Single Assessment Process

The single assessment process should ensure that the assessment is kept in proportion to your needs, agencies do not duplicate assessments and professionals contribute to assessments in the most effective way.

Continuing Care

The government has said that local areas have to get better at deciding whether the National Health Service (NHS) or social services will pay for your care and support. So the Government has written a paper – the National Framework – for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care.

The NHS and social services must find out exactly what support you need with your health before deciding who will pay, with a new process being introduced to do this. NHS and social services staff must work together to find out what care and support you need, identifying and agreeing what support you need in relation to your health and informing the Primary Care Trust.

If you mostly need help because of your health problems, the NHS must pay the whole bill for your care and support. If the NHS is paying the whole bill, it is also responsible for providing the care management support. This process must happen before you apply for a Personal Budget as the NHS may not be able to pay you a Personal Budget.

Fair Access to Care Services (FACS)

FACS stands for Fair Access to Care Services. This is a national framework by the Department of Health to help councils decide who is eligible for services. The Council has a duty to provide services only to people who meet the criteria. Before you can receive services, or a Personal Budget, you will have to meet with a Care Manager to see if you are eligible. You can find out more information about eligibility either from the Department of Health (www.dh.gov.uk) or locally at www.iwight.com and clicking on the social services pages.

Principles of self directed support

There are 7 ethical principles that underpin Self Directed Support. These have come from In Control:

 1.  Right to Independent Living

     If someone has an impairment that means they need help to fulfil their role as a citizen, then they should get the help they need.

 2.  Right to a Personal Budget

     If someone needs on-going paid help as part of their life they should be able to decide how the money that pays for that help is used.

 3.  Right to Self-Determination

     If someone needs help to make decisions then decision-making should be made as close to the person as possible, reflecting the person’s own interests and preferences.

 4.  Right to Accessibility

     The system of rules within which people have to work must be clear and open in order to maximise the ability of the person with a disability to take control of their own support.

 5.  Right to Flexible Funding

     When someone is using their Personal Budget they should be free to spend their funds in the way that makes best sense to them, without unnecessary restrictions.

 6.  Accountability Principle

     The person with the disability and the government both have a responsibility to each other to explain their decisions and to share what they have learnt.

  7.  Capacity Principle

     People who have disabilities, their families and their communities must not be assumed to be incapable of managing their own support, learning skills and making a contribution.