If you need information and advice about moving to a residential or nursing home, please contact us to discuss your situation. One of our staff will give you free, confidential advice. At this stage we will consider your abilities, health and mobility, and discuss with you what help you feel you need. Contact our Adults' CarePoint.

Help making decisions

By law, we need to assume that anyone aged 16 or over can make decisions for themselves, with support if needed, unless we have evidence that they cannot do this. If you are not able to make your own decisions and we have to take action on your behalf, we will only do this if it is in your best interests. If a best-interest decision is needed, we will discuss your needs with anyone who has a valid power of attorney. This means someone who is legally allowed to make specific decisions for you and to act on your behalf. If the Court of Protection has authorised someone to act on your behalf, we will work closely with that person to make sure that any decisions that are made about your care and support are in your best interests.

How we decide who can get help to pay for care

You may be entitled to receive financial help from us if we agree you need care in a residential or nursing home. We use national guidelines to help us decide whether or not you have care needs which are eligible for council-funded support. Your social care worker will explain the assessment process to you. You can also find information about assessment in our ‘Your life, your choice’ information booklet. Please visit our Adults’ social care publications’ page or contact our Adults’ CarePoint and ask for a copy.

The amount we will ask you to contribute to the cost of your care is based on how much we assess you can reasonably afford to pay. Even if you do not need financial support from us and would like to arrange and pay for your own residential or nursing care, you can still ask a social care worker for advice about the care and support you might need.

If you have £23,250 or less in savings and investments (not including the value of your main or only home), you are likely to be entitled to financial help. There is a maximum amount that we will pay to the home based on your level of need. This includes your contribution to the cost of your care.

If you have more than £23,250 in savings or investments, you can still talk to a social care worker for advice. You may also like to contact the Carewise care funding scheme for advice about choosing and paying for long-term care. Please see the 'Useful contacts' page for details. You may be entitled to financial support from us if your financial circumstances change.

How to get financial help from us

Whatever your financial situation, our staff are here to discuss your circumstances with you and to help you consider the choices you can make. You don’t have to accept any of the choices you are offered. If we decide that the best way to meet your needs is in residential care, you will have to fill in a financial assessment form if you want financial help. You are not automatically entitled to financial help if you fill in this form.

The social care worker or benefits adviser will explain the details to you. If someone else manages your finances for you, please tell the social care worker.

If you do not want to give us your financial information, you will have to pay the full cost of your care.

You can always choose not to go into residential care if you are not prepared to pay towards the cost of your care, but there may be practical and financial limits to the care available to support you at home. In this case, the social care worker will discuss the other options with you.