Our structure and teams

Adult social care offers a wide range of advice, information and guidance as well as care and support services to ensure Sunderland City Council meets its statutory requirements for adults in urgent need of help.

Adult social care also provides a range of early intervention and prevention services to support people to live independently, help improve their health and wellbeing and avoid the need for statutory health and social care services.

The work of adult social care is aligned with the Council's City Plan, which aims to have a SMART Healthy City where Everyone will have healthy, happy lives and no one will be left behind.

Our adult social care front door team is the first point of contact for members of the public requiring care and support advice.

Social work teams

Our social work teams offer a range of advice, information as well as assessment and care planning to consider whether you may be eligible for social care services. If you are found to be eligible, our teams will work with you and your family to develop a care and support plan to meet your eligible needs. These teams take a strength based approach, seeking to help people to use their own strengths and those of their families and communities. 

Therapy teams

Our therapy teams offer a range of interventions to maintain or increase levels of independence for residents to enable them to carry out daily living tasks and support the safety and wellbeing of an individual following illness or injury or due to the effects of ageing or long term physical conditions. These teams take a strength based approach, seeking to help people to promote or maximise their independence using a range of support which can include equipment, assistive technology, minor adaptations or other low level preventative services so people can stay in their own homes or nursing/residential care.

Following assessment, and where eligible, we may provide local authority funded equipment and/or minor adaptations, low level and preventative services, where appropriate; refer on to other services; give information, advice and guidance to people, relevant to their circumstances, identified needs and desired outcomes, in order to promote and maximise their independence.

Commissioning team

Our Commissioning Team works with customers, social care and health services in the city to commission care and support services for residents who have been identified as needing care and support to enable our residents to be supported in their communities, live safely and maximise their independence. A range of support is provided including: 

• domiciliary care
• reablement
• day services
• supported living schemes
• shared lives
• extra care schemes
• short break/respite services
• advocacy
• prevention services
• carers services
• residential/nursing care
• telecare services
• assistive technology

Business development team

The team is responsible for providing services that enable and support the delivery of Adult social care. This includes:

• monitoring the performance of services and submitting statutory returns
• learning and development
• direct payments
• brokering homecare services
• systems implementation, management and development
• completion of financial assessment and review of residents in receipt of chargeable services
• manages the finances and property of adults in Sunderland who cannot manage their own arrangements and have no one else to do it for them