Source: http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/nqswtool/assessment/legislation.asp
Timestamp: 2017-01-19 02:12:44
Document Index: 460156322

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'arts 2', 'art 4', 'art 5', 'arts 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2']

Assessment: Legislation and policy
Link: Shaping the future of care together – Green paper (July 2009) Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 and Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 combined policy guidance (2005)Open The 2004 Act develops previous legislation by requiring local authorities to inform carers that they may be entitled to an assessment of their needs. Local authorities may need to develop an information strategy to ensure that carers are being told of their rights and that the large numbers of ‘hidden’ carers are being reached. As a result of amendments made by the 2004 Act, carers’ assessments must now include a consideration of whether the carer works or wishes to work, and whether they participate or wish to participate in any education, training or leisure activity. This recognises that carers should be able to take up opportunities that those without caring responsibilities take for granted.
As a NQSW you work and liaise with carers constantly. This Act recognises their needs as individuals and the importance of responding to those needs. You need to provide evidence of how you have facilitated carers’ assessments. Link: Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 and Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 combined policy guidance (2005) (PDF file) Data Protection Act 1998: protection and use of patient information (2000)Open Part 1 of the document begins by discussing the Act's background and major provisions. It goes on to set out the eight principles for data protection articulated by the Act, and the conditions it lays down on fair and lawful processing of personal data. Parts 2 and 3 set out transitional provisions on manual and automated records, and access rights to personal data. Part 4 sets out the Act's provisions on notification of processing, particularly in relation to the principle of security. Part 5 lists information resources to assist implementation. The NHS Information Authority named in this document no longer operates. Its functions have been moved to other organisations such as NHS Connecting for Health and the Health and Social Care Information Centre.
As a NQSW you will be collecting and dealing with complex and sensitive information. Although sharing information is vital for early intervention and prevention, you should always record and report your decisions, providing evidence to substantiate why you have shared or not shared information, and how you have shared it securely. Link: Data Protection Act 1998: protection and use of patient information (2000) Equality Act 2010, Parts 2, 3 and 11 Open This Act consolidates existing legislation banning discrimination on grounds of gender, race and disability; and extends similar protection to other characteristics: age, religion/belief and sexual orientation. It makes it illegal to discriminate against people on grounds of age, as well as other characteristics, in the provision of goods and services, including health and social care services. It rules out both direct and indirect discrimination, and also makes illegal both harassment and victimisation on the prescribed grounds. It imposes a duty on public bodies to promote equality by seeking to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between those with and without protected characteristics. It provides scope for proportionate positive action to alleviate disadvantage among protected groups, reduce their under-representation, and meet their particular needs. How this resource applies to outcomes
Link: Equality Act 2010 Health Act 2009 Chapter 3 Direct PaymentsOpen Personal health budgets are intended to help create a more personalised NHS, by giving people more control over their care. Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) can already offer personal budgets that do not involve giving money directly to individuals. The Health Act 2009 extends these options by providing power to allow direct payments, where the individual is given the money to buy their own health care as agreed in a care plan.
Link: Health Act 2009 Chapter 3 Direct Payments Human Rights Act 1998Open The Human Rights Act 1998 came into force in full on 2 October 2000, and makes the main Articles from the European Convention on Human Rights enforceable under national law in the UK. This means that, although individuals have always had the rights set out in the convention, you may now rely on them directly in UK courts.
Link: Human Rights Act 1998 Independence, well-being and choice: our vision for the future of social care for adults in England (2005): Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services (2006)Open The Green paper set out a vision for adult social care. It was the basis for extending people’s choice and control. The White paper that followed reinforced the vision and direction for the whole health and social care system. It sought to give people a stronger voice. How this resource applies to outcomes
Link: Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services (2006) Mental Capacity Act (2005): Mental Capacity Act Code of practice (2007)Open The Mental Capacity Act 2005 covers England and Wales and provides a statutory framework for people who lack capacity to make decisions for themselves, or who have capacity and want to make preparations for a time when they may lack capacity. It sets out who can take decisions, in which situations, and how they should go about this. It describes their responsibilities when acting or making decisions on behalf of individuals who lack the capacity to act. In particular, the Code of practice focuses on those who have a duty of care to someone who lacks the capacity to agree to the care that is being provided.
Link: Mental Capacity Act Code of practice (2007) (PDF) Strong and prosperous communities – the Local Government White paper (2006)Open The aim of this White paper was to give local people and local communities more influence and power to improve their lives. It is about creating strong, prosperous communities and delivering better public services through a rebalancing of the relationship between central government, local government and local people.
