b'We may offer you a social care assessment to identifyIf urgent action is needed to protect your safety and what you would like to achieve and to talk about thereduce serious risk, we can provide support before you options that are available to you. have a full assessment of your needs.You may find it useful to carry out a self-assessment,How we work out if you are eligible for which helps you to think about your circumstances andfunded supportwhat needs to change. You can use the self-assessment form to help you plan and pay for your own support. We make sure that we treat everyone fairly, and that If you want to contact us about a social carepeople who are most in need receive the highest level assessment, you can send us your filled-in self- of support. To do this we use national guidelines to help assessment form for us to consider as part of ourus understand whether peoples needs mean they are discussion with you. You do not have to fill in aeligible to receive funded support from us. This applies self-assessment form before contacting us. to people who need social care and their family and friend carers.There is also a self-assessment form for family andWhen considering whether you are eligible, we use friend carers and a financial self-assessment to helpinformation from your assessment and look at the you think about your finances and how you will pay forgoals or outcomes you want to achieve.your care.You can find the self-assessment and financialYou will not be eligible to receive a service paid for by self-assessment forms on our Connect to Supportus if you: website at westsussexconnecttosupport.org in the#have savings or investments of more than 23,250 Care Options section. Or you can contact our Adults(if you are receiving care in your own home or CarePoint by calling 01243 642121 or emailingcommunity care, this does not include the value of socialcare@westsussex.gov.uk and asking for ayour main or only home) or you have enough income papercopy. (not including earnings from paid employment) to pay for your own care; andYou can also call using Relay UK on #can arrange the care for yourself, or there is 18001 01243 642121 (from a textphone or thesomeone willing and able to do this for you.NGT Lite app downloaded onto a computer, tablet orsmartphone). For more information and advice, go to the section Paying for your own care if you have investments Who is entitled to an assessment? and savings of more than 23,250 on page 20. If you think you need social care services, you can askYoushouldalso consider getting independent financial us to assess your needs. This does not mean we will payadvice, to make the best use of your assets and money for your care at the end of the assessment, as you may(see page21 for more details).not be eligible for funding. If you are eligible for support paid for by us, a funding Family and friends who are carers also have the right toallocation system will calculate how much money will be an assessment. available to buy support to meet your care needs within your own home. This money is your personal budget. A member of staff will talk to you about yourYou may have to pay towards the cost of your social circumstances. If you have filled in a self-assessmentcare and support. This is known as your contribution.form, the social care worker will look at what you haveWe can pay your personal budget in a number of ways.told us as part of your assessment.14Living well in your community 2023/24'