Council and democracy

Identifying needs

Our work is all about people
People tend to only come to us when they are in difficulty and in crisis, and for a huge variety of reasons need some support. Our staff form partnerships with people; helping them to assess and interpret the problems they face, and supporting them in finding solutions so they can regain control of their lives.

They may act as an advisor, advocate, counsellor or simply as a listener. They have to know how the law works and be fully up to date with the social welfare system. They liaise regularly with other professionals - doctors, nurses, therapists - acting on behalf of the people they are working with.

Identifying needs
Our well trained and experienced staff take time to talk things through, to establish what an individual’s particular needs are and, where applicable, the needs of their carer, too.

Each case is unique. We will always listen to people’s wishes about the sort of help they would like to receive, but because our funds are limited, we have to focus our resources on supporting those most in need. We do this using a set of eligibility criteria to assess everyone who approaches us for help in a fair and consistent way.

Some people need help more urgently than others. Once we have gained a complete picture of the various factors involved, we establish if we can help and then set about finding the best all-round solution.

When we are not in a position to help directly, we always let you know about other sources of funding or assistance that may be useful. If your circumstances change please get in touch again so that we can look again at your requirements and see if we can help.