Assessment & Eligibilty Criteria

Overview

The Care Act reinforced many of the overarching principles of assessment and highlighted the importance of an individual being supported to be as fully involved in the process as they are able to be. Aspects such as supported self-assessment and the new legal duty around advocacy reinforce this principle. The strengths or asset based approach, mandated in the Act, is about focusing on what a person can do, rather than what they cannot do, it is a move away from considering needs initially to exploring the person’s skills, relationships and resources. The Care Act also highlights the importance of an individual defining their own personal outcomes related to what is important to them. These are distinct from eligibility outcomes defined under the Act. The important principle of wellbeing was introduced alongside new duties of Prevention and Information. The Act strengthens the rights and recognition of carers. The eligibility criteria, which from 2003 until the introduction of the Care Act had been set out under the Fair Access to Care Services (FACS) guidance, was replaced by a national eligibility threshold (one for customers and a separate one for carers) comprising three requirements including whether, as a consequence of the person’s needs and outcomes, there is a significant impact on their wellbeing.

Who is Assessment & Eligibilty Criteria aimed at?

Social workers, local authority staff and care staff.

Course Length

1 day

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this one day programme, delegates will be able to:

•  Understand the key principles of the Care Act and the duties and powers relating to assessment
• Identify the nine principles of wellbeing
• Highlight the key aspects arising from the Prevention and Information and Advice duties
• Identify the key changes for carers
• Feel confident in using a strengths based approach, focusing on the person’s skills and strengths, prior to considering their needs and know how to use this approach throughout the customer journey
• Identify the criteria which trigger the advocacy duty
• Distinguish between personal and eligibility outcomes
• Support an individual to define their own outcomes, preferably at the start of an assessment
• Understand and adopt the minimum eligibility threshold for customers and carers
• Strengthen their understanding of the term significant impact
• Ensure that clear evidence to substantiate the eligibility decision is included in all assessments
• Identify and record evidence in decision making
• Confidently complete customers and carers assessments