A care needs assessment is a free evaluation by your local council of what support someone needs. It’s the formal entry point to the entire adult social care system — and it is a legal right, not a favour.
Many families never request one because they assume savings disqualify them. They don’t. The assessment of need is separate from, and comes before, any assessment of money.
Your legal right under the Care Act 2014
Under section 9 of the Care Act 2014, a local authority must assess anyone who appears to need care and support, regardless of their finances or whether the council is likely to pay.
Three points that matter in practice:
- Wealth is irrelevant to the assessment. If anyone suggests you’re “not eligible because of savings”, they’re confusing the needs assessment with the financial assessment. Ask again.
- You don’t need a GP referral. Contact West Sussex County Council adult social care directly. Anyone can make the request — the person, a relative, a neighbour, a GP.
- Carers have their own separate right to a Carer’s Assessment under section 10, whether or not the person they care for accepts support. See carer support.
How to request one in West Sussex
- Contact West Sussex County Council adult social care by phone or through their website
- Explain the situation briefly and ask for a Care Act needs assessment
- Note the date you asked and the reference number
- If the situation is urgent — an unsafe discharge, a carer suddenly unable to continue — say so. The council can provide urgent support before completing an assessment
What happens during the assessment
Usually a visit at home lasting an hour or two, sometimes by phone for straightforward cases. A social worker or assessor will look at:
- Managing personal hygiene, dressing and using the toilet
- Preparing and eating food and drink
- Managing and maintaining the home safely
- Moving around safely, indoors and out
- Managing medication
- Maintaining relationships and accessing the community
- Work, training, education and volunteering
- Any caring responsibilities the person has for a child
Getting a true picture
This is where families most often lose out. People perform. Someone who hasn’t managed stairs in a month will get up and demonstrate it once, for a stranger with a clipboard, and be recorded as mobile.
- Be there if you can. A relative’s account of a typical week is legitimate evidence and assessors expect it.
- Describe the worst days, not the best. The assessment is about consistent ability, not a one-off effort.
- Keep a two-week diary beforehand — what they struggled with, what you did, what didn’t get done. It’s the most persuasive document you can bring.
- Include the nights. Night-time needs are routinely under-recorded because nobody asks.
- Mention what has stopped happening — the bath they no longer take, the club they no longer attend. Absence of a need is often just concealment of one.
The eligibility criteria
National criteria apply, so the outcome shouldn’t depend on which council you’re in. Someone is eligible if all three of these are true:
- The needs arise from a physical or mental impairment or illness
- They cannot achieve two or more of the outcomes listed above
- As a result, there is or is likely to be a significant impact on their wellbeing
“Cannot achieve” has a specific legal meaning worth knowing. It includes being able to do something but: with significant pain, distress or anxiety; only by endangering themselves or others; or taking significantly longer than would normally be expected. Someone who can wash themselves in forty minutes, in pain, is not achieving that outcome.
What happens next
If eligible, the council produces a care and support plan and a personal budget — the amount it calculates is needed to meet those needs. Then the financial assessment determines who pays what.
| Capital (England, 2026/27) | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Above £23,250 | Self-funding |
| £14,250–£23,250 | Partial council contribution |
| Below £14,250 | Capital disregarded; income assessed |
For care at home, the value of your property is not counted. See the funding guide.
You can take your personal budget as a direct payment and choose your own provider.
Why self-funders should still have one
If you’re clearly above the threshold, it’s tempting to skip this and arrange care privately. Don’t:
- Your needs are formally recorded, which matters if circumstances change
- The council must step in when capital falls below £23,250 — and having an assessment on file makes that transition far smoother
- You can ask the council to arrange care on your behalf even while you pay for it
- It may identify free support you didn’t know about — equipment, reablement, a Disabled Facilities Grant, benefits you’re not claiming
- It triggers a route to an NHS Continuing Healthcare checklist if health needs are substantial
If you disagree with the outcome
- Ask for the written assessment and the reasoning. You’re entitled to it.
- Request a review if the picture was inaccurate or circumstances have changed. New evidence — a fall, a GP letter, your diary — is grounds.
- Use the formal complaints procedure if the review doesn’t resolve it.
- Escalate to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman after the council’s process is exhausted. They uphold a substantial share of adult social care complaints.
- Get advocacy. The council must provide an independent advocate if someone would have substantial difficulty being involved and has no one else to support them. Age UK and Citizens Advice also help.
Where a CQC-registered agency fits
A council assessment is the right first step far more often than families assume. It costs nothing, it does not commit anyone to council-arranged care, and it establishes on the record what your relative is entitled to. Arranging care privately first does not disqualify you from asking for one later. Our local guides cover Worthing and Adur.
Call the provider directly.
Frequently asked questions
Who is entitled to a care needs assessment?
Anyone who appears to need care and support, regardless of income, savings or property. It’s a legal duty on the council under the Care Act 2014. Carers have a separate right to their own assessment.
Is a care needs assessment free?
Yes, always. The assessment itself costs nothing and is not means-tested. A separate financial assessment afterwards determines who pays for any care that’s arranged.
How long does it take to get one?
Timescales vary, but councils should act within a reasonable period and urgently where someone is at risk. If it’s urgent — an unsafe hospital discharge or a carer who can no longer cope — say so explicitly, as the council can provide support before completing the assessment.
What if my relative refuses an assessment?
An adult with capacity can refuse. The council must still assess if it believes there’s a risk of abuse or neglect, or if the person lacks capacity and an assessment is in their best interests. Sometimes reframing it as “someone coming to see what help is available” gets a different answer to “an assessment”.
Should I get an assessment if I’m self-funding?
Yes. It records your needs formally, smooths the transition if capital later falls below £23,250, may identify free equipment or benefits, and lets you ask the council to arrange care on your behalf.
The Care Panel is an independent publication. We are not a care provider and are not regulated by the Care Quality Commission, because we do not deliver care. Always check a provider’s own CQC registration and inspection report before you commit.
Written and fact-checked by The Care Panel. Last updated September 2026. Based on the Care Act 2014 and Care and Support Statutory Guidance. General information, not legal advice.