Help understanding local authority funding, direct payments and private home care.
Families often know care is needed but are unsure who should pay, whether the local authority may help, or whether support needs to start privately first. This page is designed to help people who are actively trying to arrange home care or personal care at home. We can help you understand the likely routes, but any funding decision is made by the local authority or the NHS, not by us.
Who this page is most useful for
Families arranging home care now
If someone needs support with washing, dressing, medication prompts, meals, mobility, reassurance or a safer daily routine, this page should help you understand the funding conversation.
People comparing private care and local authority routes
Some families need care to start quickly and then want to understand whether there may also be a local authority assessment, personal budget or direct payment route to explore.
Relatives dealing with discharge or sudden change
If someone is leaving hospital or routines have become unmanageable, we can help you think through the practical next step instead of leaving you to work it out alone.
What this page is not
This is not a general benefits helpline and it is not a promise of free care. The aim is to help families who are trying to put real home care in place and need a clearer route through the process.
Main funding routes families usually ask about
Private funding
Some families arrange and pay for care themselves. This can be the fastest route when support is needed urgently or where someone is likely to be a self-funder.
- Often the quickest way to start support
- Useful when the family wants more direct control and speed
- Can sit alongside a later local authority or NHS conversation where appropriate
Local authority assessment and support
If a person appears to have eligible care needs, their local authority may carry out a needs assessment and may also look at finances to decide whether it will contribute to the cost of care.
- Eligibility is decided by the local authority
- A financial assessment may also be part of the process
- Even if someone pays privately, an assessment can still help clarify needs
Direct payments
Where the local authority agrees that a person is eligible for support, it may offer a personal budget that can sometimes be taken as a direct payment so care can be arranged more flexibly.
- Usually linked to assessed eligible needs
- Can give more choice over how support is arranged
- Needs to be used in line with the agreed support plan
Short-term support after illness or discharge
Some people are offered short-term help or reablement after a hospital stay. In other cases, families choose to arrange private support quickly while wider funding questions are still being worked through.
NHS Continuing Healthcare
Where a person has complex ongoing needs and their main need is health rather than social care, the NHS may be responsible for funding the package. This is a separate assessment route.
Mixed or changing arrangements
Real-life care plans are not always neat. Some families start privately, then move into a direct payment route, or combine a short-term local authority or NHS pathway with longer-term home care.
How we can help without creating false expectations
We can help with
- Understanding the difference between private care, local authority support and direct payments
- Explaining what kind of home care might actually be needed
- Helping families work out whether they need to speak to their local authority or the NHS
- Talking through whether support should start quickly while assessments are ongoing
We cannot decide funding
The local authority or NHS decides eligibility, not Sandwell Care Services. We do not approve direct payments, award public funding or guarantee that a package will be funded. We can help you ask better questions and understand the likely next step.
Who to contact next
If you are trying to arrange care, the next conversation often matters more than reading lots of general information. In most cases, these are the routes families should think about first.
Contact adult social care at the local authority
If the person may have eligible care needs, ask adult social care at their local authority about a needs assessment and what the next steps are.
Ask about financial assessment and direct payments
If support may be publicly funded, ask whether a financial assessment will be needed and whether direct payments or a personal budget could be relevant.
Consider the NHS route for complex health needs
If the person’s main needs are health-related and particularly complex, ask whether NHS Continuing Healthcare should be explored.
Where we fit in
We can help families understand the practical home care side of the conversation and whether support may need to start quickly, but we do not make funding decisions on behalf of the local authority or the NHS.
A sensible way to approach the process
Work out the care need
Be clear about what is actually becoming difficult at home: personal care, mobility, meals, medication prompts, safety, dementia-related support or short-term help after hospital.
Check the likely route
Some people clearly need to start privately and quickly. Others should also be exploring a local authority assessment, direct payments or an NHS route if health needs are the main issue.
Take the next practical step
If you are unsure, speak to us about the situation. We can help you understand whether the next best move is a care assessment with us, a local authority route, an NHS conversation or a mix of these.
Not sure who should pay for care?
If you are actively trying to arrange home care for yourself or a family member, speak to our team. We will keep the conversation practical and focused on the next realistic step, rather than sending you into circles.