Social care

These pages offer advice and practical help so that older people and people with disabilities can continue to live safely and independently in their own homes for as long as possible.

The Directorate of Social Care and Health aims to help you to help yourself, to help you if you care for others, and to support you if you can no longer look after yourself.

We provide information and services for

For information and services for children and young people with disabilities and their families and carers, go to Children with Disabilities.

We believe that most people want to be as independent as possible. They want to have choices about how they live, to stay well and healthy as long as they can, and to live in their own home and community. We strive to support these hopes and desires. Our Changing Lives programme is designed to make this happen.

We don't do it all ourselves. Most care is provided by families, friends and neighbours. Other public services, businesses, and voluntary and community organisations make a huge contribution.

Services that you might need include

You can apply for Direct Payments to help you to purchase some of these or other services. Or you may ask us to arrange them for you. We will carry out an assessment, which may include a financial assessment. There is a charge for most services - see How much will services cost? You can ask for a service on line by filling in this online form or by contacting one of our offices.

You may be entitled to financial help - go to Welfare Benefits to find out more.

Staffordshire Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

This report on the health and social profile needs of adults in Staffordshire produced jointly by South Staffordshire PCT, North Staffordshire PCT and Staffordshire County Council is available to view here:

pdf Joint Strategic Needs Assessment Document (6MB)

Local Involvement Networks (LINks)

LINks exist to give people a stronger voice in how their local health and social care services are delivered. By talking directly to the service providers and saying what they want, the community is much more likely to receive better care.

LINks Banner (pdf, 6,975 kb)

Staffordshire University LINks presentation (ppt, 3,706 kb)

Stafford LINks workshop (ppt 194 kb)

Word icon small Report from Staffordshire LINks workshop (Word, 52 kb)

Appendices A- F. Notes from tables (Word, 89 kb)

Our Plans for the Future

Joint Commissioning Strategies

'Commissioning is the process of translating aspirations and need into timely and quality services for users which meet their needs, promote their independence, provide choice, are cost effective, and support the whole community.' - David Behan CBE, then Chief Inspector, Commission for Social Care Inspection, 2006

The draft joint commissioning strategies have been produced by the Staffordshire Joint Commissioning Unit, on behalf of the county council, North Staffordshire Primary Care Trust and South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust. They are intended to shape priorities for spending on health and social care services in future. The strategies cover mental health; learning disabilities; physical disabilities and sensory impairment; and older people.

We would very much welcome your comments and suggestions which will influence the final versions of these strategies, due in July 2008. A reply sheet which you may like to use for your comments is provided below. We are asking for responses by 30^th June 2008 or sooner if possible.

They can also be made available in other languages and formats by contacting the communications team at: sch.communications@staffordshire.gov.uk