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Care and support for adults in Bristol

Care and support for adults in Bristol
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Adults sometimes need support to live independently. Support can come in many different forms. You can access this yourself, or with our help.

We can offer you support if you live in Bristol and have:

  • a disability or a long-term illness
  • a learning difficulty
  • mental health needs
  • age related health issues
  • any other social care needs that impact your independence

Or if you're:

  • an unpaid carer (taking care of a family member or a friend)
  • concerned about someone you know

We can support you to prevent, reduce or delay the need for longer term care. We want to make sure you can live independently and in your home for as long as possible.

We like to promote adults' independence, choice and ability to make decisions about the care and support they receive.

Services and information points

There are many services where you might find the help you're looking for, without the need to contact us.

When you contact us

If you find it difficult to do a number of things that seriously affect your wellbeing, and our website does not have the information you need, you can contact us.

We want to give you as much choice and control as possible about the support that might be helpful to you.

When you contact us, we'll talk about:

  • keeping you independent or helping you to become more independent
  • any personal care needs you may have
  • your mobility
  • keeping your home safe
  • being able to carry on working or volunteering
  • being part of your community
  • being able to meet your friends
  • any short-term support that you can remain living  the way you used to live your life or become more independent
  • what support you may need if you are a carer

This  pdf easy read guide(2.31 MB) explains what you can expect from a Care Act Assessment, how it works, and how your social worker decides whether or not you can get care and support services from us.

How to contact us

If you can't find what you need on our website or think you need to contact someone about your situation call us on 0117 922 2700. This is the direct phone number to Care Direct, the main way to contact adult social services in Bristol

If you prefer to contact us online, you can fill in an Adult care referral to help us find out what your needs are. It helps us to find out about the care and support that can help you to live independently and may lead to a detailed assessment.

You can:

  • Fill in an Adult care referral form yourself
  • Ask your carer, a friend or a family member to help you fill in the Adult care referral form or do it on your behalf
  • Work with an independent advocate who can help you fill in the Adult care referral form or do it on your behalf

If you complete and submit an Adult Care referral form without speaking to Social Care first then an advisor will contact you to find out more about your needs.

If you're already receiving care and support from us, you can still talk to us about this.

What happens when you send an Adult Care referral

When we get the online form, Care Direct will usually contact you to go over the information and discuss how your needs can be met both within adult care and from other sources.

If we're not able to find support in your community that can meet your needs and improve your wellbeing, we may refer you to a fuller assessment.

The assessment of your care needs will help us to understand if you're eligible for support from us.

See Eligibility guidance

If we think that we can help, and you're eligible, we'll work with you to agree on the right Care and Support Plan to meet your needs.

How much you may need to pay for care and support

Most people have to contribute towards the cost of their care and support.

The amount you may have to pay is determined by a financial assessment. This is where we try to work out how much you can afford to pay towards the care and support you need. It involves looking at your income, savings and individual circumstances, this is also known as means tested.

If you're eligible for a Care and Support Plan, we'll talk to you about your finances including your income, savings and individual circumstances.

Read more about Financial assessment.

Self funding

If you have more money in your savings than the amount in What you may have to pay for your care and support, you may have pay for all your care and support. This is known as being a self funder.

When people are self-funders and are looking for long term care, we often suggest that they arrange care privately. This is because it may be quicker and allow for more flexibility and more choice. 

You can ask us to arrange the care, but we charge an administration fee to set it up and an annual fee in respect of care for self funders in their own home.

You can find care agencies who provide services on the Care Quality Commission website Go to https://www.cqc.org.uk/ (opens new window) and information about how they performed in their most recent inspection.

Some short term services and occupational therapy may still be available to self funders. If you need help, call us on 0117 922 2700. Our short term service includes reablement which works with people to help them regain independence. Some of these services have parts that may be free, and some become chargeable. For example, if we find part way through that the adult needs longer term support. 

There are exceptions, such as carer's assessments, so if you're not sure call us on 0117 922 2700.

What happens if your needs change

If your needs change and you feel you may need more support, contact us to discuss this on 0117 922 2700 or complete a new Adult care referral form.

Help when you need it

We work in partnership with agencies who work with Bristol people who need help to live independently.

This might be help with things like:

  • finding and maintaining suitable housing
  • looking after health and wellbeing, including accessing health services
  • reducing social isolation and connecting with community resources
  • accessing work, training, volunteering, or meaningful activities
  • managing money and maximising income
  • feeling safe and minimising harm, including trauma-informed support
  • supporting carers
  • accessing advocacy and other community services to maintain independence

You can refer yourself and this might be quicker than going through adult care.

If you need support to do this, or are not sure which service you need, call us on 0117 922 2700.

Service details, who they support and how to contact them

Keyring

Support for adults with learning difficulties or neurodivergent people to live independently. KeyRing covers all of Bristol.

Second Step

Support for people who need help with their mental health. Second Step covers BS1 to 4 and BS13 to 15 postcodes.

St Mungo's

Support for people who need help with their mental health. St Mungo's covers BS5 to 11 and BS16 postcodes.

Missing Link

Support for women who need help with their mental health. Missing Link covers all of Bristol.

Rethink

Support in the community for people who need help with their mental health and carers of people with mental health conditions.

Bristol Community Support Services

For the community service:
Email: bristolservices@rethink.org
Phone: 0117 903 1801

For the carer's service:
Email: bristolcarers@rethink.org
Phone: 0117 903 1803

Brigstowe

Support for people who live with HIV and AIDS. Brigstowe covers all of Bristol.

Brunelcare

For people aged over 55.

Elsewhere on the web

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