What is Adult Social Care

Adult Social Care supports people who need help with everyday life.

This support helps people to stay independent and well, feel respected, and live safely. Support journeys start with the individual, the people around them, community support and then through Croydon Council if more support is needed.
You might need Adult social care if you: 

  • have a long-term condition or disability, including having a sensory impairment, or being neurodivergent
  • have had a fall, accident, or recovering after an operation
  • are finding it more difficult to do daily tasks, and feeling independent and safe

How  Adult social care is different from healthcare

Healthcare treats illness and injuries. Adult Social care helps with day-to-day living.

Adult Social Care helps with:

  • staying independent at home through support with washing, dressing, eating, and using the toilet
  • accessing specialist equipment to enable independence such as long canes, raised seats, rails and ramps
  • support to access employment and manage finances
  • feeling happy, safe, and well, including keeping in touch with friends, family, and your community

Most people get information and advice, emotional support and friendships, and help with things like shopping or attending group activities from their community. This can include family members, friends and neighbours, community groups and organisations and faith groups. 

Working together helps people feel connected, confident, and less alone. If you still need more help after exploring support in your community, or are experiencing a crisis you can complete our online form or phone us:

Start now

or phone us: 0208 726 6500
 

Carers

If you regularly help someone to live independently, you may be a carer. With approximately 28,000 people in Croydon providing unpaid care for family or friends, you are not alone. Although for many, it can feel like you are.

Croydon’s Carer Strategy is about making sure local carers get the support and they need and deserve. We want residents to live healthier and more independent lives. Following conversations with our carers, many told us they wanted stronger, more tailored support. That’s why we now work with three organisations who support carers in different ways who are now working alongside our carers’ community. 

Carers First support adult carers, Off the Record help our young carers and young adult carers, and Mind in Croydon offer mental health support and counselling. Together, these partners will help make sure every carer receives the right help at the right time. We also know lots of community organisations offer support to carers, and so would always encourage you to explore what’s in your local area. 


If you, or someone you know, could benefit from support as a carer, visit

Carers First

www.carersfirst.org.uk
Carers First Phone : 0300 303 1555

Off the Record

www.talkofftherecord.org
Off The Record Phone: 07522 046 395

Mind in Croydon

www.mindincroydon.org.uk
Mind Phone: Tel: 020 8668 2210 (answerphone available 24/7)
WhatsApp: 07938 716 711 (text)

Residents stories

Reablement helps individuals recover, regain independence, and safely remain at home through dedicated staff.

Reablement: Malik is an 84-year-old father, who was unable to sit unsupported, walk, speak, or swallow normal texture food. He was readmitted to hospital a week after his initial discharge. 

The reablement team provided 12 sessions over a month, focusing on a goal of walking up the stairs and accessing his cupboard. The family supported with recovery, including practicing outside of sessions. 
The team assessed Malik and ordered specialist equipment to support him to sit and move more independently. Malik’s care package decreased from four times a day with two carers to twice a day with one carer. 
Malik can now attend Church, has a normal diet, is able to speak, requires less support, and feels more independent and able to engage with the community. 

“We genuinely think that dad’s recovery is a miracle. The care from carers, therapy and reablement teams has been outstanding. We are so grateful and cannot thank you enough for giving us our Dad “ – Malik’s Daughter


Tom – Carer for his mother, Pauline 

Tom, who has cared for his mother, Pauline, for six years, understands the impact of good support. Pauline lives with Alzheimer’s dementia and other long-term conditions, meaning Tom cannot leave her alone and often feels isolated . A carers assessment revealed just how much this was affecting his wellbeing and recommended Respite – which is temporary care to specifically give carers a break

Carers First, who offer a wide range of activities designed to give carers a break and help them connect with others supported Tom. From free Carers Café sessions and knitting groups, to art workshops, yoga, writers’ groups and more.
Carers First also helped Tom access the financial benefits he was entitled to, arranged respite so he could attend the Carers Café, signposted him to counselling and supported him with emergency planning.

Tom says this has really helped: “I have started to feel less isolated since attending the Carers Centre. The volunteers and other carers are very friendly. It’s nice to chat over tea or coffee, and a biscuit! I highly recommend it to other carers.”


Living independently does not mean you have to do everything by yourself. Asking for support is not a shameful thing. We are here to help you, when you need us.
 

More information

These documents give you more information about your Adult Social Care journey. We have translations in Spanish, Romanian, Polish and Portuguese.

 

 

This animation is an introduction to your social care journey.

 

find out what support you can receive if you, or someone you care for, needs help with daily living: request support for an adult

A directory of Plain English definitions of the most commonly used or misunderstood words and phrases in the adult social care journey.