Contact Cares & Needs Assessment

Contact Cares is the single point of access for help and advice on health and social care needs for adults and children.

The Front Door service is a multi-disciplinary team consisting of qualified and unqualified health and social care staff, from social workers, nurses, occupational therapists, and physiotherapy, the team will co-ordinate and signpost referrals to the most appropriate service and/or will arrange assessments from referral request.

A trained Contact Cares Advisor will answer the phone and record your contact details, along with the details of the reason for your call. This information will be then assigned to the most suitable professional or service that may be required. Should a health and/or social care assessment be needed then this will determine the most appropriate services to meet your presenting need.

If services are not required, Contact Cares will provide signposting, advice and guidance to assist you.

The Needs Assessment could lead to:

• Care Calls and/or Sitting Service

Resulting from a Needs Assessment the person could benefit from Domiciliary care.  Domiciliary care is the term used to refer to help with everyday tasks such as bathing, shaving, dressing and using the toilet. This also could include support with taking medications and meals. 

A Sitting Service may also be considered. This can be when carers are arranged to sit with your cared for, for example twice a week for two hours. This enables you to be able to have some time for yourself of be able to go shopping etc without being in a rush to get back home/ worrying about your loved one. 

• Equipment and Adaptations (Occupational Therapy) 

If you have a disability, there may be equipment or adaptations that can make it easier for you to live independently and more safely in your home. 

The occupational therapy team help people who have difficulties with practical everyday tasks and can give you advice on disability equipment or housing adaptations. The team assesses the needs of adults and children with disabilities.

The team can:

• Provide access to a wide range of specialist equipment and/or minor adaptations to help you with your activities of daily living;
• Assist you with an application for a disabled facilities grant for the installation of permanent adaptations such as stairlifts, showers, ramps and ceiling track hoists;
• Help you find a more suitable home if your current home cannot be adapted.

Where a minor adaptation has been recommended (for example grab rails, stair rails, half steps), your assessor will order this via the Home Improvement Agency.

Where an adaptation that costs over £500 has been recommended, this is classed as a major adaptation and is funded by a disabled facilities grant (DFG). The DFG is provided where there is an assessed need and can fund adaptations up to a maximum of £30,000. The DFG is a means-tested grant and the council will calculate if you have a contribution to make towards the cost of the works. Children are exempt from the means test and will receive 100% grant funding.

Website: https://sthelens.gov.uk/article/4991/Introduction

• Careline

For people with disabilities, vulnerable and elderly people. It is a service that runs 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, via a Lifeline Emergency       

Unit within their own home. Careline will assist you if you have an accident, fall or a minor domestic emergency.

Whenever you need emergency help, all you have to do is press the RED ALARM button on the Lifeline Emergency Unit or the red button on your pendant (this can be worn on the wrist or around your neck).  The Careline Control Centre is operated by specially trained staff who will respond quickly and sensitively to all users needs.

Under the Operator and Responsive Service, the Careline Officer will assess the situation and if needed would:

contact emergency services, dispatch a Careline Officer to the home and/or contact a relative or carer.

Charges 24/25

Tier 1 - A Lifeline Emergency Unit with Pendant Alarm - £6.40 per week

Tier 2 - A Lifeline Emergency Unit, Pendant Alarm and additional equipment such as a chair, bed or door sensors - £9.05 per week

Tier 3- A Lifeline Emergency Unit, Pendant Alarm and additional equipment such as a chair, bed or door sensors - £11.69 per week

Website: https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/article/11182/Careline

You can discuss any aspect of the service by contacting Careline Team on 01744 676370. However, a referral would have to be made via Contact            Cares.

• Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology is a term used to describe devices and sensors that are installed into someone’s home to enable them to remain living there independently for as long as possible. It can also offer loved ones peace of mind knowing that help is often just at the push of a button.

Alarms and sensors can detect when someone is at risk and may need assistance. Depending on the type of device, the person could press a simple button, or the device will automatically alert a monitoring device or the St Helens monitoring centre, Careline, which operate 24 hours a day. Examples include: memo reminders, fall detectors, pull cords,  property exit sensor, medication dispenser, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, bogus caller alarm, key safe and more.

