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)
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