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Midlothian


Assessment of need
If the person you care for needs an assessment, the social work contact officer who took the initial call will pass on their details to The Access Team. The team is based at Loanhead Social Work Centre and covers the whole of Midlothian.

Staff at Loanhead will then consider their information and needs and decide how soon a meeting can be arranged to conduct the Assessment. Prioritisation is needed so people with more complex needs are seen most quickly.

For more information download the Council's eligibility criteria.


What will the assessment be like?
A social worker, occupational therapist or a community care assistant will arrange to meet with the person you care for at home or at a place of their choice. The level of assessment to be carried out and the time required to complete it is dependent on the complexity of the assessment and the service being requested. Certain types of service such as admission to care should have a comprehensive assessment. This may include completion of certain parts of the assessment by specialist practitioners. Other services such as the meals service and Community Alarms need only a basic assessment and no specialist contribution to the assessment.

The assessment may take more than one visit, when completed the assessment will be written down so both parties can have a copy.  The person you care for will be asked to sign the copy to say they agree with what has been written. They may disagree in which case their views will also be recorded. They may also be asked to sign a consent form to share the assessment with other agencies such as their GP as they could be involved in helping them.


Cost of care
The person you care for will be asked to complete a financial assessment and be advised of any charges which may be applicable. For more information see Midlothian Council charging policy


Direct Payments
More information on how to access direct payments is available from the Midlothian Council Direct Payments leaflet