Social care resources

Ready-made questions, trusted organisations, and key terms to help you find your way through social care.

Ask SpektraCare

Click any question to start a conversation.

Advice for older people on care, benefits, and staying independent.

Support and a helpline for unpaid carers across the UK.

Free, independent advice on social care rights, benefits, and local services.

Practice guides and resources for social care professionals, based on evidence.

Find and compare registered care providers and read inspection reports.

Guides on paying for care, finding care homes, and knowing your options.

Mental health support, information, and advocacy.

The official statutory guidance for the Care Act 2014.

Common social care terms explained in plain English.

Needs assessment: A council assessment to find out what care and support someone needs. Anyone can ask for one.
Financial assessment: A means test to decide how much someone should pay towards their care costs.
Eligibility criteria: The national minimum level of needs that a council must meet under the Care Act.
Direct payment: Money the council gives directly to someone so they can arrange their own care.
Personal budget: The amount of money a council sets aside to meet someone's eligible care needs.
Continuing Healthcare (CHC): NHS-funded care for people whose main need is health-related. Free at the point of use.
DoLS (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards): Legal protections for people in care homes or hospitals who lack the capacity to agree to their care arrangements.
Section 42 enquiry: A safeguarding enquiry the council must carry out when an adult with care needs is at risk of abuse or neglect.
Carer's assessment: An assessment of an unpaid carer's own needs, separate from the person they care for.
Best interests decision: Under the Mental Capacity Act, a decision made for someone who lacks capacity, taking their wishes and feelings into account.

Ask SpektraCare. Get guidance grounded in law, explained in plain English.