There are many kinds of help and support available to meet your needs. This section includes information on the following services (click each item to view individually or scroll down the page to view all services)
Car Badges
Community Support Services
Adaptations and Equipment
Extra Care Housing
Home Care Services
Intermediate Care
Residential and Nursing Care
Day Care
Short Breaks
Direct Payments
Advocacy Together
Please note not everyone is eligible for these services, therefore an assessment of your needs will be carried out by an officer from the Adult Social Services Department. Following this a decision will be made to decide whether you meet the criteria for services.
What is the Blue Badge Scheme?
Adult Social Services operates the Blue Badge Scheme on behalf of the Department for Transport. The scheme provides a national arrangement of parking concessions for people with severe walking difficulties who travel either as drivers or passengers. The scheme also applies to registered blind people and people with very severe upper limb disabilities. It allows badge holders to park close to their destination.
You are eligible for a Blue Badge if you:
Receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance
Receive a War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement
Are registered blind
Have a disability in both upper arms and regularly drive a non-adapted motor vehicle but cannot operate or have considerable difficulty
in operating all or some types of parking meters
Have a permanent and substantial disability, which means you are unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty in walking.
Children under the age of two may be issued a badge due to specific medical problems, a need to travel with bulky equipment or a need to be close to a vehicle for emergency medical treatment.
How to apply for a Blue Badge
If you live in the borough of Darlington and you think you may be entitled to a badge, you should apply to Darlington Adult Social Services. Download and print out the two application forms
Application Form (PDF document)
Doctors Consent Form (PDF document)
and return the completed application forms to:
The Access and Contact Team
Adult Social Services
Central House
Gladstone Street
Darlington
DL3 6JX
or contact us to apply for a blue badge, in which case, we can send you a form out in the post with a pre-paid envelope attached. Alternatively you can make an appointment at Central House if you would like assistance with completing the application form.
You will be contacted in due course to progress your application. A letter will be sent to your GP for an opinion on your entitlement if you don't qualify automatically for a badge.
Renewing your badge
For information on lost badges or renewing your badge contact the Access and Contact Team on 01325 346200.
You might also want to look at the Concessionary Travel pages on this website.
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Community support services in Darlington are aimed at helping people who are relatively independent but because of age, illness or disability would benefit from:
A little extra support to help them maintain their skills and independence
Learning new skills to assist them to maintain their independence
Advice, training or support to adjust to new circumstances e.g. through illness or if you have recently been discharged from hospital
Services are provided in partnership with WRVS and Age Concern and include opportunities to undertake exercise, preparing meals, health and safety advice. You can also get help with transport to appointments, day centres or the shops. These services will also benefit carers.
For more information see the following leaflet (PDF document)
If you or someone you know may benefit from this service then please contact us
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Adaptations
We can provide advice and information on adaptations to your home to enable you to maintain your independence.
Where small adaptations are required, for example, grab rails or stair rails, these are usually provided free of charge. Larger adaptations, for example, stairlifts or bathroom conversions will require a recommendation to Care and Repair Darlington (grants department) and a financial assessment will be carried out to determine whether you are eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant.
Aids & Equipment
We can also provide small pieces of equipment, for example, bath seats and toilet aids to help people in their daily living. These are also provided free of charge
For more information see the following leaflet (PDF document)
If you or someone you know may benefit from this service then please contact us
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Extra Care Housing is provided for people who do not need or want to move in to long term care, with suitable housing and support from a trained care team. The service is provided by the Housing department and the Council's own Home Care service.
There are currently four Extra Care Housing schemes in Darlington - Dalkeith House, Mayflower Court, Oban Court and Rosemary Court. These schemes provide self-contained flats to rent with:
A range of additional communal facilities including a common room, laundry etc
Warden services
On-site home care
Prepared midday meal
You can view more information on each of the homes in the Extra Care Schemes
The Council's Home Care Service
We aim to provide high quality care which will help, support and enable people to remain in their own homes within the Extra Care schemes.
The services which we offer include:
Assistance with personal care
Assistance with bathing/showering
Assistance with meal preparation
Supervision of medication
Practical support, e.g. housework, shopping, laundry, collection of pension etc.
24 hour support in the Extra Care scheme
Support to attend social events in your scheme (including coffee mornings, exercise classes, bingo and quizzes)
For further information see the following leaflet (PDF document)
Our Home Care service is inspected regularly. You can view all the inspection reports on the Commission for Social Care Inspection website
If you would like to send us your views or would like more information on Extra Care, please complete the following Feedback Form
You can also view the latest issue of our newsletter (PDF document)
If you or someone you know may benefit from this service then please contact us
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Home Care services are provided for people who wish to remain in their own home, but need a little help with daily tasks, such as preparing meals, housework, bathing etc.
