[Team Address]
Tel: 020 7525 xxxx
Email: @southwark.gov.uk
[Recipient’s name]
[address]
Date:
Our Ref [CF no.]
Dear [Title. Name]
Following our assessment meeting/phone discussion [delete as appropriate] with you on [DAY, DATE MONTH, YEAR], we have determined that you are eligible to receive support from Southwark Adult Social Care for the following reason:
- Due to your [state physical/mental impairment/illness diagnosis], you are unable to[insert specified Care Act eligibility outcomes]. Your inability to achieve these outcomes that are identified in The Care Act 2014 has, or will have a significant impact on your wellbeing.
[Summarise the impact on the adult’s wellbeing]
Based on our initial assessment of your needs and the outcomes you hope to achieve, we have calculated that it should be possible to meet your care and support needs with a personal budget of £xxx.xx per week. This figure is based on purchasing services to achieve the following outcomes –
- support to achieve [outcome]
- support to achieve [outcome]
- support to achieve [outcome]
In order to ensure that you get the assistance that you need we will help you develop your care and support plan. Your personal budget might increase or fall following the development of your plan.
It is Southwark’s policy to charge for social care based on an assessment of how much you can afford to pay. This means that some people have to pay the full costs of their care, some pay a contribution towards the cost, and others pay nothing at all.
[option 1] We have calculated that you must contribute £xx.xx to purchase the services that you need based on the financial assessment you completed on [DAY, DATE MONTH, YEAR]. This figure may change once your personal budget has been confirmed, or if your financial circumstances change.[option 2] You may also need to contribute towards the cost of your caredependent on your financial circumstances. We will carry out a financial assessment with you to determine whether you must make any payments for the services that you need, and if so how much you will need to pay. [option 3. Do not use if there are capacity concerns] You may also need to contribute to your personal budget dependent on your financial circumstances. Please complete the enclosed financial assessment form and return it in the stamp addressed envelope. We will use the assessment to determine whether you must make any payments for the services that you need and to calculate how much you will need to pay.
Next steps
We will contact you to arrange a meeting to develop your care and support plan. In the meantime it is worth thinking about –
- What care and support needs you have, even those that are currently being met (for example by an informal carer, family and/or friends). It is important that we have a full picture of your needs so that wecan take appropriate steps if your circumstances change.
- Whether you would like a family member, carer, friend, or independent advocate to attend your care and support plan meeting. If you would like anybody aside from us to help you put your care and support plan together let us know. If you don’t have anybody we can make arrangements for you.
- How you would like us to administer your personal budget. We may be able to make the payments direct to you (or a trusted party that you nominate) so that you can purchase the care and support you need. Otherwise if you would like we can hold onto the money and purchase the services on your behalf.
Between now and your care and support plan we will take the following measures/ actions to help you maintain/improve your wellbeing [delete if holding/interim arrangements are not needed]–
- [List interim arrangement]
- [List interim arrangement]
- [List interim arrangement]
In order to prevent, reduce or delay the onset of any further social care needs, you may also benefit from –
- [personalise advice/information based on initial assessment]
- [personalise advice/information based on initial assessment]
- [personalise advice/information based on initial assessment]
Once your care and support plan has been completed we will review your needs at least annually to see how you are doing. We will also use the reviews to determine whether you are still eligible to receive support from Southwark Adult Social Care.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. In the meantime I have enclosed a copy of your assessment for your records. I have also forwarded a copy of this decision letter and your needs assessment to [advocate/carer/specialist support name] following their involvement in your assessment. AND/OR Please let me know if you would like me to forward a copy of the assessment to anyone currently supporting/working with you.
Yours sincerely,
[name]
[job title]
Adult Social Care, PO Box 64529, LondonSE1P 5LX
Switchboard: 020 7525 5000 Website:
Strategic Director of Children’s and Adults Services: David Quirke-Thornton