Arranging adult social care in St. Helens
St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council covers a spread of towns and villages across the North West, including St Helens itself, Newton-le-Willows, Haydock, Earlestown, Rainford and Billinge. Whether you are looking for support close to the town centre or in one of the outlying communities, the council is the first port of call for arranging adult social care in the borough.
How to start the process locally
Families usually begin by contacting St. Helens Council's adult social care team to request a needs assessment. This assessment is free, regardless of income or savings, and looks at how someone is managing day to day, whether that is at home in Rainford or considering a move into one of the borough's residential care homes. If the assessment identifies eligible needs, a financial assessment (means test) then follows to work out how much, if anything, the person will need to contribute towards their care.
Choice of care across the borough
St. Helens has a healthy local care market, with 82 CQC-registered care homes across the borough. That gives families a genuine choice between smaller residential care homes in communities like Billinge and Haydock, larger nursing homes offering higher levels of clinical support, and home care providers who can visit people in their own homes across Newton-le-Willows, Earlestown and St Helens itself.
Paying for care and typical fees
Funding usually comes from one or a combination of sources: council funding (subject to the means test), NHS Continuing Healthcare where someone has significant health needs, or self funding where savings and assets sit above the national capital thresholds. As a rough guide for the North West, weekly fees tend to sit around £200 to £400 for home care depending on hours, £800 to £1,100 for residential care homes, and £1,000 to £1,400 for nursing homes where nursing input is required.
Taking the next step
If you are just starting out, contact St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council for an assessment, and use Care Assura to compare local providers, read CQC ratings and shortlist homes and home care agencies that feel right for your family.
