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The implementation of the Fair Access to Care Services national eligibility framework within Essex: an exploration of practice issues by adult social care assessors
- Author:
- POUNTNEY Kay
- Publisher:
- Essex Social Care Services
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 35p.
- Place of publication:
- Braintree
In April 2003 Essex County Council adopted the National Eligibility Framework for Fair Access to Care Services (adult social care). This piece of research was commissioned to look in more detail at the experiences of social work practitioners who were using FACS eligibility criteria in their everyday practice. Five in depth focus groups were held, one for each of the following specialisms: Older People, Learning Disability, Occupational Therapy, Physical and Sensory Impairment, and Social Care Direct (telephone referrals). Participants represented teams from across Essex, and included social workers of different levels of experience, and with different roles. The number of participants involved in the research was twenty seven. Some differences in interpretation of the bandings were noted by practitioners, and it was felt that the experience and training of the assessor would influence their banding decision. Regarding how practitioners, and particularly new team members, gained an understanding of how to use FACs, it was found that there is currently an emphasis on informal learning from colleagues, although senior practitioners and team managers also give guidance. Practitioners were concerned that information on a person’s needs was not always being adequately recorded at initial referral and after assessment, thereby making it difficult to apply the FACS criteria. There was considerable uncertainty among the practitioners in relation to the recording of low and moderate levels of need. The main suggestions to arise from the research were: to provide clear guidance to adult social care teams and referrers on what information about a person’s needs should be recorded, in what detail, and where to ensure that low and moderate level needs which do not currently meet the criteria for a service are consistently recorded in a form that they can be analysed for planning purposes; to provide training on how FACS is used, as part of a standard induction programme or rolling training programme for new team members who are undertaking assessments.