Essex and Southend LINk

Colchester MHSM Feeder Group

Barry — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:52:13 +0000

Colchester MHSM Feeder Group

Mid Essex Agenda 3.9.10

charlene — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:02:59 +0000

Agenda

Social Care Seminar Series: NHS Continuing Healthcare

charlene — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:33:37 +0000

Social Care Seminar Series

Social Care Seminars have been running since February 2010. Our fourth seminar explored NHS Continuing Healthcare. With the help of Essex County Council we had an informative seminar, here’s what we discovered:

NHS Continuing healthcare

You are unwell and need care. Who pays for it?

Presentation by Steven Pruner, Strategic Commissioning Team Essex County Council 17th May 2010

For details please see attached presentation

Continuing healthcare sits right on the line between health and social care between the NHS and local authority provision.

The seminar looked in great detail to the following; Understanding NHS Continuing Healthcare, Health Care versus Social Care, Primary Health Need, NHS Continuing Healthcare Tools, End of Life care.

There is a vast vocabulary used in the domain of continuing health care: before reading on click here for a list of and explanation of terms

Below is a summary of the main and most basic points. Please see the presentation itself and the accompanying links for more details on the subject.

What is Continuing Health Care?

It is a Package of care arranged and funded solely by the NHS you can receive it in any setting, free of charge, it is different from NHS Funded Nursing Care and to receive it you have to meet eligibility criteria.

How does the assessment process work? click here

Health versus Social Care

● HEALTH: No legal definition of a healthcare need “in general terms can be said that such a need is one related to treatment, control or prevention of disease, illness, injury or disability, and the care or aftercare of a person with these needs (whether or not the tasks involved have to be carried out by a health professional)”.

● SOCIAL CARE: In general terms a social care need “is one that is focused on providing assistance with activities of daily living, maintaining independence, social interaction, enabling the individual to play a fuller part in society, protecting them in vulnerable situations, helping them to manage complex relationships and (in some cases) accessing a care home or other supported accommodation”.

PRIMARY NEEDS – health or social care?

Are the care needs mainly health or social care? Which is greater? The balance can change. Someone may have both health and social care needs. Sometime the health care needs are greater than the social care needs. At other times the social care needs are greater. Therefore someone may be eligible for CHC, who later, is not eligible because the social care needs have become greater than the health care needs.

Social Care Needs are:

Directly related to welfare services that LAs have a duty or power to provide, including: Social work services, Advice, support, information, Practical assistance in the home, Assistance with equipment & home adaptations, Visiting & sitting services, Provision of meals, Facilities for occupational, social, cultural, recreational activities outside the home, Assistance to take advantage of educational facilities, Assistance with finding accommodation.

Primary Health Need:

Primary health need arises where nursing or other health services required by the person are

a) where the person is, or is to be, accommodated in a care home, more than incidental or ancillary to the provision of accommodation which a social services authority is, or would be but for the person’s means, under a duty to provide; or

b) of a nature beyond which a social services authority whose primary responsibility is to provide social services could be expected to provide.

Legal Framework

Now it’s time for a brief lesson in the law. There is legislation and case law which has defined the limits of social care provision. For example, there is the National Assistance Act 1948; National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990; Health and Social Care Act 2001; and the National Health Service Act 2006. Simply put: local authorities cannot provide or arrange for the provision of nursing care by a registered nurse.

When it comes to the NHS, the NHS can provide and fund both health and social care. Remember, the National Health Service Act 2006 does not talk about “continuing care”, “NHS continuing healthcare” or “primary health need”. It does talk about the promotion of a comprehensive health service to secure an improvement in a) the physical and mental health of people and b) the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness. Also remember, if someone if eligible for CHC, the NHS pays for both the health and social needs to be met. If someone is not eligible, social care only provides for social care needs (means-tested) and the NHS will provide free only those aspects related to health (nursing, medical).

