How to ask for help

How to contact us 

If you would like to request an assessment of need from Reading please complete our online care and assessment form.

You can only complete the form for one person at a time.  

If you are having difficulties completing the form, please call Reading Borough Council:  
Phone:  0118 937 3747 

If you need to speak to someone urgently about your care and support needs when our office is closed, please ring the Emergency Duty Service (EDS).
Out of hours emergency telephone: 01344 351 999 (hours of operation: 5pm to 9am, Monday to Friday; 5pm Friday to 9am Monday. This includes bank holidays).

Support and advice from the NHS.

Professional referrals  

If you are a professional (for example a care provider, housing officer, nurse, doctor, police officer, voluntary/community worker) and have urgent concerns about a person’s care and support needs (needing a response within 24 hours), contact our Customer Fulfilment Centre on 0118 937 3747. They will alert the relevant Adult Social Care service.   

If there are no immediate concerns for someone’s care and support needs, complete our professional’s referral form below.  

What happens when you contact us 

When you contact us about your care and support needs or someone you are caring for, we will help you to:  

• get the information and advice you need to plan for your current and future care needs
• remain as independent as possible and stay in your own home
• get the care and support you need
• carry on caring and look after your own wellbeing if you are a carer 

To help you do this we will: 

• give you good information and advice about care and support, or signpost you to other good sources of information
• offer early help and support to help you stay independent or regain your skills and independence first before considering ongoing support
• put you in touch with organisations in your local community that may be able to help you
• help you to identify if care and support will help you with changes you want to make in your life and the best way of making these changes
• if you are a carer, we can put you in touch with carers support services who can help or work with you to plan your support
• advise you of any charges for services

We may offer you an assessment to consider what care and support you might need and how this affects your wellbeing.