Health & Social Care
Care Act Guidance
The Care Act 2014 came into force in 2015. It clarifies what kind of care and support people can expect from adult social
care in England. It also sets out in one place, local authorities’ duties in relation to assessing people’s needs and their eligibility for publicly funded care and support. The Care Act brought together several old laws and some new ones into one modern piece of legislation.
The rights of adult carers who care for another adult are also set out in the Care Act 2014. It gives all unpaid carers the legal right to an assessment of their own needs. The Care Act relates mostly to adult carers. This is because young carers (aged under 18) and adults who care for disabled children can be assessed and supported under children’s law.
Read an overview of the Care Act 2014 by Luke Clements, Cerebra Professor of Law at Cardiff University.
Guidance has been published about assessments, provision and eligibility of care under the 2014 Care Act by the Department of Health and Social Care.
Health and Social Care Services
A person with a learning disability will have both health and care needs.
Health needs are medical needs and services are provided by the NHS. These are free for UK and EU citizens.
Social care needs are non-medical support needs such as personal care – getting washed and dressed. These are not free and are means-tested. If your needs are assessed as ‘eligible’ you will need to complete a financial assessment to determine how much, if anything, you need to pay to contribute to the costs of your social care.
Local authority social care services are responsible for supporting vulnerable adults and children, their unpaid carers and families. They arrange care and support services for adults and children who are vulnerable because of learning or physical disabilities, long-term health problems (including mental health) or age. Help might be with personal care, aids, equipment and adaptations, home and day care services and respite care.
Support available for people with severe learning disabilities/difficulties can include support to:
- find somewhere to live
- go to school or college or work
- meet new friends
- take part in sports and other activities
- find a day service
- access health services
Reading Borough Council is responsible for social care services. To find out how you can get support, please call 0118 937 3747. Information about services for people with a learning disability can also be found in the Reading Services Guide.
Safeguarding adults and children
What is safeguarding? Download an Easy Read guide to support someone to understand safeguarding and their rights.
Safeguarding means looking out for people who might be at risk of being mistreated or neglected by others or who are not attending to their own health or wellbeing. It is for children and adults who have disabilities or difficulties that meant they need the support of others. If you think someone is at risk because they are not looking after themselves or you know they are being mistreated by others, please contact Reading Borough Council.
Adult abuse and neglect – if you are being abused or are concerned about someone – Safeguarding Adults 0118 937 3747
Child protection – if you are concerned about a child or young person – Children’s Single Point of Access 0118 937 3641
Domestic abuse – if you are experiencing domestic abuse – BWA Helpline 0118 950 4003
In an emergency, if someone is in danger call the police on 999.
Abuse can be:
Physical – being slapped, pushed or punched
Sexual – being touched inappropriately or forced to have sex
Emotional – being shouted at, humiliated or threatened with harm
Financial – having money and valuables taken without permission, being prevented from accessing own money or being pressured to give or leave money or things in a will
Neglect – not being given support that’s needed to stay well; for example, not getting medicine, adequate food and/or drink
Discrimination – being treated badly because of age, disability, race or religion
Self-neglect – an adult who lacks mental capacity and doesn’t look after themselves, their home or health.
Abuse can happen anywhere – at home, at work, in a care home, day centre or hospital or any public place.
Anyone can be an abuser – a partner, relative, carer, neighbour, friend or staff.
Healthwatch Reading
Through Healthwatch Reading you can make a complaint about hospitals, GPs, mental health services, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, opticians, 111, walk-in centres, NHS-funded private care and more.
Healthwatch Reading’s advocacy team can help:
- Explain how the NHS complaints process works.
- Listen to your concerns and answer your questions.
- Explain your rights.
- Discuss all your options.
- Get your complaint to the right people.
- Put you in touch with other organisations.
- Prepare with you for local resolution meetings.
- Build up your confidence to speak for yourself.
- Attend meetings with you.
- Speak on your behalf if you are unable to.
- Refer you to more specialist advocates if needed.
- Help you go the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, if you are still dissatisfied
For more information visit the Healthwatch website or contact them on info@healthwatchreading.co.uk or call 0118 937 2295.
Reading Urgent Care Centre, Broad Street Mall
1st Floor, 103-105 Broad Street Mall, Reading RG1 7QA
Reading Urgent Care Centre can provide treatment for minor illnesses.
Please call NHS 111 if you are unsure about the best place to go to get the care you need.
The centre is open seven days a week from 8am-8pm, including bank holidays.
If you arrive at the mall outside of shop trading hours, you need to enter the building via the main entrance (doors located next toTaco Bell).
Children’s Single Point of Access
If you have any concerns about the welfare of a child or you would like to ask for extra support for a child or family in Reading, contact the Children’s Single Point of Access.
0118 937 3641 – Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm.
For urgent enquiries out-of-hours, please call the Emergency Duty Team on 01344 786 543.
Accessible Information Standard
All organisations that provide NHS or Adult Social Care must now follow the Accessible Information Standard by law. This includes doctors, dentists, hospitals, pharmacies and social workers.
The standard aims to ensure that patients and people who use services and their families and carers are provided with information they can easily read or understand, and with support they can communicate easily with health and social care services.
How does the standard work?
If you have a learning disability it means that NHS or Adult Social Care services need to:
- Find out your communication and information needs
- Record these communication and information needs clearly and consistently on your record
- Flag these needs, so when a member of staff opens your record it is really clear what your communication or information needs are
- Share your information and communication needs when needed, for example if they are referring you to another service.
- Take action to give you the right support. For example, offering you easy read information or making sure there is someone there to support you with communication.
National Mencap has produced an easy read guide to the Accessible Information Standard.
