How to Access Social Work Services
Please find below the various steps involved in accessing social work services. For further or more detailed information, please contact your local authority’s Department of Social Work.
- Initial Contact Your local authority is obligated to perform a detailed assessment of need for any person who wishes it, whether referred by themselves, by a parent/carer or referred via an external agency e.g. school. If you wish to self-refer, or refer for a young person in your family, contact your local authority’s Department of Social Work. See contact details below.
- Assessment of Need Your local authority will assign to the young person a relevant professional (in most instances a social worker) to carry out an Assessment of Need. This assessment will take the form of a Single Shared Assessmentand might be referred to by professionals as an SSA2. It will enquire about such areas as life history, family composition, education, religion, interests, aspirations and any medical issues, as well as taking into account the views of relevant people such as carers. The social worker involved will more than likely be assigned the role of Care Manager for the young person, and will become their point of contact for all their care needs. If the young person does not feel that their care manager has an understanding of their individual needs, then they have the right to ask for another care manager. After an assessment of need has taken place, you will receive a copy, and will be asked if you feel it is accurate and whether you feel the need for any amendments.
- Care Planning If the young person has been assessed as likely to benefit from services, then the young person and parent/carer may then explore options for meeting these needs with their assigned care manager within the range of locally approved service providers. There are a wide range of service providers available, represented within the public, private and voluntary sectors. The young person’s care manager should be able to advise and assist you in finding a service or even a mix of services that best fit your individual needs. A Care Plan will be proposed and costed, with the final decision to approve being made by the care manager, Senior Social Worker and relevant budget holder in consultation with the young person.
- Funding A financial assessment will be carried out by your care manager in order to determine what level of contribution (if any) you will be asked to make towards services. This financial assessment may be referred to by professionals as an HCC3. The care manager should also ensure any benefits available to the young person are maximised, as well as explore additional sources of funding such as the Independent Living Fund.
- Self-Directed Support (Optional) Self-Directed Support allows greater personal control over your own care planning, as you can effectively chose to buy in services from a variety of service providers. How the funding is spent is under your individual control, as long as it addresses the issues highlighted in the assessment of need and is approved by your care manager. It should be noted that utilising self-directed support may not be suitable for everyone, as it involves an extra level of responsibility, but if the young person or their carer feels that they would benefit from the increased flexibility and personal control, self directed support may be an option worth exploring. Self-directed support involves direct payments being made from the local authority into an assigned bank account that the young person can access to pay for services that are relevant to the established care plan. The young person must understand and agree to comply with the agreed care plan and agree to provide access to financial records at scheduled reconciliation times between you and the local authority providing funds. How often these reviews of financial management take place is dependent on the individual policies of your local authority.
- Care Management and Review After the initiation of the care plan, and services have been introduced, there will follow routine monitoring to ensure that the care plan remains relevant to meeting the needs of the young person. This will include a reassessment of need and appropriateness of services at several intervals and may be carried out by the care manager, or a social work assistant, though the young person can also contact their care manager at any time with regards to their service provision. If direct payments are being utilised, then the local authority will perform regular financial reviews (referred to as reconciliation) in order to confirm that funding is being used appropriately and cost effectively.
Contact Information
Your local Enquiry & Information Team or Reception Service is your first point of contact for information, advice, and an initial assessment of your care needs as well as in emergency situations. They will also offer benefit checks, to ensure that you and your young adult are getting all the benefits that you are entitled to. A Fairway facilitator can help your young adult to make this contact and can also help them if they need further support when communicating with social work.
In South Ayrshire contact the:
Enquiry & Information Team Telephone: 01292 268119
Or call into your local Social Work Office where the Duty Worker can refer you on.
Opening Hours:
Monday – Thursday 8:45am – 4:45pm
Friday – 8:45 – 4pm
Social Work Offices
Whitletts Area Centre, 181 Whitletts Road, Ayr Tel: 01292 267675
Prestwick Area Office 12 Main Street, Prestwick Tel: 01292 470099
Maybole Area Office, 70C High Street, Maybole Tel: 01655 883293
Girvan Area Office 17/19 Knockcushan Street, Girvan Tel: 01465 712299
In North Ayrshire contact Reception Services via telephone, fax and email:
Opening Hours:
Monday - Thursday 9am - 4.45pm
Friday 9am - 4.30pm
(Excluding public holidays)
Bridge gate House, Irvine, KA12 8BD, Tel: 01294 324800
Fax:01294 324800
Email: RSIrvine@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
Craigton Road, Kilbirnie, KA25 6LJ , Tel: 01505 684551
Fax: 01505 685600
Email:RSKilbirnie@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
32/34 Boyd Street, Largs, KA30 8LE, Tel: 01475 674585
Fax: 01475 674588
Email: RSLargs@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
17 Vernon Street, Saltcoats, KA21 5HE, Tel: 01294 602535
Fax: 01294 601794
Email: RS3Towns@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
In East Ayrshire Contact Social Work Reception area offices as below:
Opening Hours:
Monday - Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
(Excluding public holidays)
Sat/Sun – Closed
Social Work HQ Reception - Civic Centre South, John Dickie Street, Kilmarnock, KA1 1HW
Tel: 01563 576854
E-mail: social.work@east-ayrshire.gov.uk
Social Work Reception - Balmoral Road, Kilmarnock, KA3 1HL
Tel: (01563) 528011
E-mail: social.work@east-ayrshire.gov.uk
Social Work Reception - 36 Ayr Road, Cumnock KA18 1DW
Tel: (01290) 421444
E-mail: social.work@east-ayrshire.gov.uk
Social Work Reception - 11 Cross Street, Galston, KA4 8AB
Tel: (01563) 820876
E-mail: social.work@east-ayrshire.gov.uk
Social Work Reception - 33 Main Street, Dalmellington KA6 7QL
Tel: (01292) 552900
E-mail: social.work@east-ayrshire.gov.uk
