Continuing healthcare (CHC) funding
What is NHS continuing healthcare funding?
The NHS provide a package of funding to those needing care for a severe health condition.
NHS continuing healthcare funding (CHC) is granted to those who have ongoing health conditions or care needs that require complex support or palliative care. It is a package of continuing care at home that is fully funded by the NHS and can either be permanent or applied on an unspecified period of time.
Am I eligible for continuing healthcare?
The need for care must be health related. The NHS call this a “primary health need”.
To find out if you qualify for continuing healthcare, individual needs must be assessed. Request an assessment from your local integrated care board (ICB) or get in touch with your GP. The ICBs are responsible for the provision of NHS services in England and hold the budget for continuing healthcare funding. Individual needs will be initially assessed by your GP, nurse or social worker.
It is important to note that you will be assessed on your care needs specifically, not any particular diagnosis or health condition.
What happens during a full continuing healthcare assessment?
Following a screening process, a full Continuing Healthcare assessment will be carried out by a team of healthcare professionals to determine whether a person is eligible for funding.
An assessment should always be undertaken with at least two healthcare professionals who are already involved in your care. They will assess a variety of different needs including cognition, medication, mobility, breathing and nutrition, and then mark each need as either ‘priority’, ‘severe’, ‘high’, ‘moderate’, ‘low’, or ‘no needs’. Healthcare professionals will look at:
The type of help you need
What sort of care you’d benefit from – for instance, palliative, domiciliary, or live-in – and whether you need specialist support for your condition
How complex your needs are
The complexity and stage of your condition, the level of care you need, and whether your care needs are likely to change or develop regularly
How much risk is involved
If you don’t receive the appropriate help, what risks are involved and what might be the consequences of not starting care immediately?
After an assessment
Application sent to CCG for approval
The agreed recommendation is presented to the local clinical commissioning group for approval.
Arrange a personalised care plan
Once approved, the continuing healthcare team at the CCG can arrange a personalised care plan. Where an individual’s condition is deteriorating rapidly, a fast-track continuing healthcare assessment and packages can be implemented.
Partner with a care provider
We regularly work with continuing healthcare teams and families requiring care. Our ability to form strong partnerships and respond promptly and professionally gives peace of mind.
Why partner with Helping Hands for home care?
With over 30 years’ experience, we’re the number one choice for home care in the UK.
We’re extremely proud of our team of expert carers and the commitment they show to providing exceptional private care to our customers day in, day out. All of our carers are trained to help people with a wide range of conditions and needs, and can assist you around the home in whatever way you may require – from doing the laundry and preparing meals to helping you get dressed.
Person-centred support
Your care plan will be fully designed around your needs and wishes, ensuring you always get the right type and level of support
A fully managed care service
Every aspect of your support will be managed by your local care team, with input from care experts and our clinical leads
Kind, compassionate carers
We only recruit and train the most kind and empathetic people, because we believe that they make for the very best carers
Carers who go above and beyond every day
We know that the care we provide will only ever be as exceptional as our carers, which is why we place such a strong emphasis on ensuring we recruit the best carers to our teams and giving them comprehensive, industry-leading carer training.
As direct employees, we manage each carer’s pay and benefits, including their holiday pay, pension contributions, overtime and travel expenses. Each of them has an assigned line manager and mentor, someone to go to with concerns or if they need extra support. Customers love our carers because they are:
Kind and compassionate
At Helping Hands, we have a rigorous recruitment process which means we only hire kind, empathetic carers who share our person-centred family values
Directly employed by us
We directly employ all of our carers, so we take full responsibility for managing their workload, maintaining their wellbeing and paying them
Expertly trained and fully vetted
Every carer is fully DBS-checked and receives our industry-renowned training which equips them to provide a wide range of specialist care services
Call us for help setting up care
Arranging dedicated home care has never been simpler. Call our team today to get the ball rolling on your care journey with Helping Hands.
Speak to our team
Contact our friendly team to talk through your needs and preferences
Free home care assessment
A local care expert will visit you at home to organise your support plan
Find your carer
We’ll find you a carer who is perfect for your needs and circumstances
Fully regulated by the CQC / CIW
Here at Helping Hands, our home care service is fully managed and regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
From your very first phone call to our friendly team, every aspect of your home care service is independently monitored and regulated by the CQC and Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).
Why is being a regulated company important?
What does regulation mean?
Our service is regularly monitored, inspected and regulated by an independent body
Why do we choose to be regulated?
We want every customer to have full peace of mind that their care is approved by a regulating body
How does regulation affect my care?
Our regulation means that we’ll provide you with high quality care, no matter what