If you are receiving care and support and you want to move to a different council (local authority) area, your current council and the council in your new area have a legal duty to work together to make sure that you still get the support you need when you move, so there is no gap in your care.

Contacting your new Council (Local Authority)

It is your responsibility to make the first contact with the council in the area you want to move to.  Once you have confirmed with them that you intend to move into their area, they should ask for a copy of all the necessary information about you from your existing council (such as your needs assessment and support plan). 

Assessment and your plan

Before you move, the new council should carry out a needs assessment for you, using the information from your previous council to help them to understand how you like your needs to be met.

A new Care and Support Plan should be agreed with you and be ready to start from the day you move.  If for some reason this is not possible, the new council should arrange support for you based on your previous support plan, and arrange for you to have a needs assessment as soon as possible.

Support for Carers

If a friend or family member caring for you also has had a carers assessment and gets support from the council, the same continuity and planning arrangements applies.