Information and advice
For people to easily access support, make well-informed decisions and take control of their care and support, it is essential that they have access to good quality information and advice which can be vital in helping to prevent or delay their needs from deteriorating.
We provide an extensive range of accessible information and advice in a variety of formats. This comprises a range of leaflets and booklets, health and wellbeing information (see channels below), and information about how to get adult social care support.
Living well in your community: Your West Sussex Care Guide
Our main publication for people self-funding their care and looking for services in West Sussex is our popular West Sussex Care Guide which is distributed widely across the county. It provides comprehensive and invaluable information to help people make good decisions about their care with advice on improving health and wellbeing and support to live independently.
Connect to Support 
Our West Sussex Connect to Support website is our main online source of information and advice on ways to live healthy, safe and independent lives. The website signposts people to local community activities and care services and there is an area where people can find the right equipment to support them at home. There is also a carer’s hub which provides information, advice and resources specifically for family and friend carers and a Professional Zone where all our staff guidance and policy and framework documents are published (staff guidance is in a password protected area).
Figures for 2022-23
- Number of users visiting the website = 116,463 (69,842 in 2021-22) – average 9,705 (5,820 in 2021-22) per month.
- Total number of pages viewed = 791,645 (530,100 in 2021-22)– average 65,970 (44,175 in 2021-22) per month
Carewise care funding advice scheme 
Around 60% of people living in residential care are able to fund the costs themselves from investments, benefits, pensions and other income. We work with financial experts in planning for later life, Age UK West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, and West Sussex Partners in Care (a representative body for independent providers of care) to provide trustworthy specialist information and advice about choosing and paying for long-term care.
To provide people with additional confidence, the Carewise-approved care fees specialists are:
- accredited by the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA)
- approved under the Trading Standards ‘Buy with confidence’ scheme
- checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
- trained in safeguarding adults.
In 2022-23, 325 people were referred to Carewise care fees specialists (2021-22 -249).
Age UK West Sussex Brighton and Hove provide a free Money Advice Service as part of the Carewise scheme. During 2022-23, 5662 individual money advice sessions were held (2021-22–5,210) and they accessed additional benefits for people using their service amounting to a total of £3,452,312 million (2021-22 - £2.8 million).
Find out more about Carewise by visiting www.carewiseadvice.com where people can ‘request a call back’ from one of the care fees specialists. People can also call 0330 2227000 for more information or to ask for a referral to a care fees specialist.
Adults’ CarePoint 1
This is our customer service centre which provides information to people about adult social care, referring and signposting to relevant support within the Council and in the community as necessary. From April 22 to March 23, Adults’ CarePoint received approximately 74,000 calls and more than 34,000 email contacts.
Information and advice services commissioned by Public Health
Countywide information and advice service provided by Citizens Advice West Sussex working with Arun and Chichester Citizens Advice is funded by the County Council in partnership with all seven district and boroughs councils. The ‘Community Advice and Support Service’ provides general advice, with a key focus on working-age adults and families.
Countywide information and advice service 65+ Age UK West Sussex Brighton and Hove offers residents, their families, carers, and representatives, an easy to access, comprehensive, independent service to address issues affecting people in later life, including a Money Advice Service which is part of the County Council’s Carewise care funding advice scheme.
Prevention Assessment Team A collaboration of partners from the County Council, Sussex Community Foundation NHS Trust, Age UK West Sussex Brighton and Hove and Guild Care, provide information, advice and guidance to people 18 years and over. Read more about the service later in this section.
Tackling Social Isolation services (including befriending) 65+ Age UK West Sussex Brighton and Hove are the lead provider, working with the Royal Voluntary Service, Carers Support West Sussex, Mind West Sussex and Community Transport, to deliver the service. Guild Care have the contract for delivering the service in Worthing.
The Take Home from Hospital and Settle Service delivered by Age UK West Sussex Brighton and Hove in partnership with Guild Care and the Support at Home after Hospital Service run by Age UK West Sussex Brighton and Hove, both include the provision of some information and advice.
Healthwatch West Sussex This is an independent consumer champion (‘watchdog’) for all health and social care services in the county. Healthwatch provides information, signposting and advice about access to health and social care services.
Safe and Well Programme Working together with Public Health, the Fire and Rescue Service provide free Safe and Well Visits to vulnerable people. The home visits assess potential risks and provide information and advice on fire safety and health and wellbeing, and where appropriate fit smoke alarms or other specialist fire detection equipment free of charge. There were 4680 Safe and Well visits during 2022-23.