Understanding your rights in adult social care
Support for families of young people and adults with Down syndrome - in partnership with AccessAva.
Turning 18 changes the system – but it shouldn’t reduce the support your child receives.
Adult social care in England is governed by different laws, criteria and funding rules. Many families tell us they feel unsure about what they’re entitled to, how to request assessments, or how to challenge decisions.
That’s why we’ve partnered with AccessAva – an award-winning digital legal support tool developed by Access Social Care – to help you understand your rights and take confident, informed action. AccessAva can only offer legal advice with regards to English law but the information and templates provided may help families in devolved nations too. Click on the icon at the bottom right of the screen to get started!
Our partnership with AccessAva
AccessAva helps users to answer legal questions and points them to the resources, including legal letters, that can resolve health and social care problems early on. Users are asked a series of questions designed to classify their situation and identify what the legal issue might be. They select their answer from a set of pre-populated buttons which allows AccessAva to serve the correct resource or legal letter that addresses that specific situation. It also helps useful data to be collected to inform system change.
AccessAva helps you:
- Understand how the Care Act 2014 applies to your situation
- Clarify whether your child meets eligibility criteria
- Generate legally informed template letters
- Request assessments or reviews
- Communicate with your local authority using clear, factual language
- Access verified guidance, videos and fact sheets
AccessAva is available 24/7 and is designed to guide you step-by-step through your specific situation.
It does not replace specialist legal advice, but it can help you take informed first steps and feel more confident when approaching adult social care.
