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. Introduction
‘Personalisation is a way of thinking about health and care services that puts people at the centre of understanding their needs, choosing their support and having control over their lives. It also means people have the support they need to live independently and actively in their communities.’ (Think Local, Act Personal)
Personalisation has a wide agenda, encompassing a number of different areas, some of which have been incorporated into the Care Act 2014. This includes information and advice; prevention and early intervention; community capacity building; improved use of universal services, personalising the formal support people need and providing person centred care.
2. Personalisation for Adults and Carers
Personalisation is often associated with direct payments (see Direct Payments chapter) and personal budgets (see Personal Budgets chapter). These resources enable adults to choose the services they receive, rather than the previous approach of people having to adapt to available services.
It also includes the provision of improved information and advice on care and support for adults and carers, investment in services to prevent, reduce or delay people’s need for care and support and the promotion of independence and self-reliance among individuals, carers and communities.
The aim of the personalisation agenda is to improve the lives of adults and their carers. The challenge is to ensure that all people – including those with dementia and mental health problems who lack capacity for example – also fully benefit.
Adults are able to self-assess their own needs, with or without support, play a full part in drawing up a wide-ranging support plan and directly purchase or choose the services they want (see Assessment chapter). Personalisation in relation to adults with care and support needs should, however, be considered within the context of risk; to the adult, their carers and others (see also Assessing and Managing Risk).
3. Frontline Professionals, Commissioners and Providers
Personalisation has significantly impacted on the work of social care professionals and the ethos of local authority adult social care teams. The core functions of care management – assessing adults, risk assessments, drawing up a care plan and purchasing services to meet needs – have all been transformed through personal budgets. This will continue with the implementation of the Care Act 2014 and be extended to include other sectors and professionals, including the NHS.
As a result of personalisation, local authorities have created a range of roles to support adults in carrying out these tasks or commissioned external organisations to do so, including user led organisations (ULOs).
The role of commissioner has changed as a result of personalisation. Instead of purchasing services in bulk from available providers and fitting adults who are eligible into those services that best meet their needs, commissioners now shape the social care market to promote the availability of a diverse range of high quality services from which adults, and their carers, can choose.
Local authorities must ensure adults can access a diverse market of providers, and producing a market position statement can set out how they plan to implement the duty (see 4.79 – 4.87 Care and Support Statutory Guidance).
4. Further Reading
4.1 Relevant chapters
Preventing, Reducing or Delaying Needs
4.2 Relevant information
Culturally Appropriate Care (Care Quality Commission)
Personalisation in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities: Report (Think Local, Act Personal)
