Who we are and what we do
Who are we?
Adult social care is part of East Sussex County Council. We employ 1,600 staff including social workers, care staff, home carers, and specialists who help people with disabilities.
What do we do?
We offer a wide range of services to help people live as independently as possible in their own homes and communities. This can include working in partnership with other organisations. We have an important role in your local community.
What services can we offer?
We offer a wide range of services. Wherever possible, we try to help people live as independently as possible in their own homes and local communities. Our services include:
- home-care
- day-care
- respite or short-break care (to give carers a break)
- help for carers
- meals in the community (meals on wheels)
- specialised advice and support for people with hearing, sight or speech problems
- equipment, adaptations and telecare alarm systems to help people live independently at home
- support services for people with a physical disability
- car badges for people with a permanent disability
- support services for people with a learning disability
- short-term rehabilitation services for people over 60
- residential care
- support services for people with a mental health problem.
We provide mental health services in partnership with the Sussex Partnership NHS Trust, as part of a joined-up mental health service. We aim to provide flexible and imaginative support that is designed to meet each person’s needs.
We must also work within our budget to make sure we get the best value for money and that we provide high quality and efficient services to the people who need them most.
How do we decide what we do?
There are four main factors that determine what we do. These are:
- Legislation – many of our responsibilities are set out by central government. See the Department of Health website for further information.
- Council policies – because we are part of the County Council, we report to elected East Sussex county councilors who agree the policies that set out how we manage our responsibilities and how we spend our money.
- Government regulations – we must also take account of various regulations and guidance issued by central government, including the Department of Health.
- You – we are committed to making sure that you are fully involved in all the decisions we make about the services you use, and in planning and developing the services needed in future. We also plan many of our services with local health authorities, other providers of services and local voluntary organisations.
Who makes sure we are doing things properly?
Central government, via the Department of Health, sets the standards for our performance. They measure our services and improvements against all other social services departments in the country. We must also carry out regular ‘best value reviews’ for each of our services. These reviews help us to look at how services could be improved, and make sure that we are providing the highest quality and most efficient services we can with the resources we have.
Our work is monitored and inspected regularly. Some of the agencies who do this are:
These agencies can often act for people who are not satisfied with our response to a particular issue.
What happens if things go wrong?
Despite our best efforts, things do occasionally go wrong. Special procedures for dealing with complaints also give you the right to appeal to an independent complaints panel. Your judgment of our service is important to us and we want to learn from complaints. Continuous improvement is our aim.
For more information when things go wrong, see our Comments, compliments and complaints page
Information leaflets – how to find out more
Download from our complete list of Adult Social Care Information Leaflets, updated in November 2007. Includes information about getting leaflets translated.
Adult Social Care Three Year Plan
This three year plan describes our intentions for the provision of care, planning and partnership working until 2009/10 across all adult social care user groups.
