What Is a Social Care Package and How Do You Get One?

Topic cluster: Supporting Your Parent at Home | Reading time: 5 min

When a parent needs ongoing support at home, the local authority may agree to fund a "social care package" — a set of services tailored to their assessed needs. But many families are unclear about what this term actually means, what it includes, and how to navigate the system to get one in place. This guide explains the process from needs assessment to package delivery.

What Is a Social Care Package?

A social care package (also called a care package or support plan) is a collection of funded services arranged by the local authority to meet a person's eligible care and support needs. It is not a single service but a combination that might include:

Morning and evening personal care visits
Medication management
Meal preparation or delivery
Day centre attendance
Night-sitting or overnight care
Equipment and assistive technology
Respite care for family carers
Social and community activities

The package is tailored to the individual — based on their assessed needs, not a standard template.

Step 1: Care Needs Assessment

Everything starts with a Care Needs Assessment from the local authority adult social care team. This is free and available to anyone who appears to have care and support needs, regardless of finances.

During the assessment, a social worker or assessor will explore:

What your parent can and cannot do for themselves
What outcomes matter most to them
What informal support (from family, friends) is already in place
What risk and safety issues are present
What their wishes are for how they want to live

The assessment determines whether your parent has eligible needs under the Care Act 2014. The national eligibility criteria focus on whether the person cannot achieve certain outcomes due to physical or mental impairment, and whether this significantly impacts their wellbeing.

Step 2: The Support Plan

If your parent has eligible needs, the local authority produces a support plan (sometimes called a care plan) that sets out:

What their eligible needs are
How those needs will be met
What services will be provided
A personal budget — the money allocated to meet those needs
Who will do what (council-arranged services, direct payments, family support)

Your parent (and you as their representative) should be involved in developing the support plan. It should reflect their preferences and what matters to them, not just their physical needs.

Step 3: Financial Assessment

Once eligible needs are confirmed, the local authority carries out a financial assessment (means test) to determine how much your parent contributes.

In England:

Above £23,250 in savings/capital: full self-funding — no council contribution
£14,250–£23,250: sliding scale contribution
Below £14,250: no contribution from capital (income still assessed)

In Scotland and Wales, different thresholds and free personal care provisions apply.

The local authority should not delay starting to provide care while the financial assessment is completed. If there is a delay, they should carry out a financial assessment retrospectively.

Step 4: Service Delivery

Once the plan and finances are agreed, services are put in place. Depending on how the personal budget is managed:

Council-arranged services: The council contracts care providers on your parent's behalf
Direct payments: Money is paid to your parent to arrange their own care
Third-party managed budget: An organisation manages the budget for them

Reviewing the Package

Social care packages are reviewed — usually annually or when circumstances change. If your parent's needs change (due to a hospital admission, fall, progression of dementia), contact the social worker to request an urgent review.

You can also request a review if:

The current package isn't meeting needs
Your parent's financial circumstances change significantly
You feel more or different support is needed

When the Council Won't Fund

If your parent doesn't meet the eligibility criteria, or their capital is above the upper threshold, the council will not fund their care — but they must still provide:

Information and advice about available services
A signposting to voluntary and community support
Support for informal carers (carer's assessment in your own right)

Even self-funders benefit from a needs assessment — it can identify entitlement to NHS CHC, equipment, and other non-means-tested support.

Checklist: Getting a Social Care Package

☐ Request a Care Needs Assessment from the local authority
☐ Prepare a summary of what your parent can and cannot manage
☐ Include your parent's own views and priorities in the assessment
☐ Ask about the personal budget and how it will be managed
☐ Consider a direct payment for maximum flexibility
☐ Request the support plan in writing
☐ Ask how and when the plan will be reviewed
☐ Check whether a Carer's Assessment has been offered to you

Exploring care options? homeformum.com helps families navigate assessments, find the right care home, and understand all their funding options.