Newcastle City Council

Home / Care and Wellbeing / Adult social care / Care Management Resource Panel

Who needs to know about panels?

The panel process will be relevant to you if:

• you have been assessed as needing community care services and
• you require long term residential care and you are applying to us for financial help with this or
• your assessed ‘personal budget’ (the amount you are given to spend on community care services) does not meet your eligible needs – your Social Worker / Social Care Assessment Officer can explain more about this.

What are panels?

Panels are the way we provide access to, and financial support for, certain community care services for adults aged 18 and over. Services not requiring panel approval include nursing care, community care services within your ‘personal budget’, meals at home, and Blue Badges for disabled parking.

What happens at the Care Management Resource Panel?

The panel meets weekly and is made up of social care managers. One person, usually the Social Care Service Manager, acts as chair. The Social Worker / Social Care Assessment Officer will attend the panel and present information based on your individual needs assessment. 

The panel will consider this information, as well as making sure that money is spent as effectively as possible to help you achieve your goals. 

Possible panel decisions could be:

• approved – residential care or financial assistance is agreed
• deferred – which may be due to the fact that the panel needs to have further information. For example, further assessment or service planning may be needed
• alternative options recommended - the panel should give advice on the other possible options.

Services must not start until panel approval has been given. All services are regularly reviewed and may be amended or withdrawn if circumstances change.

What if I am receiving a service and my needs change?

If your needs change and your Social Worker / Social Care Assessment Officer thinks that you need alternative services, or more of the same service, a new application must be made to panel to get those extra services.

What can I do if the panel does not agree with my request?

If you are unhappy with the panel’s decision you may appeal to your Social Worker’s / Social Care Assessment Officer’s Team Manager, preferably in writing. If the matter cannot be resolved at this level, the Team Manager will forward your appeal to the panel chair. If no resolution can be reached at this level, appeals can be considered by the Director of Adult Social Care. 

If you remain unhappy with the explanation, you can make a complaint to:

Customer Relations Team
Newcastle City Council
Adult and Culture Services
FREEPOST NEA5336
Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1BR

Phone: 0191 211 6340
Fax: 0191 211 4955
Email: adultservices.customer@newcastle.gov.uk

Page last updated: 23 January, 2013