• Respite Care

You can arrange respite through the local authority Social Care teams, or you can arrange it privately.  An assessment by Social Care may mean that they will assist with costs, but that will only be known after a financial assessment of the person's income, outgoings and savings. Having a period of respite could allow the carer a break from their caring responsibilities whilst knowing the cared for is being looked after. 

• Day Services

Day Centres   offer vulnerable adults the opportunity to socialise, take part in activities and have a hot meal. Some Day Centres provide transport to and from the centre. 

Further services include:

• Falls Prevention
  
• Frailty Team (Further information on the Frailty Team can be found under Adult NHS Services) 
• Permanent Residential and Nursing Care

Referrals are accepted for anyone living in St Helens or registered with a St Helens GP.

Telephone: 01744 676767 

Email: contactcares@sthelens.gov.uk

Opening hours are: 8.00am to 10.00pm - seven days per week 

Out of Hours Telephone Emergency Duty Team -0345 0500 148

Website: https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/contactcaresfront

Leaflets: Adult Social Care Assessments , Equipment and Adaptations (OT) , Careline , Assistive Technology

Charging for Non Residential Care

What do we mean by Non-Residential Services?

• Non-Residential Services refers to services which enable you live in your own home, for example:
• Domiciliary Care
• Day Care / Day Opportunities
• Meals taken in a Day Centre or Day Opportunities
• Supported Living
• Extra Care Housing
• Direct Payments

Your social worker will tell you how much services cost. If you do not wish to disclose your financial details, you will be asked to sign a form agreeing to pay the rate set by the council for the services you receive.

The financial assessment is a means tested assessment and will be offered when you receive any non-residential services (except for Careline services). A finance officer will calculate how much you will be assessed to pay based on your income and savings.

Savings

If you have savings that you hold jointly with your partner, we will assume you have equal shares.

Savings over £23,250 - you will be required to pay the rate set by the council for the services you receive.

Savings between £14,250 and £23,250 - you will have to pay £1 a week for every £250 or part of £250 of your savings. This is called Tariff Income.

Savings under £14,250 - the amount you pay will depend on your financial assessment.

Further information can be found on the St Helens Council Website here: https://sthelens.gov.uk/article/4470/Introduction

Alternatively, you can download the information as a booklet here: Charging for non-residential services

Charging for Residential and Nursing Care

If the local authority arranges for you to go into residential or nursing home care, you will be required to contribute to the cost.

You will be exempt from charges if you are receiving care provided under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

If you meet the criteria for continuing health care, the health authority will pay your care fees.

If you need permanent care and your property and other savings is valued at £23,250 or more, you will be required to pay the full cost of your care. If you have savings that you hold jointly with your partner, the local authority will assume you have equal shares

If you do not want to sell the property in your lifetime the local authority will assess a contribution based on your income / savings and you can request that the balance of the charge be deferred until the property has been sold. When the property is sold, the council will claim back any payments made from the sale proceeds.

The value of your property is disregarded for 12 weeks, starting from the date you enter the home permanently. The council can disregard the value of your property indefinitely if one of the following people lives in it:

• Your partner
• A member of your family who:
• Is aged 60 or over
• Is ill or disabled (this means they are receiving or could be receiving a disability benefit)
• Is aged under 16 and is a child for whom you have responsibility to care for

If you need temporary (respite/short term) care, the value of your home is disregarded.

If your savings and assets are valued below £23,250, you wouldn't be considered as self funding and the financial assessment would calculate how much you may need to contribute to the cost of your care.

Further information can be found on the St Helens Council Website here: https://sthelens.gov.uk/article/4426/Introduction

Alternatively, you can download the information as a booklet here: Charging for residential and nursing care

Customer Finance Team
If we have any enquiries from carers, we can email the customer finance officers on: customerfinanceofficers@sthelens.gov.uk
Phone numbers for the finance officers: 01744 675351, 675356, 675357, 675355  (please rotate these numbers, so referrals are shared out fairly amongst the team)

Directory of Care Homes

The online Care Home Directory can be found here: https://sthelens.gov.uk/carehomedirectory

Alternatively, the booklet can be downloaded here: Care Homes – Resource Directory 2024/2025

Emergency Duty Team

If you have concerns that a child or adult is at immediate risk of harm, contact the Emergency Duty Team.

