Care Needs Assessment Basics

A care needs assessment is a structured conversation between you and a social care professional — usually a social worker or occupational therapist — employed by your local council. Its purpose is to understand the difficulties you face with everyday activities and how your health, disability, or age affects your life.

The assessment looks at a wide range of areas including your ability to wash, dress, prepare meals, move around your home safely, maintain relationships, and access work or education. It also considers your mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Importantly, the assessment is not means-tested. You are entitled to have one regardless of how much money you have, and the council cannot refuse simply because they think you would not be financially eligible for funded care. The right to an assessment is established in the Care Act 2014.

You can request a care needs assessment by contacting your local council's adult social care department directly. Most councils have a dedicated phone line or online referral form. You can request one for yourself, or a carer, family member, or healthcare professional can request one on your behalf with your consent.

If you are being discharged from hospital, the hospital social work team can arrange an assessment before you leave. This is sometimes called a discharge assessment or community care assessment.

Once you have made contact, the council should respond within a reasonable time. There is no set national target, but councils aim to respond within 28 days for non-urgent cases. If your needs are urgent — for example, you are at risk of harm — the council can arrange emergency support immediately and carry out a full assessment shortly afterwards.

The assessment usually takes place in your own home, though it can be done by phone or video call. A social worker or assessor will ask you questions about the activities you find difficult, what support you already have, and what outcomes matter most to you.

You can ask a family member, friend, or independent advocate to attend with you. An advocate is especially useful if you find it difficult to communicate your needs yourself. The council must provide a professional advocate (called an independent mental capacity advocate or IMCA) if you lack capacity to instruct one yourself and have no suitable family or friends.

The assessor is required to consider your wellbeing holistically — not just your physical care needs, but also your mental health, dignity, social participation, and personal relationships. The assessment should feel like a genuine conversation, not a tick-box exercise.

After the assessment, the council applies the national eligibility criteria set out in the Care and Support (Eligibility Criteria) Regulations 2015. To be eligible, you must meet three conditions:

1. Your needs arise from or relate to a physical or mental impairment or illness.
2. As a result, you are unable to achieve two or more specified outcomes (such as maintaining nutrition, managing toilet needs, or maintaining personal hygiene).
3. This has or is likely to have a significant impact on your wellbeing.

If you meet the threshold, your council has a legal duty to meet your eligible needs. If you do not meet it, the council should still provide information and signpost you to community resources. You can ask the council to review its decision or request a second assessment if your circumstances change.

If you are found eligible, the council will carry out a financial assessment (means test) to determine how much, if anything, you will contribute towards the cost of your care. Following this, they will produce a care and support plan setting out how your needs will be met and what services will be arranged.

You may also be given a personal budget — a sum of money allocated to meet your needs. You can choose to receive this as a direct payment and arrange your own care, or ask the council to commission services on your behalf.

Your care and support plan should be reviewed at least annually or sooner if your circumstances change significantly. You have the right to request a review at any time if you feel your needs are no longer being met.