How to access our services
Adult Social Care helps all adults, including people who are vulnerable or who need extra support, to access flexible services tailored to their individual needs, to enable them to live as independently as possible.
There are different types of service available for adults, depending on your needs.
To access social care in Leeds there are a few simple steps:
Step 1: Contact us to arrange an assessment
If you are new to accessing social care, the first step is for you to contact us to arrange a self-directed assessment. This is where we look together at what kind of support you will need to help you live more independently.
- To arrange an assessment, contact Adult Social Care on 0113 222 4401 (textphone 0113 222 4410) or you can email us.
- If you would prefer to speak to someone face-to-face you could visit your local one stop centre.
Step 2: Complete your self-directed assessment with us
It's called a 'self-directed' assessment because you lead the process! A care manager will ask you about any difficulties you may be having and what help you need. Read more about assessments.
Step 3: Put together your support plan
After the assessment, we'll be able to give you a rough idea of how much money is available for you to spend on your social care needs. Now you can put together a plan showing what support you will need and how you want to organise it - we can help you do this, and you can also involve family, friends or your carer if you want to.
Step 4: Start using social care support!
It's up to you whether you decide to receive your social care money (known as a 'personal budget') directly and organise your support yourself, or ask the council to arrange it for you. There are lots of different options depending on your lifestyle and preferences. Read more about personal budgets and the different options here.
- Visit our section on services for older people to find out more about services that can be tailored to meet your needs as you grow older, helping you to stay independent, active and well.
- Read more about self-directed support - the new direction of social care. It's all about making it easier to tailor your support to suit your needs. You'll know how much you will be able to spend on your social care, and can choose how you receive this money and how your support is organised.
- Do you care for an adult? Find out about respite care.
- We have a responsibility to protect adults from abuse. Read more about adult protection.
- Because social care is taxpayers' money and it must be spent responsibly, there are certain eligibility criteria we need to use to decide who we can provide services for, and what those services will be.