If you are assessed as needing home care services, this will be provided by one of the outside agencies who we contract with.
All people receiving home care will be required to complete a financial assessment, which is carried out in order to calculate how much you have to pay. You will re-assessed annually in line with annual benefit and income increases.
If you or someone you know may benefit from this service then please contact us
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Intermediate Care is available to people aged 50 years or over who live in the borough of Darlington. It aims to prevent unnecessary hospital admission or to enable early discharge from hospital after a period of ill-health. It may also prevent premature admission into long-term residential care.
The service is provided at Ventress Hall Care Home, Trinity Road, Darlington. It is available from as little as 1-2 days up to a maximum of six weeks.
For further information see the following leaflet (PDF document)
If you or someone you know would benefit from this service please contact us
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Care homes can provide two major kinds of care:
A residential care home provides personal care, meals and accommodation for people who can no longer manage to live independently, with help and support in their own home. Any nursing needs can be provided by a visiting district nurse.
A nursing home provides personal care, meals and around the clock qualified nursing care.
Some care homes offer both kinds of care.
Assessing Your Needs
Adult Social Services is responsible for assessing you for a move to a care home, and will make arrangements with the home and in some cases provide funding.
For more information on the assessment process please see the following leaflet (PDF document)
For more information on paying for the service, please see the following leaflet (PDF document)
Standard of Care Homes
All homes must be registered with the Commission for Social Care Inspection and will be inspected regularly. You are advised to visit the home and ask to see its statement of aims and objectives, brochure and terms and conditions of residence.
You can also view a list of all registered care homes in Darlington (PDF document)
If you wish to search all care homes and their inspection reports, visit the Commission for Social Care Inspection website
You can also contact the Commission for Social Care Inspection on:
Telephone: 0845 015 0120
Textphone: 0845 015 2255
E-mail: enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk
If you or someone you know may benefit from this service then please contact us
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Day Services are available to people who have been assessed as needing help by Adult Social Services. They provide a range of opportunities for people to meet, learn new skills, rediscover old ones or develop existing ones and enjoy leisure activities. Some day services also offer personal care such as bathing and hair care. Transport may be available to and from some centres.
Day services are available through the learning disability and mental health services, for older people and disabled adults. There is no charge for attending the day service. However most day services provide lunch and there may be a small fixed fee for this and other activities, for example a day outing.
If you or someone you know would benefit from this service please contact us
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Short break and respite services are provided in a flexible way to meet the needs of the person or their carer.
A person may need to stay in residential or nursing care for a short period of time while they regain their independence after ill health or because the person that normally cares for them is unable to for a short period of time.
Other people may benefit from an arrangement where they stay in residential care or nursing care at regular intervals throughout the year.
A short break may also mean that someone from the sitting service stays with the person for a few hours a week or takes them out so that the carer can have some free time to carry out other activities.
If you or someone you know may benefit from this service then please contact us
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Direct Payments are an alternative way of delivering services to meet people’s needs. People who have undergone an assessment of their care needs can choose to have a sum of money provided to them to buy their own care services, rather than having Adult Social Services arrange them.
Direct Payments are available as an option to all those who have been assessed as requiring services as long as they state that this is their chosen way of having their services provided and that they are able to manage it themselves (with as much or as little help as they need).
A support service is provided by Darlington Association on Disability to assist people with Direct Payments. For more information telephone 01325 360524
For more information please see the following leaflet (PDF document)
If you or someone you know may benefit from this service then please contact us
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Advocacy Together Darlington is an independent service for people using social care services who are experiencing difficulties in putting their views across to others. The service can support people with learning disabilities, older people, people with mental health problems and people with physical disabilities. It also supports carers of people who use services.
Advocacy Together can support people by assisting them to express their concerns, both verbally and in writing, to Adult Social Services as well as offering advice, information and guidance to make sure they get the most from their services.
It can also assist in the investigation of complaints made by people who use social care services and support them and their carers to attend meetings.
The service can be contacted at the CVS Buildings, Church Row, Darlington, DL1 5QD, by calling 01325 465337 or e-mail darlington@together-uk.org You can also talk to your Care Manager/Care Coordinator/Social Worker about making a referral.
You can also visit the Advocacy Together website
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