Care and Support Planning and The Care Act

Summary

The script outlines the process of creating a care and support plan following a needs assessment and eligibility determination. It emphasizes the importance of a person-centered approach, involving the individual, their carer, and an independent advocate. The plan details needs, desired outcomes, and personal budget, ensuring transparency and choice. It also discusses the review process, which should be person-centered and occur at least annually or more frequently if needs change, promoting a flexible and supportive system.

Takeaways

• 📝 Following a needs assessment and eligibility determination, a care and support plan must be provided for those whom the local authority is required or decides to support.
• 🌟 The care and support plan should be person-centered and person-led, detailing the needs to be met and how they will be met, linking back to the individual's desired outcomes.
• 🤝 If the person has substantial difficulty being actively involved in the planning process and lacks family or friends to facilitate involvement, an independent advocate must be provided by the local authority.
• 🔍 The process is central to providing person-centered care and support, offering individuals choice and control over how their needs are met.
• 📋 The plan must be transparent and clear, with clear outcomes that, when achieved, will improve the person's life, based on both needs and aspirations.
• 🗣️ The local authority must involve the person, any carers, and other individuals the person wants involved in preparing the care and support plan.
• 🚫 The guidance discourages lengthy processes, restrictive lists, and undue pressure, advocating for flexible, holistic, and innovative care and support approaches.
• ⏰ Care and support plans should be completed in a timely manner, proportionate to the needs being met, without excessive bureaucracy.
• 💡 Good care and support planning involves a flexible, open, honest, positive, and solution-focused attitude, with the person trusted to write their own plan with necessary support.
• 🔄 Regular reviews of the care and support plan are essential, involving the person, their carer, and an independent advocate, to ensure the plan remains effective and meets changing needs.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of a care and support plan?

The primary purpose of a care and support plan is to detail the needs to be met and how those needs will be met, linking back to the outcomes the adult wishes to achieve in their day-to-day life, as identified in the assessment process.

How should a care and support plan reflect an individual's wishes and needs?

A care and support plan should be person-centered and person-led, reflecting the individual's wishes, needs, and aspirations, ensuring that the plan is reasonable and aligns with their well-being.

What action must a local authority take if a person has substantial difficulty being actively involved in the planning process?

If a person has substantial difficulty being actively involved in the planning process and they have no family or friends to facilitate their involvement, the local authority must provide an independent advocate to represent and support the person.

What does a transparent and clear care and support planning process entail?

A transparent and clear care and support planning process means that the person knows what to expect and when to expect it, with assessments leading to clear outcomes that are based on both needs and aspirations, and are written in a way that is understandable to everyone involved.

What is the role of the local authority in preparing a care and support plan?

The local authority must involve the person, any carers, other people the person wants involved, and provide an independent advocate if necessary. They may also authorize a person to prepare the plan jointly with the local authority, providing information and resources to facilitate this.

How should the approach to care and support planning be structured?

The approach should be flexible, holistic, and encourage innovative forms of care and support. It should avoid lengthy processes, restrictive lists, and undue pressure on the person with excessive quality control.

What information must always be included in a care and support plan?

A care and support plan must include the identified needs from the assessment, eligibility criteria, the needs the local authority will meet and how, the individual's desired outcomes, personal budget information, and advice on reducing or preventing needs.

How should a care and support plan be agreed upon and signed off?

The care and support plan should be signed off by both the person and the authority once they have agreed on the factors within the plan, including the personal budget amount and how the needs will be met. The responsibility for sign-off should take place at the most appropriate level.

What is the purpose of a review in the context of care and support planning?

A review helps to identify if the person's needs have changed and whether the plan is enabling the person to meet their needs and aspirations. It should not be used as a way to arbitrarily reduce care packages and must involve the person, carer, and independent advocate where applicable.

What does a person-centered review process look like?

A person-centered review process focuses on the individual's life, outcomes, and what is working or not working, rather than just the financial aspects. It allows the person to contribute their views and potentially improve the system.