A carer provides help to someone else who needs it. This may be physical, emotional or social care. It may involve a lot of daily input or more occasional help.

Age Concern Dorchester and Dorset County Council's Welfare Benefits Team are working together to provide benefits advice and help to older people in West Dorset.

The Home Care service in Dorset provides a personal and practical service for people to help them stay independent and remain in their own homes.

Drugs and alcohol can affect the lives of the people who use them and the people around them, including families and communities. This section provides links to national and local drug and alcohol agencies.

An assessment is a series of questions that helps decide the best way of determining someone's social care needs.

Our out of hours social services support number is 01202 657279. The service operates seven days a week 5pm to 8.40am Monday to Thursday and from 4pm Friday to 8.40am Monday.

Panorama, the BBC's flagship current affairs programme, put the spotlight on Dorset in a programme about social care for the elderly.

Supported assessments and Self Directed Support put you in control of your care arrangements and provide you with a Personal Budget to pay for the services. At Dorset County Council we believe that you should have a say in how the money you are eligible for is used.

Are you over 50 and in need of housing or considering you future housing options?

Most family carers want to take full responsibility for the person they look after. Asking for additional help outside the family is often difficult. However, when demands on the carer increase, it is often very helpful to have a way of organising short breaks.

We work closely with numerous Housing Associations and support agencies to provide specialist housing services for people with a range of support needs.

We have been introducing a host of changes during the past few years to revolutionise the way Dorset looks after its residents, putting customer choice and control at the heart of the care services. Dorset's approach is called 'living well within our means'.

Everyone has the right to live without fear of harm. We work closely with partner agencies in the field of adult protection to reduce the incidence of harm and improve the lives of the adults at risk in our communities.