If you’ve been told to “get a care needs assessment” and you’re not sure what that actually involves, this guide is for you. The assessment is the front door to all council-arranged care and support in England, it’s free, and it’s your legal right; yet many families either don’t know to ask for one or go in unprepared and undersell their situation.
Here’s what happens, how to request one in Telford & Wrekin, and how to prepare so nothing important gets missed. It’s written with Terry Yarnall, who leads care at Oakma after three decades in social care, including managing domiciliary care services across Shropshire.
At a glance:
- A care needs assessment is free and open to anyone who appears to need support, whatever their savings.
- The council has a legal duty to assess under the Care Act 2014; money is never assessed at this stage.
- It usually takes about an hour, at home or by phone, with a social worker or similar professional.
- Preparation is everything: describe your hardest days, keep a diary, and have someone with you.
- If you qualify, a care and support plan follows; the financial assessment is a separate, later step.
What a care needs assessment is
A care needs assessment is the local council’s structured look at how someone manages day-to-day life: washing, dressing, eating, moving around the home, staying safe, and keeping up relationships and activities. Under the Care Act 2014, the council must assess anyone who appears to need care and support, regardless of income or savings, and regardless of whether they’d ultimately qualify for council funding. Self-funders benefit too: the assessment documents what support is genuinely needed, which matters if your money later runs down and the council takes over funding.
How to request one in Telford & Wrekin
Contact Telford & Wrekin Council’s adult social care team, online or by phone. You can request an assessment for yourself, and a family member can request one on your behalf with your consent. When you get in touch, briefly describe the difficulties and any recent events (falls, hospital stays, weight loss); this helps the council prioritise. There may be a wait, so ask roughly how long and what to do if things worsen in the meantime. The NHS social care and support guide is a useful companion read while you wait.
What happens on the day
A trained professional, usually a social worker or occupational therapist, carries out the assessment. Depending on complexity it may be a home visit, a phone call or a self-assessment form; most take around an hour. You’re entitled to have a family member, friend or advocate present, and it’s wise to: they’ll remember things you forget and notice things you downplay. The assessor will ask what you can and can’t manage across daily life, what a typical day looks like, what support you already have, and what matters to you; the goal is your wellbeing, not just a task list.
How to prepare
- Keep a one-week diary before the assessment, noting everything that’s a struggle, however small it feels.
- Describe the hardest days, not the average ones. Eligibility decisions turn on the full picture, and pride is the enemy of an accurate assessment.
- List current help: who does what, how often, and what would happen if they couldn’t.
- Mention everything: continence, memory lapses, low mood, fear of falling. Assessors can only act on what they hear.
- Prepare your own questions: timescales, what happens next, and who to contact if needs change.
A note from Terry: “After thirty years around assessments, my advice never changes: describe your hardest day, not your best one. People are proud, and they minimise. The assessor isn’t judging you; they’re building a case for your support, and they can only work with what you tell them.”
How the council decides
England uses a national eligibility test with three parts: your needs must arise from a physical or mental impairment or illness; they must leave you unable to achieve two or more everyday outcomes (things like preparing food, washing, dressing, using the toilet, keeping the home safe and habitable, or maintaining relationships); and this must have a significant impact on your wellbeing. Meet all three and the council must help meet your eligible needs. Importantly, the decision isn’t final forever: you can request a reassessment whenever circumstances change.
What happens afterwards
If you’re eligible, the council works with you on a care and support plan setting out what support you’ll get and what it aims to achieve. Only then comes the separate financial assessment, which determines what, if anything, you contribute. Many people take their personal budget as direct payments, giving them the freedom to choose their own provider and buy the support that fits, from personal care through to companionship and help-at-home visits of the kind we provide at Oakma. Plans should be reviewed at least every 12 months, with a first check about six to eight weeks after support starts. If you’re weighing up what kind of support to choose, our guides on home care vs care homes and choosing a home care provider in Telford & Wrekin are the natural next reads.
Frequently asked questions
Is the assessment really free, even if I have savings?
Yes. The assessment itself is always free and isn’t means-tested; your finances are only examined later, and only if you’re eligible for support and the council may arrange it. Having savings or owning your home doesn’t reduce your right to be assessed.
What if the council says I’m not eligible?
The council must still give you written reasons and information about other support available locally. If you think the decision is wrong, you can challenge it through the council’s complaints procedure, and you can request a fresh assessment whenever your needs change or worsen.
What is a carer’s assessment?
A separate, equally free assessment for anyone providing unpaid care, looking at the impact on their own life, health and work. Carers can have one even if the person they care for refuses an assessment of their own. Request it from the same council team.
Will an assessment mean being made to move into a care home?
No. The assessment can’t force anyone anywhere; it identifies needs, and you keep choice over how they’re met. Councils generally aim to support people to stay in their own homes where that’s safe and what the person wants.
If you’re arranging support for yourself or a parent in Telford, Wrekin or wider Shropshire and want to talk through the options alongside the council process, we’re happy to help: get in touch or call us on 01952 288 216.
Terry Yarnall leads care at Oakma, a Telford-based home care company built around employed, well-paid local carers. Terry has spent 30 years in social care: he managed domiciliary care services across Shropshire and Staffordshire with Mencap, developed community care services as CEO of Telford’s Sutton Hill Community Trust, and took part in a CQC sandbox on registering new models of care. He holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Health and Social Service Management.