Eligibility Consultation

Consultation about access to adult social care services

Southwark Council ran a consultation about who should receive the adult social care services that help vulnerable people live independently.

Proposal

The council consulted on a proposal to raise the level of need at which people can receive adult social care. This would mean only providing services to those who are assessed as having substantial or critical levels of need. This would not include those with moderate needs.

The consultation was prompted by changes in the way central government funds councils, which means Southwark will receive nearly £35 million funds less than before over the next three years. At the same time there is an ever increasing demand for adult social care that supports people to live as independently as possible.

As a result, the council must find savings of £2.5 to £3 million from the adult social care budget every year for the next three years to balance the whole council budget.

Consultation

The consultation took place from June 30 to September 26 2008. Nearly 540 responses were received by the council. The Council Executive considered all the issues and difficult challenges and appreciated the level and quality of feedback received from service users, carers and organisations.

Consultation document (pdf 459kb)
Eligibility consultation letter (pdf 53kb)
Eligibility criteria for social care 2003 (pdf 56kb)
Consultation document - easy read (pdf 290kb)

If you responded to the consultation, thank you for doing so, your views were taken into account.

What next?

The feedback received throughout the consultation was reported to Southwark Council’s executive on October 20 2008. The Council Executive decided that it would raise the level of need at which people are able to receive ongoing care at home. For more information, please view the letters to service users.

Letter to service users - moderate (pdf 52kb)
Letter to service users - substantial or critical (pdf 65kb)
Letter to service users - easy read version (pdf 290kb)

Read the agenda, minutes and reports from the executive meeting on October 20 2008.

Contact us

Adult Social Care
Tel: 020 7525 1597
adultsocialcare@southwark.gov.uk  
Mabel Goldwin House
49 Grange Walk
Bermondsey
SE1 3DY
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm