Social care support may include training to regain lost skills, personal care, activities during the day and equipment to help with daily living or adaptations to your home.

To find out if the person you care for qualifies for social care support, a member of social care staff will arrange to speak with them. They discuss the situation that the person you care for is experiencing, and explain how this may be improved. This is called an assessment of need. If the person you care for agrees, you can be involved in this discussion.

If the person you care for has eligible needs, which are already being met in some way (for example, by you as a carer), then adult social care do not need to meet these particular needs. They should still be recorded in the Care and Support plan. Adult social care cannot lawfully assume that you will continue to meet these needs, so it is important for you to be clear about the level of care you are willing and able to provide.

It is important to understand that most people will have to pay something towards the cost of their care.

If the person you care for qualifies for help from social care, they will be asked about their finances to see how much they can afford to pay towards the cost of care.

We call this a financial assessment. As part of the financial assessment, we make sure they are claiming any benefits they are entitled to.

The person you care for may be eligible to receive financial support from the council if they have savings or investments (available capital) of less than a certain amount.

You need to contact BCP Council to request a social care assessment.

They can be contacted by:

If the person you care for lives in Dorset but not in the BCP Council area, you need to contact Dorset Council to request an assessment.

BCP Council have produced a factsheet to help you understand how you and the person you care for will be involved in their care, and what you can expect from care workers. It also give you information about care workers and their visits.

The Adult Social Care service provider directory provides a wide range of solutions to help you or a loved one live safe and independently at home.