Social Services

 What do Social Services do?

Social Services in Blaenau Gwent support those people who need Social Care, including those in need of protection, to develop their abilities to live as independent and fulfilled lives as possible.

Who do Social Services support?

Blaenau Gwent Social Services support:

• Children and young people under 18 and their families.

• Young people who the Council has looked after.

• Adults and Older People with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health or drug or alcohol related problems.

• Carers, that is family and friends who look after others.

What support is provided?

Children Services involve a wide range of provisions and legislative requirements which are designated both to promote the welfare of all children in need and their families and to protect children from harm.  A wide range of information is available, including leaflets on:

• Assessment of Children In Need and their Families
  

• Children Social Services In Blaenau Gwent
  

• Children With Disabilities
  

• Fostering
  

• Leaving Care
  

• Legal Proceedings & Your Child
  

• Private Fostering

Adult Services provide a very wide range of help for broad groupings of people with many support and care needs.  A wide range of information is available, including leaflets on:
 

• Abertillery Park Café
• Ashville Training
• Assessment for Community Care Services
• Augusta House
• Bert Denning Centre
• Blaina Community Resource Unit
• Cartref Aneurin Bevan Residential Home
• Choosing a Care Home
• Community Care in Blaenau Gwent
• Community Occupational Therapy Service
• Crawshay House Residetial Home
• Cwrt Mytton Residential Home
• Direct Payments
• Disabled Persons Parking Bays
• Ebbw Vale Community Resource Unit
• Eligibility Criteria And The Appeals Procedure
• Floating Support Service
• Home Care Service
• Hospital Social Work Team
• Intermediate Care
• Joint Day Care Unit
• Plas Y Coed Residential Home
• Services For People With A Sensory Disability
• Support for Carers
• Supported Living
• Tredegar Community Resource Unit
• Vision House Day Centre

Who do you contact for help from Social Services?

The Council call centre, C2BG, provides the first point of contact for people who wish to ask for help for themselves or, with their permission, for a relative or friend.  Contact with C2BG can be made in person by attending one of the outreach sessions, or by phone, letter, fax or e-mail.  These methods are also the first point of contact with Social Services by other agencies, such as health, education, police and housing.

What information do Social Services need?

When you get in touch with C2BG you will be asked some questions about the circumstances that led to your contact and to find out if Social Services may be able to help.

Some basic information will be needed including your name, address and contact details and if the referral is being made on behalf of somebody else that person’s details will also be required. Anonymous referrals can be taken however C2BG may require additional information to process the referral.

The permission of the person being referred must have been obtained before a referral is made. Social Services rarely accept referrals without such permission, and if permission has not been obtained, an explanation must be given.

What Happens Next?

C2BG will decide whether to pass the information you have provided to specialist staff in Social Services; or they may redirect you to another agency or organisation; or they might send out information; or if possible they may deal with the query on the spot.

If your information is passed on to specialist staff in Social Services they will undertake an assessment, this will tell us what your needs are, and if you are eligible for services. It gives information about how your needs can best be met.

Social Services only provide support to vulnerable people with particular social care needs who are eligible for that support.  Social Services use ‘eligibility criteria’ to decide in a fair way who should be given priority for support and help.

What can I do if things go wrong?

If you are unhappy about any of our services, or about the way you have been treated, you have the right to complain.  If you wish, you may have someone with you to speak on your behalf or to support you.

Further details of how to use the complaints procedure can be found in the Social Services complaints leaflet, or by contacting the Complaints Officer based at the Headquarters office.