A Common Assessment Framework

Matthew Fagg

Care Services Directorate

What is the Issue?

• As part of consultation on IWC we heard concerns about the assessment process across all client groups:– Length:– Intrusiveness;– Lack of personalisation;– Repetition.

• Gershon programme – commitment to deliver £684 million efficiency savings by end March 2008;

• Early work suggests referral and assessment is a key area for delivering efficiency.

Progress to Date

• Improving assessment and care management already on the agenda;

• NSF for OP - commitment to implement SAP from April 2002;

• Where SAP has been implemented well very effective but, there can be barriers:– Organisational;– IM&T;– Failure to adopt a proportionate approach;– Lack of senior level leadership.

Policy Commitments?

• OHOCOS - commitment to develop a common assessment framework for adults.

• In context of improved LTC management which requires:– Recognition that individuals do not fall into

discrete categories;– A holistic view of individual’s circumstances;– Multi-agency approach;– Improved information sharing between

professionals.

Proposals

• Develop a common approach to assessment which will:

– Build on SAP and other national frameworks;

– Develop a single approach to all client groups; and

– Explore scope for simplification and greater consistency.

• Likely to focus on long-term care management (not short-term intervention)

• We are not proposing a single national toolkit.

Screening Assessment

• We are proposing that there should be a common, standardised, front-end to the assessment process;

• The initial assessment should be about screening for the need for further assessment/consideration of particular domains;

• A new national specification for a screening assessment would replace the SAP overview assessment; and– Consist of the 40 to 50 “items”; and– Take no more than 30 minutes to complete.

Possible Model

Contact

Screening Assess

Referral/Signposting

Specialist

Specialist

Specialist

Specialist

Readacross to FACS

Interdependencies

• Two key interdependencies:

– Ongoing work to implement personal health and social care plans

– NHS CfH are taking forward an ‘E-SAP’ project to scope the requirements for delivering integrated IM&T systems across health and social care;

• We need to ensure consistency across the three workstreams.

Next Steps

• Propose to convene a policy collaborative with representation from a range of stakeholders;

• ‘Buy in’ from stakeholders will be a key to successful implementation of a CAF;

• Members will take forward development of policy through a number of working groups;

• Deliverables for April 2007 likely to include:

– Guidance on Care Planning;

– Specification for a CAF; and

– Implementation plan.

Towards a CAF

Streamlined Assess (DWP)

CSED RAP Projects

Individual Budgets

Self-Assessment

CAF

Efficiency & H&SC interface

Info sharing between agencies

Scope to devolve assessment

Streamlined & transparent resource allocation

Builds on SAP

A range of projects will contribute to the development of a CAF

Objectives

• Benefits for individuals, staff and organisations;• Common approach to assessment;

– Common format & processes;

– Holistic, yet proportionate;

– Better readacross to SC eligibility;• Shared e-care records;

– Improved information management;

– More efficient processes;

– Support mobile working;

– Better integration of services;