You may be entitled to equipment or support services from your local authority. For more detailed information on social services, please see our factsheet Social services for adults who are deaf.

Social services provided by the local authority can include:

• Advice and support from a specialist social worker
• Provision of aids or equipment to help you cope with a disability
• Communication support (such as lipreading classes)
• Day care
• Home help or home care
• Meals on wheels
• Respite care
• Residential care in a care home.

You can also apply for direct payment so that you can arrange and pay for services, such as home care, rather than having them supplied by the local council. Your council is obliged to offer you this option if you are already receiving social services.

As part of the 'Putting people first' (external link, opens new browser window) agenda, every English council is meant to have had 30% of care users on a personal budget.

You can get more information from the following websites:

• Sense (external link, opens new browser window)
• In Control (external link, opens new browser window)
• Support Planning – Individual budget process (external link, opens new browser window), individual budget review (external link, opens new browser window) and support planning and review (external link, opens new browser window)
• Mind (external link, opens new browser window).