The team will address issues such as:

• Safeguarding concerns for children and adults.
• Vulnerable people who are considered to be at risk of harm or require an immediate emergency response.
• Appropriate advice and signposting for an immediate, emergency issue.
• Mental Health Act assessments.
• Act as an Appropriate Adult for juveniles and vulnerable adults.
• Homelessness.

The Emergency Duty Team will respond to safeguarding concerns, and risk of significant harm. Should a child or adult be in immediate danger, please call 999 and request the emergency services before contacting EDT.

The service operates outside normal working hours at the following times:

Monday to Thursday: 5:00pm to 9:00am

Friday: 4:30pm to 9:00am

Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays: 9:00am to 9:00am (24 hours)

Emergency Duty Team contact details:

Via Contact Cares: 01744 676767 from 9am until 9pm (option 1 for Contact Cares, option 2 for EDT)

Direct line: 0345 0500 148

Website: www.sthelens.gov.uk/article/6970/Emergency-duty-team

Reablement Team (care after illness or hospital discharge)

The Reablement Team is a multi-disciplinary service with a primary role of promoting independence in people 18+ including those with mild to moderate mental health issues. The service will be provided at home. Their goal is to maximise independence while minimising dependency on ongoing services.

The service users will be supported to retain or regain functional abilities. Intermediate care support workers will assist our service users to follow a therapy programme, which will be reviewed by one of the lead therapists. Intermediate Care Support Workers assist service users to re-build confidence in using their domiciliary skills, which may have deteriorated over time, and resume activities safely. The aim to maximise independence, and any support given will vary in length in line with individual need, and could be for as little as a few days. 

The team will:

• Try to prevent inappropriate admission to acute hospital care
• Facilitate timely hospital discharges
• Try to prevent unnecessary admission to 24-hour care provision
• Assist in allowing people to remain in their own home environment
• Try to prevent the need for long-term domiciliary care packages

How do I access the service?

You can refer yourself through our Contact Cares team - telephone 01744 676767

You can be referred by any professional involved in your care, for example:

• General Practitioner
• Nurse
• Social Care
• Voluntary Agency
• Hospital

Website: www.sthelens.gov.uk/contactcaresreablement



Urgent Community Response

St Helens 2 Hour Urgent Community Response Service (UCR)

The service offers help and support to over 18s who are experiencing a health or care crisis. They carry out assessments within 2 hours and work with the wider community team to reduce the risk of hospital attendances or admissions. The individual being referred must also be safe to wait for two hours.

Situations in which the UCR can help:



• Falls - With no apparent serious injury(including to the head, back, hip or where able to rule out a fracture) and where there has been no loss of consciousness
• Increased Frailty - loss of strength, speed, energy, activity, muscle mass, resilience to minor health strains and subsequent loss of independence.
• Reduced function or mobility - sudden or gradual mobility loss, leading to a sudden presentation eg a change in ability to manage at home with daily tasks.
• End-of-life crisis support - If core palliative/end of life care services aren't available to respond, UCR will help to maintain a person at home if they are close to the end of their life, offering symptom control/pain relief, in line with the persons wishes.
• Urgent equipment provision - alongside an assessment, to make a person safe and optimise functional ability to prevent admission. A person should be made safe and ongoing care provided where appropriate by reablement or rehabilitation services.
• Confusion or delirium - Increased or new confusion, acute worsening of dementia and/or delirium. The patient should be assessed to establish the cause (e.g., Urinary Tract Infection, Cellulitis, Pneumonia) so that their needs can be manages safely at home. 
• Urgent catheter care -  Where the person has a blocked catheter and/or pain from a catheter related issue and is at risk of harm and has a very high risk of admission to Hospital
• Urgent diabetes care - Where the person has experienced a hypoglycaemic episode (now resolved) or where blood sugar management is a concern, and the person is at risk of hospital admission as a result (excluding sepsis requiring hospital admission hyperglycaemia/ketoacidosis)
• Unpaid carer breakdown - Provide healthcare where a carer is no longer able to do this and the person they care for now requires a two-hour crisis response.

How It Works

The UCR takes referrals from any health or social care professional including NHS 111 and the ambulance service. Self referrals are also accepted.

The UCR triage nurse will take appropriate information from the referrer and determine the type of response required.

To request support

Call : 01744 676767 or Email : contactcares@sthelens.gov.uk

Website: www.sthelens.gov.uk/article/11183/Urgent-community-response

Page Last Updated November 2024