support them to access support and make referrals for further support where appropriate
Assessments of mental capacity to inform decision making, court work for community deprivation of liberty safeguards and the Court of Protection
When leaving hospital from either a planned or emergency stay you might need some support when you return home. If the staff on the ward you are on think you’ll need help once you get home they will refer you to one of our intermediate care teams.
Our teams can provide you with advice, information or an assessment of your care and support needs.
Our teams:
Urgent response team: This team work closely with health partners and where possible provide home based services to enable people to stay at home stabilising a crisis situations.
Home first team: This team supports people to return home from hospital via dedicated integrated pathway. The team ensures people who no longer require hospital-based care to continue their recovery at home through short term interventions enabling longer term needs to be assessed away from a hospital setting.
Building independence team: This team supports people who have maximised their independence through an intermediate care provision and arrange and co-ordinate ongoing support.
Discharge Hub: This team supports safe and timely discharges from the acute hospital and Swindon Intermediate Care Centre (SwICC) when the person is ready to leave.
Reablement is a service provided to you at home and aims to promote and maintain your independence and reduce the need for formal care and support services. Most people who use this short-term service usually reach their independence goals within a couple of weeks. The service is time limited for a maximum of 6 weeks. You will only receive the service for the time you require it.
Reablement involves a team of health and social care workers working with you to agree a plan on the goal you want to achieve. Reviews of your progress are undertaken with you.
In addition, the reablement service can access equipment and aids to help you gain, or remain, independent.
The Transitions team works with young people with disabilities prepare for adulthood in partnership with children’s services, health, education and the young person's families/carers to co-produce innovative and creative circles of support that enable the young person to achieve their aspirations.
Please see our dedicated transitions page for more information and details on how to refer.