Link: Strong and prosperous communities – the Local Government White paper (2006) Welfare Reform Act 2009 – Part 2 Open Part 2 of the Welfare Reform Act 2009 legislates to increase disabled people’s right to control provision of services, as envisaged in the Independent Living Strategy (Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), 2008). Under its enabling powers, the Secretary of State can make regulations conferring new rights for disabled people to have greater choice and control over the way services are provided. How this resource applies to outcomes
Link: Welfare Reform Act 2009 – Part 2 Policies, procedures and strategies
The role of the College of Social Work and the commitment to ‘New freedoms’ (P37) should be noted. In addition, independent social work practices in adult services, feature in the changed landscape. See also information about the Pilot sites for Children’s services.
As a NQSW you may be involved in complex cases where mental health is a feature. This may be the primary concern or part of a more complex situation. The evidence you provide for meeting these outcome statements should demonstrate how you have used your organisational policies, involved individuals and their families and carers, and sought appropriate representation for them. Although being risk-averse has been a feature of social work, current policy encourages positive and appropriate risk-taking that builds on strengths and resilience. This has to be balanced with your duty to safeguard vulnerable individuals. Link: Best practice in managing risk: principles and guidance for best practice in the assessment and management of risk to self and others in mental health services (2007) Carers at the heart of 21st century families and communities: a caring system on your side, a life of your own (2008)Open This strategy document outlines how the needs of carers must, over the next 10 years, be elevated to the centre of family policy and receive the recognition and status they deserve. The previous government vision was that by 2018, carers would be universally recognised and valued as being fundamental to strong families and stable communities. How this resource applies to outcomes
Link: Common core principles to support self-care: a guide to support implementation (2008) Cutting the cake fairly: CSCI review of eligibility criteria for social care (2008)Open This report found that the current fair access to care services (FACS) system for assessing whether a person is eligible for publicly funded social care was flawed. Consequently, the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) recommended that everyone should have an assessment of their support needs. This should include information and advice to help them make the right choices.
Much attention has been given to the ‘postcode lottery’ over the years. This document acknowledges some of the difficulties and makes recommendations for overcoming them.
Link: Cutting the cake fairly: CSCI review of eligibility criteria for social care (2008) (PDF file) Equality impact assessment (EqIA) (2008)Open Policy-makers must screen all new (and eventually, all existing) policies for their impact on people from different ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities, men and women (including transgendered people), people with different sexual orientations, people in different age groups, people with different religions or beliefs, and people from differing social and economic groups. Equality impact assessments (EqIAs) are generally published alongside the main policy document against which the assessment was conducted.
Link: Equality impact assessment (EqIA) (2008) Fairer contributions guidance: calculating an individual's contribution to their personal budget (2009)Open This guidance supplements the current fairer charging guidance and provides councils with a model for calculating a person's contribution to their personal budget. If a financial assessment shows that the person has enough income or savings to contribute to their personal budget, the council will tell them what the actual contribution might be. A care or support plan will then be prepared, setting out how the person wants their needs to be met using their personal budget.
Link: Fairer contributions guidance: calculating an individual's contribution to their personal budget (2009) Improving the life chances of disabled people (2005)Open The report proposes that the government should set an ambitious vision for improving the life chances of disabled people. Future strategy for disabled people should seek to realise this vision through practical measures in four key areas:
This strategy underlines the importance of understanding the experiences of disabled people and how they can determine and participate in identifying their support needs. It should be applied throughout the care pathway, reflecting changing needs and issues, when planning, delivering and commissioning person-centred interventions with different levels of complexity. Link: Improving the life chances of disabled people (2005) Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) (2008)Open Since 1 April 2008, local authorities and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) have been under a statutory duty to produce a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). JSNAs inform Local Area Agreements and the Sustainable Communities Strategy. The Department of Health (DH) offers tools and guidance for undertaking a JSNA.
It is crucial to be aware of the diversity of culture and ethnicity, age and levels of disability in your area in order to allocate resources in the future. As a NQSW you are in an ideal situation to inform the JSNA about the needs and gaps in provision. This can be based on consultation with people in the community as well as the individuals, families and carers with whom you work directly. Link: Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) (2008) Living well with dementia: a national dementia strategy (2009): Living well with dementia: a national dementia strategy implementation plan (2009)Open This strategy provides a strategic framework within which local services can:
Link: National Service Framework for mental health: modern standards and service models for mental health (1999) National Service Framework for older people and system reform (2001)Open The National Service Framework (NSF) for older people was published in March 2001 as a ten-year programme. It sets new national standards and service models of care across health and social services for all older people. In order to deliver improved lives and greater value for money, work to redesign services and systems incorporates five key areas:
Link: National Service Framework for older people and system reform (2001) New horizons: A shared vision for mental health (2009): Confident communities, brighter futures: A framework for developing well-being (2010)Open New horizons is a cross-government programme of action put in place by the previous government. It has the twin aims of improving the mental health and well-being of the population, and improving the quality and accessibility of services for people with poor mental health. The programme provides a systematic approach to improving mental well-being with selected evidence-based approaches and interventions that have been shown to be effective across the life course, and across key public health domains. It includes chapters on risk and resilience, developing sustainable communities, participation and the role of different sectors in delivering well-being and mental health.
