Adult social care for people with a learning disability in Newcastle

Adult social care for people
with learning disabilities
in Newcastle
Photo from johnbirdsall.co.uk. Library photo posed by models
Information for carers

Adult social care for people with learning
disabilities in Newcastle
Please tick the appropriate boxes below.
(Ar)
(Ur)
(Be)
(Pu)
(Hi)
(Ca)
I want this information by e-mail.
I want this information in Braille.
I want this information on audio tape.
I want this information in large print
Title: (Mr, Mrs, Ms or Miss):
Name:
Address and Postcode:
✄
Phone:
E-mail address:

Cut out this page and send it in an envelope to:
Newcastle City Council
Adult Services Directorate
Customer Relations Team
FREEPOST NEA5336
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 1BR
You don’t need a stamp.
We will record your information on our database
and use it for statistical purposes only. We will not share
your information with other people.
4

Who are we?
The Learning Disabilities Team is part of Newcastle Adult
Services. We help people with learning disabilities and
their carers.
How we can help
We can:
• give information and advice on social and health care
services;
• put people with learning disabilities in touch with
organisations who may be able to help them;
• arrange community care assessments. This is where
a social worker from the learning disability team talks
to someone about help and support they might need;
• arrange a carer’s assessment; and
• buy and arrange services that provide help
and support.
5

How to get the service
You can get the service through a referral. Talk to our
duty social worker who is available from 9.30am
to 12 noon and 2pm till 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Our address is:
Adult Services Directorate
Adult Learning Disability Team
Shieldfield Centre
4-8 Clarence Walk
Shieldfield
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE2 1AL
Phone: 0191 278 8100
Fax: 0191 278 8123
Textphone: 0191 278 8266
If there is not a social worker there to talk to, we will get
one to phone back later the same day or the next working
day.
Our customer services teams may also be able to help.
These are at:
Gosforth Customer Services Team
5 Lansdowne Terrace East
Gosforth
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE3 1HF
6

Phone: 0191 277 2077
Fax: 0191 277 2100
Textphone: 0191 277 2085
Or,
Newburn Customer Services Team
Newburn Road
Newburn
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE15 8QJ
Phone: 0191 277 2555
Fax: 0191 277 2550
Textphone: 0191 277 2611
If urgent help with social care is needed during the
evening or weekend, phone: 0191 232 8520 and ask
for our Emergency Duty Team.
To make a referral from a hospital, contact the social work
team at the hospital.
7

What happens next?
When we receive a referral, we will organise a time to talk
to the person who may need our help.
This is a community care assessment.
What is a community care assessment?
This is when we meet with someone to talk about:
• how they manage day to day;
• what they are able to do;
• things they might need help with;
• what help, if any, family, friends and other people give.
Sometimes we arrange a carer’s assessment for a
person who helps; and
• the choices they have to improve their situation.
We can do assessments:
• in our office;
• in the home; or
• at another appropriate place.
When we do assessments we can bring an interpreter
if one is needed.
8

Carer’s assessment and help for carers
If you give substantial care to someone for more than 20
hours a week, you can have an assessment of your own
needs.
There is information, advice and guidance in the
Newcastle Carers’ Guide. You can get a copy in the
following ways.
Phone: 0191 211 6340
Fax: 0191 211 4955
Textphone: 0191 211 6388
E-mail: adultservices.customer@newcastle.gov.uk
Website: www.newcastle.gov.uk
You can also visit or contact Carers Centre Newcastle
for support.
Carers Centre Newcastle
6 Saville Place
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8DQ
Phone: 0191 260 3030
Fax: 0191 230 1500
E-mail: carerscentrenewcastle@btconnect.com
9

Confidentiality
We may talk to other people such as doctors. We will ask
permission to do this. To give the best help, we sometimes
need to give information to important people, such as:
• staff who don’t work for Adult Services, but who can
help, and
• other organisations who can help.
We will ask permission to do this. We can give information
to some people without getting permission. These include:
• other organisations, if it will protect someone from
great danger; and
• other organisations, if someone has committed a crime.
What happens after an assessment?
We agree a care plan.
The care plan says what we will do and how we will do it.
It will also say:
• what services will be provided;
• who will provide them; and
• when they should start.
We look at the services from time to time to see if they
are still what are needed. This is a review.
10

How much does it cost?
There is no charge for a community care assessment.
If the assessment leads to services, we will tell you how
much they will cost.
We look at our charges every year. We have up-to-date
information about our charges. Ask for a leaflet at any
Adult Services customer services team, or the Civic
Centre’s customer service centre.
What happens if we can’t help?
Sometimes Adult Services can’t help. If this happens we
may be able to put you in touch with another organisation
who can help.
11

Other organisations you can contact
for help
Benefits Enquiry Line
Phone: 0800 88 22 00
Working Families Tax Credit
Phone: 0845 609 5000
Citizens Advocacy
Phone: 0191 232 7445
Disability North
Phone: 0191 284 0480
12

Are you happy with our help?
We want you to be happy with our help. You should tell
us if there is something we are doing well or if there is
something that we are doing which is not good.
To find out about making a comment or complaint,
speak to:
Customer Relations Team
Newcastle City Council
Adult Services Directorate
FREEPOST NEA5336
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 1BR
Phone: 0191 211 6340
Fax: 0191 211 4955
Textphone: 0191 211 6388
E-mail: adultservices.customer@newcastle.gov.uk
13

Sometimes you might want to say things about our service
or the care we have organised, but can’t do this yourself.
You can ask an advocate to help you. An advocate is
someone who is independent and doesn’t work for Social
Services.
To contact an advocate, phone the Newcastle Advocacy
Service on 0191 232 7445 (textphone: 0191 232 7445).
Or contact Skills for People on 0191 281 7322
(fax 0191 212 0300).
14

Your Notes
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15

www.newcastle.gov.uk
Produced by Newcastle City Council,
Adult Services Directorate,
February 2008
Designed and produced by NDS. Tel: 0191 278 3935. 1676/LH/01.08