Arranging care in Southampton
Southampton City Council is the unitary authority for the city of Southampton on the South East coast, covering neighbourhoods from Shirley, Portswood and Bitterne to Woolston, Bassett and Millbrook. As a unitary authority, it is responsible for all local services in one place, including adult social care, which makes it the single point of contact for families starting to think about support at home or a move into a care setting.
How to start the process
The first step is to contact Southampton City Council's adult social care team and request a needs assessment. This assessment is free, regardless of income, and looks at how someone is managing day to day, what matters to them, and what kind of help would make the biggest difference. If the assessment shows eligible needs, the council then carries out a financial assessment to work out how much, if anything, the person contributes towards their care. National capital thresholds apply, and anyone with savings and assets above the upper limit will usually be asked to fund their own care, at least initially.
Choice of care across the city
Southampton has a good spread of provision, with 153 CQC registered care homes across the city, alongside home care agencies supporting people in their own properties. This means families can usually find residential care homes, nursing homes or home care close to familiar neighbourhoods, friends and family, which matters when someone is moving out of their own home for the first time.
Paying for care and typical fees
Funding routes in Southampton include council funded care after a financial assessment, NHS Continuing Healthcare for those with primarily health related needs, NHS funded nursing care contributions in nursing homes, and self funding. As a general guide, home care in Southampton tends to fall around the mid range of hourly rates seen across the South East, while weekly fees for residential care homes are typically lower than nursing homes, which include qualified nursing on site.
If you are unsure where to begin, contacting Southampton City Council for an assessment is the simplest first step, and gives you a clear picture before you commit to any provider.
