Assessing your needs

We try to be flexible when deciding if you are eligible for social care services, however, resources are limited and we cannot help everyone who approaches us. In order to ensure the decisions we make are fair we will assess your needs.  We take account of individual circumstances, and then use eligibility criteria to decide if you have priority needs.

We do this by comparing the information gathered during your assessment with four types of social care needs

• Personal safety
• Personal care / domestic tasks
• Family and social responsibilities
• Carer needs.

Each type of social care need is then graded into the following bands, based on the risk to your independence and risks of harm or danger if your needs are not addressed

• Critical or Substantial
• Moderate or Low

Most people are only eligible for social care services where their needs are assessed as critical or substantial and there is no one else willing or able to assist. Some services are provided to people who have been assessed as having moderate or low needs in order to maintain their independence.

Further information 

You can find out more about the criteria for critical, substantial, moderate or low risk in the Guide to Adult Social Care Services. The Council agreed these eligibility criteria on 11th March 2010.  These criteria apply to all community care groups.

You may also be interested in the Scottish Government's Eligibility Framework. The City of Edinburgh's eligibility criteria for adult social care services in Edinburgh are based on the national framework.