Fair access to care services
Who is entitled to adult social care services?
In Hammersmith & Fulham, we provide services for people who have 'critical', 'substantial' and 'greater moderate' needs. We do not provide adult social care services for people who have 'lower moderate' or 'low' needs.
Fair Access to Care Services H&F FACS assessment chart (pdf 87kb) (produced by the Department of Health, 2003) provides councils with the framework for setting eligibility for adult social care services.
The framework is based on individuals' needs and risks to independence were services not provided.
Four eligibility bands are set out - 'critical', 'substantial', 'moderate' and 'low'. These are as follows:
Critical - where there is an immediate risk of your coming to harm or losing your independence
Substantial – where there is a significant risk of your health and wellbeing being affected
Moderate – where there is some risk to your health or wellbeing, in the future, or that you might lose your independence
Low – where one or two aspects of your daily life are hard for you to manage
The bands include criteria relating to:
• threat to life
• significant health problems
• serious abuse or neglect
• choice and control over the immediate environment
• personal care and domestic routines
• work, education and learning
• social support systems and relationships
• family and other social roles and responsibilities
Not all of these criteria apply to each band. For example, 'threat to life' and 'significant health problems' relate only to the 'critical' band.
The council is required to use this framework to determine who does and does not qualify for adult social care services.
Please see the H&F FACS assessment chart (pdf 87kB) and our leaflet on Adult Social Care Services - meeting your needs (pdf, 550kB) for further details.
Page last updated: 08/11/2011