Social Care Seminar Series: ‘What’s this thing called social care?’

charlene — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:22:16 +0000

Social Care Seminar Series

Social Care Seminars have been running since February 2010. Our fifth seminar was asking the question ‘what is this thing called social care?’ With the help of Essex County Council we had an informative seminar, here’s what we discovered:

‘What is this thing called Social Care? An overview of the Social Care System’ 15th June 2010

Presentation by David Williams, Adults Health and Community Wellbeing, Essex County Council

For details please see the attached PowerPoint presentation

Questions and Answers

What is social Care?

How were people looked after before there was social care?

Social care, in its modern form stems from the 1990 National Health Service and Community Care Act which introduced the concept of care in the community. Prior to that the system was based on a more institutional model, for example the old long stay mental hospitals.

Where does Social Care stop and Health Care begin?

At its simplest if what you need is mostly medical and nursing care then its health care. If what you need is mostly support with getting on with your day to day life then its social care.

Who is eligible for Support?

To be eligible for support you must be assessed by the authority. In Essex we support people who are assessed as having critical or substantial needs. The guidance on this is contained in . “Prioritising need in the context of Putting People First: a whole system approach to eligibility for social care – guidance on eligibility criteria for adult social care, England” (Dept. Health 2010).Link to Document

We also financially assess people to see whether they will be asked to contribute to the cost of their support.

How does it work?

How is support provided?

Essex County Council is responsible for ensuring that support is provided where a person has been assessed as both needing support and being eligible to receive it.

We do that in a variety of ways though contracts with providers if we have been asked by you to manage all, or part, of your personal budget for you.

If you have chosen to have your personal budget as a cash payment then you make the arrangements for your support. It is important to note that this does not mean we leave you without the help, advice and guidance you need to make this happen, or without support while it’s all being organised, or afterwards.

If I want a cash payment will you help me to get things sorted out?

Yes. We will work with you to ensure you have the necessary help and advice to make your support plan a reality. If you want to be an employer we will ensure you have the help you need to get things sorted out.

How will you work out how much money I will get?

We will work with you to complete a questionnaire that looks at all areas of your life where you may need support. Using the answers we work out approximately how much money you will get. This is called the Resource Allocation System (RAS). The final amount is settled when the have worked out how the money will be spent with you in your support plan.

What is a support plan?

A support plan tells us more about you and how you want your support to be organised. It’s yours and there is no set format. What it must cover however is your situation, your care needs, the outcomes you want to achieve, and how you will use your personal budget to do that.

Do you take into consideration the support people already have?

Yes. We look at the support that is already there, but we always ensure that it is sustainable. We will also support the carer in their role.

What do you do if someone abusing their Personal Budget?

If there is abuse of a personal budget paid as a cash payment, then we can withdraw the cash payment and put in services managed by us. We will also look at what other action may be necessary.

How flexible are personal budgets?

We do not have a list of what you can spend your personal budget on. Provided the money helps you meet your outcomes then we will consider it. We will not allow money to be spent on anything that is illegal nor on anything where the risks can not be effectively managed.

Staying Safe

How do you ensure that people are kept safe?

We take keeping people safe and protecting them from abuse very seriously. We will not say yes to any support plan where we feel risks have not been properly identified and dealt with. Any allegations of abuse, of whatever nature, are always taken seriously and dealt with appropriately.

Employment

Can family be paid as Personal Assistants?

We do not normally allow family members who live in the same house to act as paid personal assistants. There is some flexibility around this, as it may, for some service users, be the best way of meeting their needs.

Social Care Seminar Series: Vetting and Barring

charlene — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:27:15 +0000

Social Care Seminar Series

Social Care Seminars have been running since February 2010. Our second seminar was on the subject of adult safeguarding. With the help of Essex County Council we had an informative seminar, here’s what we discovered:

Vetting and Barring 15th March 2010

Paul Bedwell, Business Manager Essex Safeguarding Adult Board; 15th March 2010

Essex Safeguarding Adults Board (ESAB)

The ESAB aims to promote and develop effective safeguarding systems for vulnerable adults across a wide range of agencies and to ensure professionals are equipped to deal with incidents.

Independent Safeguarding Adults

Highlights

Core purpose: to prevent unsuitable people from working with children and vulnerable adults

The Scheme will reform current vetting and barring practices….

