Home Care
Short term enablement homecare service
Barnet’s enablement homecare service has recently been re-tendered and awarded to Housing 21(external link). Homecare enablement is a short -term service provided by care workers which aims to help you learn or re-learn skills of everyday living that you may have lost as a result of illness, disability, accident or on discharge from hospital. This service is for people who have been assessed as needing help with their personal care or domestic chores and qualify for a service.
How can enablement homecare help me?
The enablement homecare service:
- helps you ‘to do things for yourself’ rather than ‘someone else doing it for you’
- focuses on achieving short-term goals
- provides an opportunity to continually assess your progress over the period to achieve your goals
The service works with you to maximise your long-term independence, health and quality of life.
What could short term enablement homecare help me with?
The short term enablement homecare service can support you with:
- washing, dressing, getting in and out of bed
- cooking, preparing meals and helping to eat
- shopping, pension collection, laundry and other household tasks
- working with your memory, helping to remember things
- accessing social and leisure activities
- indoor and outdoor mobility
- building confidence.
What level of support will I receive?
If it is decided that you would benefit from a homecare enablement service a member of the team will visit you to agree a support plan and your objectives.
Your support needs will be reviewed regularly and may be reduced or increased.
The service is short term (usually up to 6 weeks) and will not be provided for longer than necessary. In discussion with you, we may make a plan to withdraw the service earlier if you no longer need it.
What happens after enablement homecare?
After your short-term homecare support has been completed, a member of Adult Social Services staff will meet with you at an agreed time to talk to you about:
- what difference the help has made
- any further help you may need from Adult Social Care and Health when the enablement service ends.
We will then talk to you about what happens next. This will either be to complete a 'move-on' plan if you no longer require support, or to complete the Personal Budget Questionnaire and Support Plan.
If you are assessed as still requiring support, one of the ways to meet your support needs may be by receiving a service from one of the council's home and community support providers.
Home and community support
After completing your short term enablement package, you may choose to use some or all of your Personal Budget to access one of the council's home and community support providers. Support under this service will work with you to maximise your independence wherever possible and appropriate. Support workers can assist you with personal care, such as washing and dressing, assisting with medication, and providing you with personalised support in managing food and nutrition. They can also support you to access community activities to help you stay healthy, active and connected with your community.
The Council has recently re-tendered its home and community support services. The service will be provided by the following 11 organisations from the 1 November 2010:
- Allied Healthcare Group (external link)
- Amonet (external link)
- Carewatch (external link)
- Dynamic People (external link)
- Enara (external link)
- Goldsborough Home Care (external link)
- London Care PLC (external link)
- Personnel and Care Bank (external link)
- Plan Personnel
- Umbrella
- Westminster Homecare (external link)
Following the re-tender process, the council has been holding review meetings with people who use a home care service funded by the council. These people were given the option to receive a Direct Payment from the council to allow them to arrange their own homecare support and stay with their existing provider, or to transfer to one of the 11 Home and Community Support Providers.
Monitoring the home care you receive booklet
Barnet Council has a responsibility to monitor the home care you receive from your care provider. We monitor the quality of care you receive and the arrival and departure times of your home carer. More information about the monitoring system can be found in the booklet, Monitoring the home care you receive 
(PDF: 312KB)
Will I be charged for services?
You may be required to contribute towards the cost of the services you receive. How much you contribute will depend on your income and the amount of help you need. We will ask you to complete a financial assessment form. You may be entitled to benefits, and if so we will help you to claim them. We will give you advice about this.
More information about charging for services can be found in the Fairer Contributions Policy 2011-12: Oct 2011 (PDF: 303KB).
Call our Fairer Contributions Helpline on 020 8359 7107 or email socialcaredirect@barnet.gov.uk if you have any questions about contributions for social care services.
If you pay for your own services (whether or not the council help you to arrange them), it may be advisable for you to get independent financial advice to help you to meet the costs of your care in the future. See our information about paying for long term care.
Adult Social Care and Health home page
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Email this pageLast modified by: Neha Shah on 31/10/2011