Adult social care and carer support
Find the relevant needs or carer-assessment starting point.
Keep the relevant UK context with these pages
These choices only add context to the shareable page address. All sections remain in the delivered HTML, and no choice is an eligibility, entitlement or personalised-advice result.
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England: council assessment routes
An adult can ask the council for a care-needs assessment, and an adult carer can ask for a separate carer's assessment.
Important limit: Assessment, eligibility, care planning, charging and service availability are separate decisions.
Sources and review information
Status: Owner released - source checked
Evidence check: Mapped to checked master-register claims
Jurisdiction: England
Last checked: 2026-07-15
Review trigger: Recheck quarterly, immediately before release, and when an official source changes
Prepared by: Project editorial team
Owner release date: 2026-07-22
Independent review: Not independently reviewed
Corrections: Use the site correction route without including personal health information.
- England care-needs assessment — NHS. Getting a care needs assessment.
- England carer's assessment — NHS. Carer's assessments.
Last checked: 2026-07-15
Jurisdiction: England; Scotland; Wales; Northern Ireland; UK by nation
Prepared by: Project editorial team
Owner release date: 2026-07-22
Independent review: Not independently reviewed
Correction route: Report changed or inaccurate information without including personal health information.
Scotland: care-needs and adult-carer planning
The council social-care team assesses care needs, and adult carers can ask for an Adult Carer Support Plan.
Important limit: Local eligibility and provision vary, and a plan does not guarantee a particular service.
Sources and review information
Status: Owner released - source checked
Evidence check: Mapped to checked master-register claims
Jurisdiction: Scotland
Last checked: 2026-07-15
Review trigger: Recheck quarterly, immediately before release, and when an official source changes
Prepared by: Project editorial team
Owner release date: 2026-07-22
Independent review: Not independently reviewed
Corrections: Use the site correction route without including personal health information.
- Scotland care-needs assessment — Care Information Scotland. Assessment of your care needs.
- Scotland adult carer support plan — mygov.scot. Get an Adult Carer Support Plan or Young Carer Statement.
Wales: care-and-support assessment routes
Local authorities assess possible care and support needs, and unpaid carers can ask for a separate carer's-needs assessment.
Important limit: Local provision, care planning and charging remain separate from the assessment right.
Sources and review information
Status: Owner released - source checked
Evidence check: Mapped to checked master-register claims
Jurisdiction: Wales
Last checked: 2026-07-15
Review trigger: Recheck quarterly, immediately before release, and when an official source changes
Prepared by: Project editorial team
Owner release date: 2026-07-22
Independent review: Not independently reviewed
Corrections: Use the site correction route without including personal health information.
- Wales care and support assessment code — Welsh Government. Assessing care and support needs of individuals: code of practice.
- Wales unpaid carers charter — Welsh Government. Charter for unpaid carers.
Northern Ireland: Health and Social Care Trust routes
The local Trust assessment-of-need route is the usual starting point, and carers can request a carer's assessment.
Important limit: Trust criteria, care planning and service availability apply; the site cannot decide the outcome.
Sources and review information
Status: Owner released - source checked
Evidence check: Mapped to checked master-register claims
Jurisdiction: Northern Ireland
Last checked: 2026-07-15
Review trigger: Recheck quarterly, immediately before release, and when an official source changes
Prepared by: Project editorial team
Owner release date: 2026-07-22
Independent review: Not independently reviewed
Corrections: Use the site correction route without including personal health information.
- NI health and social-care assessment — nidirect. Arranging health and social care.
- NI carer's assessment — nidirect. Assessments for carers.
Prepare a functional-needs record
Record the activity, barrier, variability, help already provided, risk or impact and what a useful outcome would look like.
Important limit: The record does not score care eligibility, judge parenting or create a safeguarding conclusion.
Sources and review information
Status: Owner released - source checked
Evidence check: Mapped to checked master-register claims
Jurisdiction: UK by nation
Last checked: 2026-07-15
Review trigger: Recheck quarterly, immediately before release, and when an official source changes
Prepared by: Project editorial team
Owner release date: 2026-07-22
Independent review: Not independently reviewed
Corrections: Use the site correction route without including personal health information.
- England care-needs assessment — NHS. Getting a care needs assessment.
- England carer's assessment — NHS. Carer's assessments.
- Scotland care-needs assessment — Care Information Scotland. Assessment of your care needs.
- Scotland adult carer support plan — mygov.scot. Get an Adult Carer Support Plan or Young Carer Statement.
- Wales care and support assessment code — Welsh Government. Assessing care and support needs of individuals: code of practice.
- Wales unpaid carers charter — Welsh Government. Charter for unpaid carers.
- NI health and social-care assessment — nidirect. Arranging health and social care.
- NI carer's assessment — nidirect. Assessments for carers.
Equipment and home adaptations use related but separate routes
Assessment may identify equipment or adaptations, but funding and delivery depend on nation, local authority or Trust and the scheme involved.
Important limit: An assessment does not guarantee a specific item, grant or free ongoing support.
Sources and review information
Status: Owner released - source checked
Evidence check: Mapped to checked master-register claims
Jurisdiction: UK by nation
Last checked: 2026-07-15
Review trigger: Recheck quarterly, immediately before release, and when an official source changes
Prepared by: Project editorial team
Owner release date: 2026-07-22
Independent review: Not independently reviewed
Corrections: Use the site correction route without including personal health information.
- Disabled Facilities Grants — GOV.UK. Disabled Facilities Grants.
- Scotland home equipment and adaptations — mygov.scot. Care equipment and adapting your home.
- Wales home adaptations — Welsh Government. Adapt your home if you are disabled or an older person.
- NI home adaptations and equipment — nidirect. Your home, adaptations and equipment.