Welcome to the Adult Social Care Newsletter providing staff
with one source of information relating to adult care management and
safeguarding, social care provision and social care commissioning.
If you are a manager please ensure these details are read
and understood by your team members.
If you know of any staff who are not receiving the
newsletter, please let us
know.
Can’t find the Adult Social Care process maps on the Source?
Click here for a
direct link to the maps and supporting guidance.
 
Care Act – An update
As the Department of Health’s consultation on the draft
guidance and regulations draws to a close (15th August) there is
still time to have your say. Devon
County Council will be submitting a formal response to the consultation and if
there are any comments that you would like to make please send them to James Martin, Policy Officer in
Social Care Commissioning. The Department of Health has also produced a
series of fact
sheets that provide short summaries of each sections of the Act.
In its response to the Care Act, DCC is continuing to develop
plans that will deliver the new duties placed on it. Led through the Care
Act Implementation Board with representation across the organisation, a number
of workstreams are progressing ahead of the Act being enforced on 1st
April 2015. For further detail on this contact Hannah Hurell, Project Manager of
the Care Act.
Key to the successful implementation of the Care Act will be
the engagement of the public and of DCC staff.
There is a dedicated workstream leading on this element and national
communications will begin in the Autumn which DCC will build on locally. All staff are encouraged to make suggestions
or offer ideas as to how DCC should be approaching the Care Act and delivering
the new duties. If there is any contribution that you would like to make
in this regard please do so by emailing the Way We Work Group mailbox.
New Community
Enabling Service – Go Live
On Monday 4 August
2014, a new community enabling offer for older people, called Time for Life
Enabling, was introduced. The new
service alters the existing Time for Life Service that was provided.
The focus of the new service will be:
-
To provide a time limited enabling service,
focused around identified outcomes, for people presenting with needs linked to
social isolation and social interaction.
-
To support people to access universal services,
community groups and activities, and reconnect to or build new networks and
friendships
-
To provide the means or opportunity to improve
quality of life
-
To offer practical support to building
confidence and independence
-
To reduce the demand for social care services
New process
maps and supporting guidance has been produced to support the go-live of
this new service. The guidance includes important details around new eligibility criteria and
how to make a referral . All
information relating to the new service is also available in the Adult Social Care processes.
Overview information about the service – what it is, who
provides it, which teams can access it, how long it’s provided for and cost to
the individual, is also available
In addition
two case studies have been produced, outlining the type of
referral to be sent to the service, what the service does and the positive
outcomes it achieves.
Managers – Please
ensure all your team members are aware of this new service and how they can access
it to meet the needs of the people they are assessing. If you or any of your staff have queries,
please direct them to: Community Life
Choices feedback - mailbox
The Time for Life enabling service is all ready to go –
don’t delay make a referral today!
In-house Residential
Care Homes and Respite
Guidance is now available
regarding the approach for referrals and utilisation of respite and short stay
care in residential homes during the period of the closure programme. This information has also been sent out to
all DCC residential homes.
Quality Assurance of
External Provision
Work is starting on identifying how we
can improve our assurance of services commissioned in adults and childrens
social care.
Workforce Development
Update
Courses available:
We have arranged two HR briefings for managers to update you
on the most recent changes to policies. Click
here to book on.
The Learning Disability Community Team annual staff training
day will this year be focussing on the Care Act. There are a number of places available for
those who specialise in work with people of working age e.g. the sensory team
or those who specialise in physical impairment. See poster for further details.
Research articles:
Click here to find a report from
care knowledge on the draft guidance for the Care Act.
The National Development Team for Inclusion have produced a
report on the use of personal
budgets to support people in employment, an often under explored area.
The following minor
changes have been made this month:
Register of health
and care professionals
HCPC
re-registration is fast approaching.
Renewals for Social Workers in England opens on 1st September
and closes on 30th November.
The HCPC will be running free registration renewal and Continuing
Professional Development (CDP) webinars on Thursday 11 September 2014.
These online events will focus on the Health and Care
Professions Council’s registration renewal process and the standards for
CDP. It will provide information on how
to renew and give detailed guidance on CDP activities and evidence.
The presentation will last around 40 minutes, followed by
the opportunity to ask representatives from the HCPC questions about
registration and CDP (via email).
They will be running two sessions on 11 September 2014:
-
1.00pm – 2.30pm
-
4.00pm – 5.30pm
If you would like to register for the sessions, please use
the following link: http://www.hcpc-uk.org.uk/mediaandevents/events/cpdevents/
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