Providing Information and Advice (AAT)

The Local Authority (and anyone representing the Local Authority) has a duty under Section 4 of the Care Act to either provide directly, or provide access to a range of information and advice relating to adult Care and Support, including financial advice. This duty applies equally in respect of all local residents regardless of whether the person with Care and Support needs is known to, lives in, or is already receiving services from the Local Authority.

See: Providing Information and Advice to read more about what the Care Act says about the duty to provide information and advice, including how information and advice should be provided and the specific information and advice requirements around finances.

Online

See: Adult Care.

Directory of Services

Redcar and Cleveland Information Directory is a services directory where you can find a wide range of information from community-based services and helplines through to older people’s services such as those to help the person live at home.
See: Redcar and Cleveland Information Directory

Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice can provide free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities.
Website: Darlington, Redcar & Cleveland Citizens Advice

Tel: 01642 030000 (leave name and telephone number and they will return the call)
Redcar and Cleveland Office:
17 Queen Street,
Redcar,
Cleveland
TS10 1AB
Office Opening Times: Mon – Fri 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Age UK

Older adults and their carers can access information and advice, as well as a range of services from Age UK.
Website: Teesside Age UK
Tel: 01642 805500
Email: info@ageukteesside.org.uk
Teesside Office:
The Dorothy Rose Suites (29-32)
The TAD Centre
Ormesby Road
Middlesbrough
TS3 7SF

Carers

Carers can access bespoke information and advice from WE CARE YOU CARE.  
Website: WE CARE YOU CARE

Tel: 01642 357853
Email: hello@wecareyoucare.info
Address:
Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency
St. Mary's Centre
82-90 Corporation Road
Middlesbrough
TS1 2RW

Financial Assessment

See: Paying for care and support.

There is also practitioner guidance in the Local Resources section.

Sometimes it is helpful to contact a well-known national organisation with a dedicated information and advice service or help-line. See: National Organisations with Information and Advice Helplines for details of some national organisations offering this service.

Some national organisations do not have dedicated information and advice services but can still provide such support upon request. See: National Contacts for Adult Care and Support for a wider range of useful national contacts for adult Care and Support.

You can also see the Financial Assessment and Charging FAQ Response Support Tool for the answers to some frequently asked questions around financial assessment, including questions relating to Disabled Facilities Grants.

Information and advice must be provided in an accessible way so that the person for whom it is intended can best understand and make use of it.

If you feel the person for whom the information and advice is intended will need support to understand it then you should:

1. Consider whether the person has anyone appropriate who can help them to understand it;
2. Consider any steps that you can take to support them to understand it (for example talking through the information over the telephone or summarising it in a simpler format); and
3. Consider the benefit of independent advocacy (seeking support from a social work team as required).

Under the Care Act the Local Authority has a duty to not only provide information and advice where it is needed, but to ensure that the information and advice it provides has been effective.

Therefore, when information and advice has been provided you should agree appropriate arrangements to follow up with the person to whom it was given in order to review how effective it has been.

The timescales for this follow up should reflect the individual circumstances and level of risk.

Where you are making arrangements for someone else to follow up on the information and advice you have given (rather than following up on it yourself) you must make sure that you have recorded this in a way that will ensure the person follows up on it at the agreed time.