…but employers retain their responsibilities for ensuring safe recruitment and employment practices.

Legal & policy framework

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 sets out the scope of the scheme

It defines two types of activity for which there are requirements on employers and individuals:

click here for a defintion of Regulated activity and Controlled activity

Staffing impacts

Only registered staff can carry out regulated activities. Whilst unsubstantiated allegations do not prevent staff from working, no barred staff can work, however staff can appeal barring.

Employer duties – referrals

The ISA will inform professional/regulatory bodies if it bars someone, so that their professional registration can also be reviewed. Employers may refer info to the ISA whilst parents and private employers go to a investigative statutory agency.

There is a duty for Employers, professional and regulatory bodies, and child/adult protection teams in Local Authorities to refer information to the ISA in certain circumstances

Time & Cost

£64 for individuals in paid employment. Free to those engaged in voluntary work, application fee for students in vocational courses. Application open from 26^th July from 1^st Nov 2010 offence to employ into regulated activity and not a member. Existing staff have to register by Oct 2015.

Social Care Seminar Series: Telecare

charlene — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:32:00 +0000

Social Care Seminar Series

Social Care Seminars have been running since February 2010. Our first seminar was on the subject of telecare. With the help of Essex County Council we had an informative seminar, here’s what we discovered:

Telecare: 15^th February 2010

Presented by John Cerny Telecare Development Lead, Essex County Council

Telecare service

Essex County Council have made a commitment to support people to live independently at home as well as helping their carers to enjoy their own lives and independence.

The mid Essex LINk locality wanted to find out exactly what is Telecare and what role it has to play to enhancing quality of life?

Telecare

Telecare by nature is reactive, not preventive, as it will not prevent falls or floods but can allow others to react to their occurrence. In its simplest form, it can refer to a fixed or mobile telephone contact to monitor or to inform of any development. A technologically more advanced solution is through the use of sensors, wherein a range of potential risk situations including wandering (particularly useful for people with cognitive impairment), falls, as well as environmental issues such as floods, fire and gas leaks. When a sensor is activated it sends a radio signal to a central home unit, which then automatically calls a 24-hour monitoring centre where highly trained operators can take the most appropriate action, whether it is contacting a local key holder, doctor or the emergency services. Telecare also comprises standalone telecare which does not send signals to a response centre but supports carers through providing local (in-house) alerts in a person’s home to let the carer know when a person requires attention. The term telecare has been deployed by some providers to imply medical claims but telecare is grounded in the social care framework. It supports people and their carers, and can be of benefit to people of all ages.

How much does it cost?

How to get Telecare?

Change One Thing

charlene — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:29:10 +0000

Change One Thing Pilot

MALDON

The mid Essex locality (as well as receiving good feedback) have been exposed to dissatisfaction from the public about services provided by the PCT and Essex County Council. This information has led to the locality asking a broader question,‘if the people of mid Essex could change one thing about their health and social care services, what would it be?’

The Mid Essex locality launched their pilot ‘Change One Thing’ (COT) campaign in Maldon on the 15th June. Getting out into the local community, 20+ LINk volunteers investigated the views of community groups, residents, local businesses, the elderly, carers, young people, local hospitals, and other health & social care practitioners and service users. Over 1000 questionnaires were given out and the results will be used to write a report which will go to the PCT and local authorities to inform service providers of what the public really want!

PALS— have you heard of it? Was it helpful?

Combined with the ‘Change One Thing’ campaign LINks are investigating the work of departments and reviewing the PALS (patient advice liaison service) /complaints reports and the level of PALS awareness (both PCT PALS and hospital PALS).

Using the opportunity of the COT campaign two further questions were asked to discover if people had heard of PALS and if so did they find them helpful? The LINk locality will use the data collected to produce a report based on the analysis of data and compile recommendations for the PALS departments in the PCT and Hospital Trust on how best to inform the public of their service.

Next Steps

The mid Essex locality has collected around 500 questionnaires and the response rate is expected to rise as the campaign officially closes on the 16^th July 2010.