Eligibility Criteria

The Department of Health’s guidance “Prioritising Need in the context of Putting People First - England 2010" requires every local authority to work within a national eligibility framework, based on four levels of risk to independence. These are low, moderate, substantial and critical. 

Contact Adult Social Care

Leicester City Adult Social Care
1 Grey Friars, Leicester, LE1 5PH
Telephone: 0116 252 7004
Email: customer.services@leicester.gov.uk

Minicom: 0116 252 7011

• Levels of risk to independence
• Leicester City Council's threshold for social care

Levels of risk to independence

The criteria describes the seriousness of the risk to independence or other consequences if needs are not addressed immediately or in the foreseeable future.

Critical

• Life is, or will be threatened

• Significant health problems have developed or will develop
• There is, or will be, little or no choice and control over vital aspects of the immediate environment
• Serious abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur
• There is, or will be, an inability to carry out vital personal care or domestic routines
• Vital involvement in work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained
• Vital social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained
• Vital family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken

Substantial

• There is, or will be, only partial choice and control over the immediate environment
• Abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur
• There is, or will be, an inability to carry out the majority of personal care or domestic routines
• Involvement in many aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained
• The majority of social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained
• The majority of family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot and will not be undertaken

Moderate

• There is, or will be an inability to carry out several personal care or domestic routines
• Involvement in several aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained
• Several social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained
• Several family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken 
  

Low

• There is, or will be, an inability to carry out one or two personal or domestic routines
• Involvement in one or two aspects of work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained
• One or two social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained
• One or two family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken

Leicester City Council's threshold for social care

When setting the threshold an authority should ensure it has the financial resources available to meet assessed eligible need. We have set our threshold at Substantial.  All people whose risks to independence have been identified as substantial or critical can expect to receive appropriate services arranged by us. People who have Moderate or Low risk will are not eligible to receive our services and will be provided with advice and information about how they can obtain support in the community to promote their independence.

An assessment or review is required to establish risk.  This process is called a Needs Assessment and is described in our booklet - ‘What we do when assessing need’.