For families arranging care for someone they love
Where to start when you are the one arranging it
Most people arranging care for a relative are doing it for the first time, usually in a hurry, often after something has gone wrong. This page is the short version of what actually happens and what you can ask for.
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You do not need to have decided anything yet
You do not need a diagnosis, a budget or a plan to call us. Plenty of the conversations we have start with someone saying they are not sure what they are asking for, and that is a perfectly reasonable place to begin.
The first useful step is usually a needs assessment from your local council. It is free, you are entitled to it whatever your income, and it establishes what support the person needs before anyone talks about who provides it or who pays. If you are also providing care yourself, you can ask for a carer’s assessment in your own right.
After that, the question is what kind of support fits. Care at home keeps someone where they are. Supported living gives a younger adult their own tenancy with support around it. Both are alternatives to a care home, and both are worth understanding before anyone assumes a care home is the only option.
What kind of support might fit
Care at home
Visiting support from short daily calls up to several visits a day. The person stays in their own home and keeps their routine. Best where needs are manageable and predictable.
Live-in care
A carer lives in the home. One-to-one, familiar, and usually cheaper than two people needing residential care. Best where round-the-clock reassurance matters more than clinical intensity.
Supported living
The person holds their own tenancy and support comes to them. Designed for younger adults with a learning disability, autism or a mental health condition who want their own home.
If you are not sure which of these applies, that is exactly what an assessment is for. Nobody expects you to know.
From your first call to support starting
- 1
A conversation
Tell us what is happening. No forms, no commitment. If we are not the right provider, we will say so.
- 2
A free assessment
We visit, meet the person, and work out what support would actually help. CONFIRM TYPICAL DURATION.
- 3
A written plan and a cost
What we propose, what it includes and what it costs — in writing, so you can think about it.
- 4
Meeting the team
Where we can, you meet the people who would be supporting before anything starts.
- 5
Support begins
With a team who have been briefed on this person, not sent to a generic call.
- 6
A review
An early review rather than waiting months, because the first few weeks always teach us something.
What you can expect from us, and when
SLA 1
Initial clinical and operational review, and a clear yes or no on whether we are pursuing the referral.
SLA 2
Specialist assessment arranged with the person and everyone who needs to be there.
SLA 3
Placement proposal and full costings submitted to the funding authority.
These commitments are pending confirmation by Bellus. We will not publish a response time the service cannot operationally hold — a broken commitment costs more than an unpublished one. Out-of-hours referral route: OUT-OF-HOURS ROUTE
Questions families ask
1How quickly can support start?
CONFIRM EMERGENCY AND PLANNED START TIMEFRAMES.
2Will it be the same carer every time?
Consistency matters and we plan for it. CONFIRM TYPICAL TEAM SIZE.
3What if Mum refuses care?
Very common, and not a reason to give up. An assessment done well is often the thing that changes the answer, because it is about what the person wants rather than what is being done to them.
4Who do I call if something is wrong?
A named contact, in office hours OFFICE HOURS, and an out-of-hours route OUT-OF-HOURS ROUTE. If you are not satisfied, our complaints process is published.
5Are you regulated?
CQC REGISTRATION NUMBER AND THE ACTIVITIES AND LOCATIONS IT COVERS. We will not display a blanket regulatory badge until that scope is confirmed, because not every service a provider runs is a regulated activity.
6How are your carers checked?
DBS LEVEL · NUMBER OF REFERENCES · INDUCTION LENGTH · MANDATORY TRAINING
Start with a conversation, not a decision
Call us and describe the situation. We will tell you what we think, including whether someone other than us would be a better fit. There is no cost and no obligation.
Referrals inbox: REFERRALS EMAIL · General enquiries: [email protected]