Project Description
Client’s with savings exceeding the funding eligibility threshold are liable for the full costs of any care provided by social services. However, this does not automatically equate to having any involvement or say pertaining to the care providers identified, to deliver your care. Self -funders are nevertheless liable for the full costs of care facilitated on your behalf by social services or alternatively make your own care arrangements, which Epiphany can assist you with. Some Social Services departments are now also charging self -funders up to £250.00 for the support planning, brokerage aspect of their care. A support plan is an essential document that is created after a needs assessment. It clearly outlines your identified needs and how they will be met, to ensure risks are alleviated and so as to ensure your health, welfare and well-being. It is essential that support plans are fully personalised to reflect the personal preferences and wishes of clients, so as to ensure care is delivered precisely as clients prefer, rather than in a prescribed manner. Epiphany are able to both provide an assessment in line with the statutory eligibility criteria, as well as a detailed support plan, at competitive rates, without unnecessary delays or any conflicts of interest and with the needs and holistic well-being of the clients we represent remaining paramount.
An assessment within the context of adult care is an important document that clearly specifies client needs, activities of daily living that can or can’t be undertaken, the reasons why and the level of risks that would justify the provision of a service to circumvent the identified risks. At Epiphany our assessments are completely impartial and conducted in line with the statutory requirements of The Care Act 2014. Undertaken by independent Social Workers our assessments are completely impartial and undertaken without any conflicts of interest. Having an assessment ensures clients have clarity pertaining to level of care needs and this is an essential tool when sourcing care so as to ensure you are provided with and only incur costs for the level of care you actually need, as clearly outlined within your assessment & a support plan. A support plans is an essential document detailing specifically how you wish to have your care delivered and should be personalised and fully reflective of the personal preferences of each individual client. At Epiphany we are committed to achieving positive outcomes to ensure the very best quality of life for the clients we represent. Our specialist advice, information and assessments, provide you with the reassurance that care decisions made are sound, cost effective and in the best interests of vulnerable adults, carers and the families we represent. Our cost-effective consultations can speedily commence the process to meet your care needs without any undue delay. We are able to offer creative, effective solutions to address your care needs, source the best quality of care to support you within your own home, or identify appropriate care homes to meet your needs and requirements. We are also renowned for our innovative approach and available to facilitate creative solutions to identified care needs.
There are numerous benefits to acquiring a formal comprehensive assessment of your needs in line with the Care Act 2014, prior to seeking support and care for a vulnerable adult. An assessment from your local social services is free however some local authorities are now charging for support planning/ procurement. The reality is that most adult care departments are overwhelmed with referrals and despite doing their best, this unfortunately creates waiting lists which prolongs the timeframe for being assigned a social worker to undertake an assessment. Upon completion of an assessment the paper work then often goes to a funding panel for management agreement, prior to eventually facilitating the required services via support planning and procurement as well as requesting a financial assessment.
All vulnerable adults who meet the criteria for care and support are expected to contribute towards the cost of their identified care needs. This usually entails a financial assessment that is undertaken by social services and where an individual client has savings in excess of £23,250 or a high income they are considered to be a self-funder. Being a self funder means a client is fully liable for the cost of their care needs until their funds deplete to the threshold of £23,250. Epiphany can provide a prompt response to your assessment needs and ensure you have a fully comprehensive assessment which is an essential tool for every care journey. As a self-funder a fully comprehensive assessment will provide you with a formal document outlining your current level of need in line with the national eligibility criteria, as prescribed by the Care Act. This is invaluable for a number of reasons. An assessment provides you with a clear outline of your care needs in line with the current eligibility criteria and makes clients aware from the outset, whether there is a likelihood that social services will pick up funding when personal funds deplete. Social services only have a statutory duty to pick up funding, where client needs are assessed as meeting the eligibility criteria and will refuse funding where this is not apparent. It is therefore important to have clarity and understanding from the outset as private care providers do not necessarily explain the full ramifications of when your funds deplete and that social services can effectively refuse to fund clients if a social workers assessment concludes the eligibility is not met. This can effectively result in a transfer back into the community, for vulnerable adult residing in a care home where there are insufficient funds to remain in the care home privately and family or friends are unable to assist with ongoing funding for the care home costs. A Care Act assessment and support plan therefore provides much needed reassurance pertaining to current needs, the level of care required to meet those needs and a helpful indication of the associated costs. This is an invaluable tool as it provides much needed insight and understanding of the care you actually need and what you should be paying for, which is not always clearly apparent from care providers.
An Epiphany assessment facilitates an independent impartial outline of your specific needs and is therefore able to provide clarity on the level of care you require as well as an indication of the costs you should incur. Again, this is particularly important to ensure clients are not overcharged for the care they receive or encouraged to pay for what is not actually needed. The unfortunate reality of overcharging for care is very prevalent and reinforces the benefits that our range of services can provide. Clearly identified needs alongside a personalised support plan outlining how care should be delivered, are invaluable in providing guidance on what clients should actually be paying for. Our services provide the necessary tools for your care journey and are invaluable in ensuring positive outcomes. We are able to assist with the procurement and brokerage of appropriate care services, ensure a fair price and quality assurance via regular reviews to ensure client standards and expectations continue to be met.
The Self-Funding Threshold
Care Funding Distinctions
