« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
7 COMMUNITY CARE ASSESSMENT
Users Shared Assessment
"The NHS should deliver patient centred care which is respectful, compassionate and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs and values." Better Health, Better Care, 2007 |
"The Shift from institutional care to home based care has meant massive changes including new approaches to assessment and delivering services." Recommendation 1: Services must be designed and delivered around the needs of people who use them, their carers and communities. Changing Lives, 21 st Century Review of Social Work, 2006 |
54. To enable the delivery of a person centred, outcomes focused advice and service provision, it is essential that equipment and adaptations are incorporated into mainstream community care services. This should be evidenced through NHS/local authority partnerships' shared assessment care planning and review processes. It is essential that clear links are established between health, education, social care and housing partners to develop and embed this within their service provision.
55. An outcomes focused approach to assessment will identify the desired outcomes for the individual and support individualised interventions that a person can receive which may include equipment and adaptations. This should also be reflected in the services provided for children and young people where equipment and adaptations can play an important role in maximising development and potential.
"Councils and NHS bodies should: - Clarify partnership arrangements for the assessment and provision of community equipment and adaptations ensuring that all relevant partners are involved; and to formalise these arrangements in agreed policies and procedures.
- Ensure all relevant staff across the respective partner organisations are aware of the agreed policies and procedures.
- Ensure that community equipment and adaptation services are developed as part of their overall community care strategy".
Audit Scotland, Adapting to the Future (August 2004) |
56. As part of this process local partners should also ensure that all decisions about a persons future care needs are fully explained to the user and carer. These decisions should also be documented as part of the shared assessment, care planning and review process. A copy of the assessment should also be provided to the user and carer in a format appropriate to their circumstances.
57. Full guidance on Shared Assessment care planning and review is contained in CCD 3/2006 8.
Carers Assessment
"There should be recognition and respect for unpaid carers as key partners and providers in the planning, design and delivery of care" The Future of Unpaid Care in Scotland, 2006 |
- Assessors should take account of the views and contribution of carers when assessing the person in need.
- Carers should be informed of their right to an assessment to determine their ability to care and the resources needed to help them, independent of any assessment of the person for whom they care.
- A carer's assessment should be provided to anyone who provides care for a disabled person or elderly relative, spouse or a disabled child.
58. CCD 2/2003 9 provides comprehensive advice on the rights of carer's and what they can expect from a carers assessment.
CASE STUDY 1 |
|---|
User Defined Evaluation Toolkit ( UDSET) The UDSET toolkit was developed to improve practice through the application of user and carer defined outcomes tools, and to enable health and social care partnerships to gather data to determine whether they are delivering good outcomes to service users and carers (a similar toolkit for carers has also been developed ( CDSET)). This data can be used to include user and carer experiences in performance management, planning, commissioning and service improvement. The toolkits, and other supporting materials can be downloaded from the Joint Improvement Team website at www.jitscotland.org.uk. |
Advocacy
59. Health Boards and local authorities should provide access to mediation and advocacy services, which can play an important role in exploring and resolving tensions between carers and cared-for persons and others. A list of advocacy services available in each area should be made available to users and carers.
Self-Directed Support
"Local councils and NHS bodies should ensure that users have information on direct payments (Self-Directed Support) and the availability of these for community equipment and adaptations." Audit Scotland, Adapting to the Future (August 2004) |
60. As part of the shared assessment process the use of self-directed support should be discussed with the user and carer. Self-directed support can be used to purchase any services, including equipment that the local authority would usually provide. A person on self-directed support can buy from a service provider such as a care agency or voluntary organisation, or employ personal assistants. It is an opportunity to meet the assessed needs of the whole person in creative and flexible ways.
61. Full guidance on Self Directed Support is available in Circular CCD 7/2007 10 and at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/care/VAUnit/DirectPayments.
Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000
62. Agencies should obtain at the outset the informed consent of the person to carry out the assessment. The Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 34 (the AWI Act) was introduced to protect individuals (aged 16 and over) who lack capacity to make some or all decisions for themselves and to support their families and carers in managing and safeguarding the individuals welfare and finances.
63. Details of further guidance on the AWI Act can be found in Appendix B.
COMMUNITY CARE ASSESSMENT - KEY RECOMMENDATIONS |
|---|
Equipment and adaptations should be incorporated into mainstream community care services. Partnerships should: - Take an outcomes based approach to involvement of users and carers during the assessment process
- Incorporate equipment and adaptations into the assessment, care plan and review process in line with the National Minimum Information Standards;
- Offer a carers assessment to anyone who cares for a disabled person or elderly relative
- Ensure training for staff reflects the above approach
|
« Previous | Contents | Next »