Rapid Support Service

If you’re at home and have been unwell, or need some temporary support, this service is designed to provide you with the care and support needed to reduce the likelihood of hospital admission and/or to allow us to assess your care needs as quickly as possible.

It will allow time for us to assess your short-term and long-term care and support needs in the setting where you spend most of your time – your own home.

This is a free service which is provided in your own home for a maximum of 28 days. It is only intended as a short-term service to support your recovery. Ideally the service should end within 14-21 days if not earlier if:

• you no longer need this support, or
• you have been assessed as needing longer term care and this is agreed within 14-21 days or earlier.

You will have an initial assessment to determine what kind of short-term support you may need at home. This will be arranged and you will be given details.

A member of the social work team will then contact you to arrange a time to visit you to carry out a full assessment of your care needs. The assessment should take place within five to seven days of your initial assessment.

We will send you information leaflets before the assessment to help you to prepare for the meeting. They will explain more about the assessment and the kind of questions we will ask you.

If your ongoing care and support needs are assessed as being eligible for help from the Council, we will work with you to develop a personal support plan.

There are many different options we will look at with you. This could include what you can do for yourself, help from family and friends, access to community facilities or support from voluntary services. We might also suggest equipment or adaptations to your home. Your support plan will make the most of what you can do with the help you have around you.

If you are not eligible for services from the Council, we will give you information and advice about how to access care and support services for yourself. You can find information and services to manage your own care needs and to stay independent on the Connect to Support Hampshire website.

If you are eligible for help from the Council and you require formal services, such as residential care or a paid carer coming into your home, the social worker will arrange for you to have a financial assessment, if you haven’t had one previously. This is to determine how your long-term care will be funded.

Depending on your financial circumstances, you may need to pay some or all of the cost of your care and support.

The Council reserves the right to charge you for your care from the date long-term care is assessed as appropriate and provided. As short-term services are time limited, this may start on a date before we can carry out your financial assessment. It would also apply if you received long-term services in the same location as the short-term service. Any charges will be in line with our usual practices.

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