Once we recieve a referral, a worker will contact you to find out more about your situation.
Who will contact me?
If you are admitted to hospital, you'll be contacted by a member of our CARE Point service. They will work with you and your hospital care team. You can expect them to decide what support, if any, is needed for you to be discharged safely.
They will come to see you on the ward. They will then speak to your nursing, medical and therapies team to complete a social care needs assessment (secton 4).
If you are at home, we have Advice and Information Response Officers (AIROs) who will contact you. They work in our social care contact centre.
They will provide advice about common situations and gather information. This will support any decisions about whether you might need social work input.
They usually get in touch on the phone. You can let us know if you struggle with phone calls and we can communicate with you in different ways.
They will ask you questions to find out more about your situation: what you can manage, what you are finding challenging, and who around you can help.
Depending on your situation, the worker might:
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Give you advice and information.
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Signpost or refer you to other services, e.g. health services, carer support, support with welfare benefits, etc.
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Provide common equipment to help with day-to-day activities through our Select & Direct service.
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Put you in touch with our Care & Connect team, who support people who are isolated or struggling to connect with support services.
This might be all the help you need. If it appears that you might need more support, the worker may refer you for:
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An Occupational Therapist (OT) or Occupational Assessment Officer (OAO). They will explore whether equipment or adaptations to your home could help you, and/or
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A Social Worker or Community Wellbeing Officer to consider your wellbeing, any needs for support in day to day life, and how these could be met.