Care Management
What do we mean by Care Management?
Care Management is:
- a process in which an individual's needs are assessed and evaluated, eligibility for service determined, a care plan prepared and implemented, services tailored to individual needs provided, and needs are monitored and re-assessed;
- focussed on people with complex, or frequently or rapidly changing needs; and
- undertaken by a range of professionally qualified staff in social work and health, with appropriate training, skills and experience.
The latest guidance on care management can be found in Circular CCD8/2004. This circular provides local authorities and NHS Boards with updated guidance on improving care management. In particular, it refocuses care management on people with complex or changing needs and on extending the range of professionals undertaking care management. It should be read in conjunction with the original guidance on care management (1991), the guidance on integrating professional assessment and care management for older people (1998), and the guidance on Single Shared Assessement (2001).
The Care Management workstream is being coordinated by the Care Management Working Group which is comprised of relevant stakeholders, professionals and Scottish Government Staff.
Why was this new guidance issued?
The original guidance on care management issued in 1991 provided the policy direction and set the values and principles underpinning the then novel concept of care management. The Joint Future Group's Report and a major study commissioned by the Scottish Government both recognised the need to re-focus care management. In short, practice had drifted from the original concept; systems to support it effectively were not in place comprehensively; and policy (especially in areas such as empowerment of individuals and joint working) had moved on significantly.
How does the latest guidance affect the existing guidance?
It provides both policy and practice guidance. It supplements and re-enforces, but does not supersede, both the existing guidance in 1991 and that for older people in 1998. It brings care management up to date in both its context and application.
When will the guidance be implemented?
Partnerships were expected to implement this guidance from April 2005.
National Training Framework
During the first quarter of 2005 a series of seminars were held to help facilitate and inform the implementation of the new guidance on Care Management. The most consistent message to come out of these seminars was the need for a National Training Framework to ensure consistency across the country.
The Care Management working group was set up take foward the development of the framework with extensive inputs from professionals and other interests across Scotland. The framework can be found by following the link below:
National Training Framework
The National Training Framework was officially launched by the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care on May 23rd 2006. Seminars to help facilitate and inform the implementation of the National Training Framework have been held in Inverness, Kilmarnock, Stirling, Edinburgh and Glasgow.