Link: Confident communities, brighter futures: A framework for developing well-being (2010) (PDF) No secrets: guidance on developing and implementing multi-agency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse (2000)Open This document gives guidance to local agencies with a responsibility to investigate and take action when a vulnerable adult is believed to be suffering abuse. It offers a structure and content for the development of local inter-agency policies, procedures and joint protocols which will draw on good practice nationally and locally.
Link: No secrets: guidance on developing and implementing multi-agency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse (2000) Prevention package for older people (2009)Open This resource focuses on prevention as a means of ensuring good health, well-being and independence in later life, by promoting and encouraging uptake of comprehensive health and social care services for older people. How this resource applies to outcomes
Link: Prevention package for older people resources (2009) 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 (2010)Open Public funding for social care will always be limited in the face of demand and the resources that are available should therefore be allocated according to individual need in a way that is as fair and transparent as possible. This guidance states that councils should ensure that each decision about a person’s eligibility for support is taken following an appropriate community care assessment involving both the person seeking support and the people around them assisting with their care and choices. This assessment should be based on the individual’s needs, following which planning for support should be undertaken to identify what outcomes the individual would like to achieve and how they might use the resources available to them to do so. Eligibility criteria should be made readily available and accessible to service users, their carers, the public more generally, and other relevant local bodies. The eligibility framework is graded into four bands: critical
Link: 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 (2010) Putting people first (2007)Open The shared ambition of this policy is to put people first through a radical reform of public services, enabling people to live their own lives as they wish, confident that services are of high quality, are safe and promote their own individual needs for independence, well-being and dignity. It set out the shared aims and values which would guide the transformation of adult social care.
Link: Putting people first (2007) (PDF file) Refocusing the Care Programme Approach (2008)Open This guidance updates policy and sets out positive practice guidance for trusts and commissioners to review local practice and refocus the Care Programme Approach (CPA) within mental health services. All individuals receiving treatment, care and support from secondary mental health services are entitled to receive high quality care based on an individual assessment of the range of their needs and choices.
Link: Refocusing the Care Programme Approach (2008) (PDF file) Single Assessment Process (modified 2007): Information sharing and local protocols (2004) Open This guidance does not recommend the use of a single assessment tool. Rather it provides a rigorous framework that will lead to convergence of assessment methods and results over time, irrespective of the tools chosen for local use.
Link: Information sharing and local protocols (2004) (PDF file) Social care for deafblind children and adults (2009)Open This circular requires local authorities to identify deafblind people in their area, ensure assessments are undertaken by suitably trained people, ensure services provided to deafblind people are appropriate (recognising that they may not necessarily be able to benefit from mainstream services), and provide information about services in formats and methods that are accessible.
This document incorporates tasks around service development and building community capacity, as well as having the skills and knowledge to ensure a comprehensive assessment is undertaken using all of technology available to ensure the views and opinions of deafblind people are heard. Link: Social care for deafblind children and adults (2009) (PDF file) The community care assessment directions (2004)Open Full involvement of individuals and their carers in both assessment and care planning has long been recognised as good practice. The community care assessment directions place existing good practice and guidance on conducting care assessments and care planning into a legal framework.
As a NQSW you must be able to demonstrate how you have consulted with the person and their carers, the steps you have taken to reach an agreement with the person about their needs, and how you have provided information, including financial details, about their entitlements based on your assessment. Link: The community care assessment directions (2004) Transforming adult social care (2009) Open This local authority circular sets out information to support councils and their partners through the ongoing change in adult social care.
The aim of this circular is for all councils to develop a framework for proportionate contact and social care needs assessments in order to deliver more effective, joined-up processes. There will be greater emphasis on (assisted) self-assessment, enabling social workers to undertake more appropriate assessments and spend more time on support, brokerage and advocacy. Link: Transforming adult social care (2009) (PDF file) Valuing people now: a new three-year strategy for people with learning disabilities (2009): Valuing people now delivery plan (2010–11): Valuing people now and PSA 16 housing delivery plan (2010–11)Open Valuing people now set out a government strategy for people with learning disabilities for 2009–12. It also responded to the main recommendations in Healthcare for all, the independent inquiry into access to healthcare for people with learning disabilities.
As a NQSW you will be working with individuals and families who are facing different levels of risk of abuse or neglect. You may be working as part of a multi-agency team in this process and you will need to show you understand your responsibilities. SHARE: Part of: Newly Qualified Social Worker resourceLast updated: October 2010