CQC Quality Statements
Theme 1 – Working with People: Assessing needs
We statement
We maximise the effectiveness of people’s care and treatment by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.
What people expect
I have care and support that is coordinated, and everyone works well together and with me.
I have care and support that enables me to live as I want to, seeing me as a unique person with skills, strengths and goals.
CONTENTS
1. Referrals
Information received from the public is managed and processed online via the integrated front door Trafford Community Adults Screening Team.
When a referral is received, the team will check that all of the necessary information is included on the referral form. ‘Necessary information’ is a level of information that will enable the receiving team to be able to immediately and effectively prioritise the referral.
The referral will be screened and prioritised against the statutory criteria contained in the Care Act 2014.
It must be identified if the person has consented to the referral and / or if the adult has mental capacity to provide informed consent. If the adult does not have mental capacity to consent to the referral, steps will be taken to establish who has made the best interests decision to raise the concern / make a referral.
2. Decision Making
Decision making in relation to referrals is influenced by:
- information on the referral form;
- consent;
- immediate safety / risk concerns;
- actions taken by the care provider / agency or others involved;
- additional gathered information, which is used to inform a decision / recommendation from the Adults Screening Team.
A process for ensuring the adult’s desired outcomes for any potential action or intervention are also captured forms part of the screening process.
Initial enquiries are then reviewed and processed by experienced social workers who, based upon professional judgement will evaluate if further information or actions are required from the Council.
3. Next Steps
At this point the decision may be made that the referral did not meet criteria to progress further, however if further decision is required the Adults Screening Team will forward the referral including all the additional information to the relevant local community team.
This ensures that everyone involved works towards the wishes and desires of the adult and that provided information is acted upon appropriately and does not have to be repeated.
All actions and interventions aim to improve people’s independence and wellbeing by promoting personalised care and developing support services that best fit around their lives. With the agreement of the adult, or their representative other, a member of the Adults Screening Team will ensuring feedback is provided to the referrer.
Upon the receipt of a referral from the Adults Screening Team, the community social work senior practitioner, working in conjunction with the duty social worker, will prioritise the referral against urgency, risk and the existing team workload.
Alternatively a social care worker may be allocated and meet with the person, and relevant other people, to undertake further enquiry and assessment.
When completed, the information will be reviewed alongside consideration of the adult’s preferred outcomes, and discussed with them to determine whether any additional actions and support planning if any services are required.
All these stages are recorded, adult are informed or involved as preferred, the desired outcome and written documents from the above process are shared with all involved (with the agreement of the adult or their representative).
On a required basis, agreed with the adult and achieved within the statutory framework, a review of needs and any support of services agreed will be completed.
