Paying for your care
Local Authority Funding
If you live in Hampshire and have been assessed by Hampshire County Council as needing care in your own home, they will make a financial assessment to decide whether they can fund some of the cost of your care and how much you will contribute towards your personal budget. Portsmouth and Southampton have a different arrangement and are treated as separate councils for care purposes. To find out more about Local Authority Funding, please check on the Hampshire County Council Website- Hampshire County Council’s Social Care Funding.
Blessings’ relationship with Hampshire County Council.
We currently have a contact with Hampshire County Council to provide home care services, such as personal care, cleaning and house care, practical and social support, medication support and social and emotional care to adult service users in Rushmoor, Yateley, Fleet and the surrounding areas of Hampshire.
Direct Payments
How do Direct Payments work?
If you have been assessed as needing help from social care services, you can choose to receive direct payments from the Local Authority, so that you can arrange and buy your own care. This gives you more choice, flexibility and control in arranging your own care allowing to change provider if you are not happy.
Direct payments are paid every four weeks in advance. These payments are made up of your contribution, representing the amount that has been financially assessed as being what you are able to pay and the Local Authority contribution, representing the difference between your personal budget and your contribution.
Direct payments can be used to meet the agreed outcomes in your care and support plan. These may include personal care, using a CQC Registered Agency like Blessings Healthcare Services, or employing your own carers or other forms of care for which direct payments qualify.
To find out more about Direct Payments, contact Hampshire County Council Adult services.
Hampshire County Council can arrange the care for you
If you do not want the responsibility of managing the cash from council, you can ask them to find you an agency to provide your care and they will arrange and pay for it for you.
If you have to make any contribution towards your care costs, you will pay it directly to the Council. They will tell you what contribution you have to make.
NHS Continuing Healthcare
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is the name given to a package of care that is arranged and funded solely by the NHS for individuals who are not in hospital but have complex ongoing healthcare needs.
You can receive CHC funding in your own home or in a care home, and the NHS will pay for services such as community nurse or specialist therapist and personal care such as bathing, dressing and laundry.
If you are eligible, CHC is completely free. To be eligible, you must be over 18 years of age and have “a complex medical condition and substantial and ongoing care needs”. You must have a “primary health need” which means that your main need for care must relate to your health.
There is an initial screening assessment called the Checklist Tool. If this screening suggests that you may be eligible for CHC funding, you will be referred for a full up to date assessment of your needs. If you are not assessed as eligible, other options of care are provided by the local authority. If you do have health needs, the NHS may still pay for part of your care, sometimes known as a joint package of care. You will need to contact your local Clinical Commissioning Group.
Paying for your care from own resources
If you do not qualify for Council funding, or you choose not to be financially supported by Council, you can arrange to pay for your own care direct to us.
Care Providers
How do you choose a home care provider?
Hampshire County Council hold a list of home care providers who they commission care from, which may help you make your decision as to which provider you may pick. We are one of these providers. Council regularly check and monitor the quality of service by our company to ensure we are always eligible to continue to remain on their list. You can also find home care provider websites on the internet.
You should also look on the Care Quality Commission’s website. www.cqc.org.uk, who are the independent regulators for health and social care in England and Wales. You can look at recent reports of inspections they have carried out on home care providers in your area.
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/adult-services/carechoices/careathome/homecare-choosing/buying-from-agencies.htm
We always welcome telephone calls or visits from you, your family or friends, to discuss how we can help you. If you are unable to visit our offices, we can come to your home to discuss how we can help you. Please contact us for further information on +44 1252 444 200 or email us on admin@blessingshealth.co.uk.
Blessings Healthcare Services Limited is an equal opportunity organisation which is registered with CQC and has full home care insurance cover.
We provide our services 24 hours a day, 7days a week and we take calls of 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes or more depending on service users’ individual needs.
Company Registration Number:
07163309
07163309