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13/9/06 This guidance was sent by NAS to Jane Sochovsky, ASPECT who has kindly emailed a copy to me to send to all those professionals and public bodies and the Court within my case and my wider networks of support, friends and allies Yours Colin Revell Guidance for Director of Adult Social Services The new guidance for the (new post of) Director of Adult Social Services should help to address the difficulty of people with an ASD falling between the gap of mental health and learning disability, as it requires the Director of Adult Social Services (DASS) to make it clear which team or manager should be assessing and meeting the eligible needs of a range of client groups- and ASD is specifically mentioned as one of the client groups. In the statutory guidance it says: (under Accountability) " Para 15: Local authorities shall take steps to ensure that the DASS delivers the local authority’s responsibilities for assessing, planning and commissioning adult social care and wellbeing services to meet the needs of all adults with social care needs in the authority’s area (including the specific needs of carers, people from ethnic minority backgrounds and people living in rural communities). This responsibility shall include ensuring that services comply with statutory requirements, including requirements in respect of carers and equality and anti-discrimination legislation. The local authority shall ensure that the DASS is responsible for the efficiency, effectiveness and value for money of the services provided or commissioned by the local authority. The local authority’s responsibilities, to be delivered by the DASS extend to residents receiving services out of the council area. "Para 16: Local authorities shall ensure that the DASS draws up clear lines of responsibility, within his or her staff team for managing the needs of all adult client groups. Further details of responsibilities that local authorities are recommended to include within the DASS’s remit in respect of drawing up clear lines of accountability are set out in more detail at paragraphs 15 to 19 of the accompanying Best Practice Guidance on the Role of the Director of Adult Social Services." and: (under Professional Leadership) : Para 19 "Local authorities shall make the DASS responsible for undertaking a strategic needs assessment for adults and families with actual or potential social care needs across the local authority area. The process will involve responsibility and authority for assessing the needs of all client groups, the range of services required and the balance between different services to be provided by the local authority, now and in the future. Among other things, the DASS shall be enabled by the Local Authority to use the results of this exercise to improve the council’s performance in strategic commissioningand market development. In the Best practice guidance it says: "The DASS should take an active role in ensuring that there are robust arrangements for supervising contracts, where services have been outsourced, and in monitoring those services in respect of quality standards and timely delivery. The DASS should ensure that all people with social care needs are assessed by the local authority, that all people who meet eligibility criteria are provided with suitable services and that there is appropriate provision of low-level and preventative services. The DASS should also ensure that targeted case-finding takes place to identify people at risk from social exclusion, who are often among the least likely to approach social services themselves. 17. The DASS should ensure that amongst those of his/her staff, who are responsible for assessing and meeting the needs of people with a range of long-term conditions and disabilities in their area, there is clarity about the remit of each individual. This is to ensure that individuals do not fall between services. The DASS should ensure that a named manager is responsible for assessing and (where appropriate) meeting the needs of individuals from the client groups listed at Annex A, in addition to other groups that he or she considers to be at risk of falling between services. It is also important to recognise that service users are individuals and that services should be provided on the basis of individual need, rather than on the basis of assumptions about the general needs of clients with specific conditions or disabilities. 18. In the case of low-incidence conditions and disabilities there may not always be capacity to meet these needs locally and the DASS should ensure that his or her staff work with neighbouring local authorities and relevant specialist national service providers to meet such specialist, low-incidence need. Annex A: The DASS should ensure that it is clear which team, or manager, within his or her staff, has responsibility for assessing and meeting the eligible needs of a range of named client groups. A list of groups of individuals who are likely to be users of social care services, and who should be included is given below (NB this list is not exhaustive and may be added to in future). In addition, clear arrangements should be in place for other client groups, particularly where the DASS believes that there is the risk of an individual falling between services. (list includes) .........People with autism spectrum disorder; The bp guidance also says: (para 32): It is the Government’s intention to promote a shift towards more pro-active services. In implementing this cultural shift, the DASS should ensure that there is an appropriate balance between low-level and preventative services and services designed to meet the needs of people at the higher needs end of the care spectrum and that this is reflected in the organisation’s values. Here are links to both pieces of guidance: http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4134800&chk=3ri7eW (statutory) http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/13/49/44/04134944.pdf (best practice) _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live™ Messenger has arrived. 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