Using storytelling to improve the carers assessment process

We need your help!Can you help us make our

assessment process better for carers?

See what support is available for carers across Bromley at http://bromley.mylifeportal.co.uk/carers

Who are we?• We are:– Michael Watts

Senior Planning and Development Officer– Christine Mak

Care Act Lead/Project Lead

• We work for the London Borough of Bromley –

or Bromley Council for ease


Why are we here?

We would like you to help us improve what we do.

We would like your honest thoughts about two things that we are currently working on

– 1. A new Initial Information Form

2. A changed Carers Assessment Form



But, before we look at the forms…

* Ron is a fictional character for this presentation.His story is based on people we have met in our

work.

c

This is Ron*.Ron is 77.He lives with his wife Lynette.Ron worked for 42 years as a pilot at Biggin Hill Airport.

Since he retired he loves playing golf, watching the

planes at the airport & meeting his friends.

Stage 1.

Ron is happily

living his life

Ron’s story


But, all that changed 2 years

ago…

Ron’s changing lifeJust before Christmas 2013 Lynette had an accident - she slipped over on the ice, fractured her hip & banged her headSince then – • she can’t move as well as she could – she struggles to

cook, get dressed & wash herself • she worries about going out – she hasn’t been out for 7

months• her memory has reduced – she forgets what she’s doing

& where she’s goingAnd so, Ron now doesn’t leave her on her own. He doesn’t play golf. He doesn’t watch the planes. And he doesn’t meet his friends. He does feel lonely, stressed & tired.


Stage 1.

Ron is happily

living his life

Ron’s story

Stage 2.

Ron’s life changed

And then he found help…After a few words of advice & encouragement from his friend Mike, Ron asked Carers Bromley for help.Carers Bromley helped him get support for Lynette at home to give him a break.They also helped him understand & accept that as well as being a husband, a father, a grandfather & her best friend, he is also now her carer.And they told him that he is entitled to an assessment of his own needs through the Council.After much deliberating, Ron contacted the Council for help…


Stage 1.

Ron is happily

living his life

Ron’s story

Stage 2.


Stage 3.

Ron askedfor help

Contacting the Council for helpRon was told there are a two methods that can be used to contact the Council’s Adult Social Care Service to ask for help, advice or support:

As Ron likes using his laptop, he decided to complete & e-mail the form in his own time, when Lynette is asleep.


1.__

Telephonethem

2.__

E-mail a formto them


The first form:The Initial Information

Form

The new formWe launched the new Initial Information Form in December 2015. It looks like this:

And, here’s a printed copy.


Purpose of the formThis is a way that you can give your details to the Council.It can be completed by either a carer or someone who has care needs. It will help us to understand you before we carry out a full assessment of your care and support needs.It can be downloaded from the Bromley MyLife website at http://bromley.mylifeportal.co.uk/asciif.


How we created the formAs we started to develop the form, we also look at:• what people want to tell us • what other local authorities are doing • what we need to know

We also spoke with Carers Bromley & a group of people with osteoporosis to get their views.


Ron went onto the Bromley MyLife

website & downloaded the form

Ron filled in the form & e-mailed it

to the Council

The Council read Ron’s

form & understood

his life & his needs

The Council contacted

Ron to complete a

Carers Assessment

Ron filled in the form


1. 2. 3. 4.

The Form – what do you think?Please spend a few minutes looking at the

form & the cover page – what do you think?

Ask yourself –1. does it make sense?

2. is it easy to understand & fill in?3. would you fill it in?

And then share your thoughts…See what support is available for carers across Bromley at http://bromley.mylifeportal.co.uk/carers

Ron went onto the Bromley MyLife

website & downloaded the form

Ron filled in the form & e-mailed it

to the Council

The Council read Ron’s

form & understood

his life & his needs

The Council contacted

Ron to complete a

Carers Assessment

Back to Ron – Ron filled in the form


1. 2. 3. 4.

Stage 1.

Ron is happily

living his life

Ron’s story

Stage 2.


Stage 3.

Ron askedfor help

Stage 4.

Ron contacted

the Council


But first, this is what we mean

by a carer…

Definition of ‘Carers’A carer is

“an adult who provides or intends to provide care for another adult

(an ‘adult needing care’)”- Section 10 (3) of the Care Act 2014

This includes Adult carers and Young carers in transition


CarersCarers now have rights on the same footing as those they care for, including:• The wellbeing principle • An assessment of support needs including

new eligibility criteria based around the carers ability and willingness to care and the impact of caring on their daily life

• A support plan • A personal budget and direct payment


The Carers Assessment

The Common Core Principles for working with carers:



The second form:The Carers Assessment

Form

The Carers Assessment FormWe are rewriting our current Carers Assessment Form. It looks like this:

And, you had a copy sent to you.


Purpose of the formThis is the form that a member of the Adult Social Care Service will complete to assess the needs of a carer.It will determine whether a carer meets the eligibility criteria for Council funded support. [see next slide] This form may be sent out to a carer before the assessment is completed so that the carer has time to think through their answers.Some parts will already be filled in from the information collected through the Initial Information Form.


Carers’ eligibility threshold


Meets the eligibility criteria if:• Their needs are caused by

providing necessary care for an adult. As a result:

• their health is at risk• or they are unable to

achieve specified outcomes

• As a consequence there is or is likely to be significant impact on the carer’s well-beingA carer is to be regarded as being

unable to achieve an outcome if the carer:• is unable to achieve it without

assistance• is able to achieve it without

assistance but doing so causes significant pain, distress or anxiety, or is likely to endanger health or safety

The specified outcomes are:• Carrying out any caring

responsibilities the carer has for a child

• Providing care to other persons for whom the carer provides care

• Maintaining a habitable home environment

• Managing and maintaining nutrition

• Developing and maintaining family or other personal relationships

• Engaging in work, training, education or volunteering

• Making use of necessary facilities or services in the local community including recreational facilities or services

• Engaging in recreational activities

Back to the Carers Assessment Form


The Form – what do you think?

Please tell us your thoughts about -

1. does it make sense?2. is it easy to understand & fill in?

3. would you fill it in?4. any general comments & feedback?


Stage 1.

Ron is happily

living his life

Ron’s story

Stage 2.


Stage 3.

Ron askedfor help

Stage 4.

Ron contacted

the Council

Stage 5.

Ron had a Carers

Assessment

After the AssessmentThrough his Carers Assessment, a number of ideas & support were given to Ron which he worked with the Council to write into his own Support Plan. In the plan he was: • helped to organise more respite for Lynette so that

he could have more time to do things he enjoys• encouraged to understand the impact that caring for

Lynette has had on his own health – so he went to see his GP and is now receiving

treatment for a condition he was ignoring• signposted to a transport company so he could get to

the airport a little easier as he found driving & using buses harder*


* and sometimes Lynette went with him

too

Stage 1.

Ron is happily

living his life

Ron’s story

Stage 2.


Stage 3.

Ron askedfor help

Stage 4.

Ron contacted

the Council

Stage 5.

Ron had a Carers

Assessment

Stage 6.

Ron gotthe

support he needed

c

This is Ron*.Ron is 77.He lives with his wife Lynette.Ron worked for 42 years as a pilot at Biggin Hill Airport.

He’s still caring for Lynette. He’s still tired.

He’s still feeling stressed.

But he now gets support,he has a break from

caring & does things he enjoys.

What next?

If you go away & have further thoughts about the forms,

you send them back to us at [email protected]



Thank you :-)

We really are grateful for your help,Michael & Christine

Design

Using storytelling to improve the carers assessment process