Single Assessment Process Single Assessment Process and Self Assessmentand Self Assessment

Single Assessment Process Single Assessment Process and Self Assessmentand Self Assessment

Seamus Breen Change Agent

December 2004

Outline of presentation

• Key Principle of SAP

• NHS Improvement Plan

• To-days reality

• New Challenges

• Self Assessment

• Possible ways forward

• Seeking Examples.

Key Principle of SAP

• SAP intended

– we take a we take a person-centredperson-centred approach to approach to

assessment and care planning for older people, assessment and care planning for older people,

regardless of both organisational boundaries and regardless of both organisational boundaries and

the health conditions and circumstances of older the health conditions and circumstances of older

people.people.See original guidance. See original guidance.

Was reinforced again in letter to Was reinforced again in letter to

Chief Executives and Directors of Social Services Chief Executives and Directors of Social Services

April 2004April 2004

Alf said as he got older his main

concern was the trouble he was having with his joints. …But I

commented that I thought his

priority was for him to eat more

fruitMaybe professionals sometimes think they know best!

Thanks Keith for high-lighting the slide!

Person Centred

Not the Single Assessment Process...

To-day’s Reality

• Thousands of adults each week need

personal support or some form of assistance.

• Some use their networks or families to

access help - unknown to social services or health

• Many others buy, from their own resources, their personalised form of support - unknown to social services or health.

• Others would love to if they had the means!

The NHS Improvement Plan

Putting People at the Heart ofPublic Services

Presented to Parliament bythe Secretary of State for Health

by Command of Her MajestyJune 2004

2.2 Our priorities • are based on the public’s views captured by the consultation

process carried out in 2003 and published in Building on the

Best: Choice, Responsiveness and Equity in the NHS. The

aim is a service which responds to 21st century public

expectations by offering:

– flexible access to services shaped around individuals’ needs and

preferences, rather than an expectation that people will fit the system;

– greater choice and shared decision-making between patient and

clinical team over treatment and care:

– better access to the information and support that people need to

exercise choice

2.9 Empowering

• Rapid access is not enough. To meet today’s

expectations, people need to be able to choose

from a range of services that best meet their

needs and preferences. Between now and

2008, we will be making the changes which

enable people to personalise their care and for

those choices to shape the system and the

way that it is run.

New Challenges

• Thousands know what they need to support their independence and can go and get it.

– how do we help those who know what they need to support their independence and cannot afford to go get it?

• How do we help those who do find it difficult to

navigatenavigate through the many choices and yet do not want to come in contact with statutory services?

– Irrespective of their ability to pay.

Self Assessment• Local authorities and PCTs fund independent

sector providers and people use the services they provide without a formal assessment process.

• Some places may be assisting people get access to direct payments via an assessment done by user with support from independent agency.

• Some may allow access to certain equipment services upon a self assessment process.

• Others may be using the contact assessment as a means of initial self assessment and referral

Possible Ways forward

• What are the possible ways forward for

empowering people to do more self assessment?

• How might this be utilised to further promote the

direct take up of services?

• What services might be offered this way?

• What might we say about the longer term development of

SAP tools ?

Seeking Examples• Have you examples in your area where the principles of

SAP have been extended to empowering people to do their

own assessments?

• Have any of these extended to receipt of a service?

• Are their examples of people assisted to navigate their way

to the service of their choice without direct contact with the

PCT or the LA?

– Any thoughts or information to seamus.breen@dh.gsi.gov.uk

Thank You