Information about long-term support and services.
Please click here to find information about home care and how to acceess it. Please click here to find information about arranging your own care and support with Direct Payments.
Our Information Sheets explain how we arrange care and support for people who need it. Please click this link to go to our Information Sheet section.
A needs assessment is a detailed discussion with a trained member of staff, which will produce a written statement of what your needs are, and what you can do to reduce them, or prevent them from getting worse.
If your care and support needs are having a significant impact on your wellbeing, a needs assessment may tell you that you are entitled to assistance from the council.
You don’t have to have a needs assessment to get advice about what support may be available, you may prefer to start by asking for advice. You will then be able to make an informed decision about whether a full needs assessment would be worth your while at present.
A needs assessment is essential if you want the council to pay for long-term care and support services, but if you only need advice, immediate practical help, or equipment or adaptations to your home, you don't have to have a full needs assessment.
You can find out more about paying for care here.
If we assess that you need care and support at home from paid care workers, there are several different ways we can help you to arrange this:
There is also support available for carers - family or friends who help to meet a person’s care and support needs. More information on this can be found in Information sheet C4.
How do I ask for advice or a needs assessment?
You don’t have to decide in advance whether you want advice or a needs assessment – you can ask for a discussion about that when you contact us.
You can find out more about your options in our information sheets below:
Care and Support planning. Your entitlement care and support. Paying for care and support.
Council day services for adults
Our day centres help more than 170 adults with learning disabilities to acquire new skills. These include learning to grow plants, make jewellery, ceramics, cakes and reclaim/sell old furniture, with any money made reinvested in this service. We provide vulnerable adults with a great opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people and develop confidence and self-esteem while preparing them for future employment or voluntary work. Wherever possible, activities are delivered in the local community, making it easier for people to attend on a regular basis. These are services we can arrange following an assessment of a person's needs - there are also many day services operated by other organisations which we can arrange, which can often also offer places under a private arrangement.
Please click here for more information about our day services for people with a learning disability.
Supported living services for adults with learning disabilities The council provides two supported living services for adults with learning disabilities. You can find more information and read the latest Care Quality Commission inspection reports here.
The learning disability partnership board (LDPB) aims to show the values of inclusiveness, respect, dignity and equal partnership in working together locally with people with learning disabilities, and their families, to support better lives for them. It meets quarterly and is co-chaired by representatives from the local area forums. Guests or representatives from other organisations are invited to report or help with specific work as required. There are different ways of becoming a member. It may be:
The board considers government proposals and national guidance alongside local priorities, with the aim of making better lives for people with learning disabilities and their families in Northumberland.
The values and principles of the board state that people with learning disabilities:
Members of the board have influenced a range of developments including a charter and standards linked to our quality assurance monitoring, the Hospital Passport and development of the Jack & Josephine programme to support better health and wellbeing.
Please click here to view our customer charter and standards document.
The LDPB reports annually on local progress. Representatives link to regional partnerships with stakeholders, such as Northeast and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, Carers Northumberland, ADAPT and other interested networking groups
Learning Disability Board meetings take place quarterly, with one meeting acting as the annual general meeting. User forum groups and other user led networks feed into the board meeting from across the county. Dates of meetings can change, but if you require more information on either the board or user forum meetings, please contact the board by email northumberlandechoforum@gmail.com. The learning disability partnership board is chaired by Sean Brennan, senior manager for learning disability provider services in Northumberland County Council. For more information, contact Sean Brennan by email at sean.brennan@northumberland.gov.uk or phone 0778 617 3140.
Dementia affects each person in different ways, but some of the more common problems often affect the way someone interacts with other people or their actions.
How many people are affected in Northumberland?
Around 35,000 people living in the north east have dementia and this is expected to rise. In Northumberland around 2,500 people have been diagnosed with dementia, along with many others not yet diagnosed but experiencing memory loss or other symptoms who live in the community.
Who is at risk?
The risk of developing dementia increases with age. It more often occurs in people over 65 but can affect younger people in their early to mid-50s or 60s. There are no obvious physical signs that show someone has dementia or memory problems. If you or someone you know is worried about their memory, encourage them to contact their GP for advice.
Dementia is progressive so the effects get worse over time. However, many people with dementia lead active and fulfilling lives for many years. It can’t be cured yet but can be slowed down and people helped to live with it. To do this, they need the communities in which they live to be aware of dementia, inclusive of people living with dementia, and that businesses and services support customers with dementia. In Northumberland we want to promote dementia awareness and develop partnerships to support people to get an early diagnosis and be able to continue to live safe and fulfilling lives in familiar surroundings. By working together with partners, we can all help to make our towns and villages more understanding and supportive of people experiencing some of the difficulties associated with having dementia.
Living with dementia in the home
People with dementia tell us they want to be able to feel safe and able to continue to live in their own homes, which are familiar to them for as long as possible. To help with this, all new housing developments in Northumberland consider how to best support people with dementia. The University of Stirling’s Dementia Services Development Centre has produced guidance for professionals including Designing Interiors for People with Dementia. By using this guidance new homes are now more suitable for people currently living with dementia and for those who develop the condition in the future.
Support groups You can find information about a range of support groups by clicking on this link.
If you or someone you care for is suffering from memory loss, there is help available in Northumberland. Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Society, Carers Northumberland and Age UK Northumberland have co-produced these two short films to help people find the right support if they are concerned or are experiencing changes in their memory or thinking. What to do if you have concerns about memory difficulties This short film helps to explain what you can expect to happen, if you notice a change in your memory or thinking. Dementia Support Services This short film explains some of the services in Northumberland that might be able to help.
Ageing Well in Northumberland
Part of the Ageing Well in Northumberland programme is about bringing together local partners to help them understand and respond to the needs of all older people including people with dementia. This is done locally through training, information, activities and support to help people stay active and connected to others. For further information on living with or caring for someone with dementia, practical advice and guidance to help shape how services are designed and delivered, click on one of the following Links:
If your disability or illness is so serious you cannot realistically stay in your own home, we can help you to move into supported housing or a care home.
People who live in Northumberland and need this level of care can get financial support from the county council, if they are not able to afford the fees themselves.
You should contact our care management service via Onecall if you wish to explore this option. Please click on this link for information about how to contact Onecall.
A complete list of registered care homes in England is available on the CQC website, which also holds inspection reports providing detailed information about the services offered by each home and the quality of what is provided.
Click here to find out more information about Care Homes
Please click here to read about grants to support the development of extra care and supported living in Northumberland.
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