Adult Social Services
Adult Social Services are
provided by Kent Adult Social Services (KASS) and Medway Adult Social
Care. They have a responsibility to assist people who need support in
their daily lives whether short or long term.
They are committed to helping people live safely and independently in
their own homes, for as long as possible. Once an assessment has been
made of your needs, and you meet their eligibility criteria then they
can provide the following services to help you remain as active and independent
as possible:-
Direct Payments
A Direct Payment is money that you can be given to arrange your own care
or support instead of Adult Social Services arranging it for you. Direct
Payments will give you greater choice and control over your life as you
will be able to either employ your own staff or purchase care or support
from an agency of your choice.
For further information on Kent Adult Social Services please go to
Direct Payments, and for Medway Adult
Social Care please go to Medway
Direct Payment Scheme.
Adaptations To Your Home
For example, grab rails in the bathroom, a stair lift, downstairs toilet
or ramped wheelchair access to a property.
Specialist Equipment
For example, special equipment to help you manage day-to-day tasks such
as using the toilet or bath and getting out of the armchair.
Specialist Services for People with Sensory Difficulties
KASS and Medway Social Care provide a range of services for the deaf,
the blind and/ or visually impaired people, including support services
such as guide communication, equipment and rehabilitation services, advice,
information and counselling.
Day Care Services
If you find it difficult getting out you might like to join a Day Centre
where you can get involved in a wide range of activities to meet your
needs.
Recuperative and Intermediate Care Services
These are short-term (usually six weeks or less), intensive services to
help you recover quickly after an illness, fall or other crisis. These
services can be provided in your own home or in a care home.
Care in Your Own Home
This service is provided by care staff who are trained to help you with
your personal care needs such as help with washing, dressing, and getting
in and out of bed.
Meals Service
Help with getting meals to be prepared in a person’s home or delivered
to the home from a variety of sources.
Short Break (or Respite) Care
These services offer you short breaks, which can be provided either away
from or in your own home and is to relieve both the person with dementia
and their carer for a short period of time.
Support in a Care Home
Should you find that you are no longer able to live at home, even with
help, there is a list of homes available. Kent
County Council and
Medway Adult Social Services has
further information on Care Services available.
Employment Placement Schemes
These schemes help disabled people get training and to find work.
Educational Support
This service helps people with disabilities gain skills to enable them
to live an active and independent life as possible.
Social Skills Development
This service helps people with learning disabilities or mental health
problems to lead full and active lives.
Support for Carers
For example, support groups for Carers, respite care.
Independent Advocacy
This service helps people to get their point of view across to our staff.
Interpreting Service
This service provides confidential interpreting support (languages and
sign language) to help people use services.
Mental Health Services
A broad range of support services is available to help people with mental
health problems.
Tele-Care
Tele-care provides support and reassurance from outside of your home using
the help of technology. A wide range of alarms and sensors are available,
designed to assist you in managing the risks of living in your own home,
such as falling over or fire hazards.
Tele-Health
Tele-health technology will help you and your professionals to monitor
your vital health signs. When using the Tele-health equipment you will
be able to take measurements that the nurse or GP take at the surgery
therefore avoiding frequent visits to the surgery.Your measurements are
automatically sent through the telephone line enabling the nurse or GP
to read the measurements from their monitor.
More Information
If you would like more information on any of the Kent Adult Social Services
support mentioned on this website please telephone the Kent Contact and
Assessment Centre, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 08458 247 100
or go to Social
Care. Or, if you would like to
find out more information about Medway Adult Social Care please go to
Services
for Adults with Social Care Needs.
If you would like more information about Medway Adult Social Care please
call Customer First on 01634 333 333 or go to Services
for Adults with Social Care Needs.
Eligibility Criteria
There are guidelines that have to be followed in order to decide whether
a person can receive any of KASS services. These are to make sure they
provide a fair and effective service within the KASS resources. If people
do not qualify for a service, advice and information is given.
Charges for services
Advice and assessments by Adult Social Services are free. Charges are
made for some of their services according to the cost of the service and
the ability to pay.
Complaints
Adult Social Services hope you will have no cause to complain but if things
go wrong you have the right to make a complaint. They have a complaints
and compliments procedure and welcome your feedback to help them improve
their services. Customer Care staff based at headquarters and each of
the area offices can help you. You can also ask for their complaints leaflet
which explains this in more detail.
For further information on KASS please go to Making
a Complaint About Adult Social Service or Medway
Adult Social Care Complaints.
Out of Hours Service
In the event of extreme urgency which cannot wait until the next working
day, the duty social worker or care manager can be contacted on 0845 762
6777.
24 Hour Kent Dementia Helpline
If you have concerns about dementia, the 24 Hour Kent Dementia
Helpline Freephone 0800 500 3014 can provide information, support,
guidance and referrals to other appropriate organisations in Kent.
This is a confidential service staffed by highly trained and experienced
staff, offering emotional support to anyone calling. It provides information
on local and national services specific to Dementia.
You do not need to be diagnosed with Dementia to call, people contact
the Helpline about many different issues such as bereavement, relationship
problems, loneliness/isolation and stress. Ongoing support is available,
and they are also there for carers in need of support.
BT landline calls to 0845 numbers cost no more than 4 pence per minute;
calls made from mobiles usually cost more.
Other forms of support can be the Samaritans on 08457 909090 or RETHINK
on 0808 8083333 or Mental Health Matters 0800 107 0160.
Carers Direct
Call the Carers Direct helpline on 0808 802 0202 if you need help with your caring role and want to talk to someone about what options are available to you. You can also contact Carers Direct by text-phone on 0800 988 8657.
Lines are open 8am to 9pm Monday to Friday, 11am to 4pm at weekends. Calls are free from UK landlines.
Adult Placement Services
Adult Placement Schemes are run by Kent Adult
Social Services and Medway Adult Social Care. It places vulnerable adults
with Adult Placement Carers in local communities, giving them the opportunity
to be part of a family or household and other social networks.
To find out more about the Kent Adult Placement
Scheme, please visit the Kent
Adult Social Services website. Or
to find out more about 'Shared Lives' (formerly known as Adult Placements)
in Medway Adult Social Care, please go to Shared
Lives.
Further information
See also our section Carers
- Looking After Yourself, for information on Carers' Assessments.
Last updated: 14th May 2012