Social Services care at home

Social Services is committed to helping people to continue to live in their own homes for as long as possible. Home care provides practical help and support in carrying out personal or household tasks that enable people to continue to live at home. In most cases, this service is offered to people who would otherwise have to leave their own homes and live in residential care.

You can ask Social Services to carry out an assessment of your needs either by telephone or in writing. 

Your relative or carer, GP, a district nurse or health visitor may also request that you are considered for home care. If you are leaving hospital, home care may be requested for you via the hospital social work team.

Some people, particularly those recovering after a period of ill health, will initially receive a short-term reablement service from the Integrated Domiciliary Care Service which will last for a maximum of six weeks. An integrated team of care workers, occupational therapists and health workers, employed by either Swansea Council or the NHS will visit you regularly at home and support you to become able to do things for yourself that you used to do. This may include the provision of specialist equipment to help you. By the end of the reablement period many people are once again able to manage at home on their own or with the support of family and friends.

If you need long-term home care, we will normally make arrangements with an independent sector domiciliary care agency to provide the care you need. The charges and standards for home care services are the same for all providers.

Some people may choose to receive a direct payment to arrange their own domiciliary care. If you have been buying care privately from a care agency before being assessed as eligible for support by Social Services, this may help ensure continuity of care.