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Providing information and resources

Providing information and resources

The guideline states that everyone who is using, or planning to use, home care services and their carers should be given details of different funding mechanisms, information about the range and quality of services, what home care is (and is not) able to address and any other relevant options. This includes information on complaints procedures. A 'welcome pack' for people who have recently begun to use home care may include this, plus information on local and national services.

Table 1 – when to provide information

This table (from Research in Practice for Adults) shows the different types of information that should be available at different times of a social care journey.

Before contact

Contact

Assessment

Care and support

  • Maintaining well-being

  • Self-care

  • Access to universal services (leisure, transport, etc.)

  • How to raise concerns about safety or well-being

  • Financial planning

  • How care and support works

  • Signposting to low level care and support

  • Advocacy

  • How to contact in future

  • Signposting to other agencies

  • Eligibility

  • Support planning

  • Planning ahead

  • Paying for care

  • Crisis options

  • Care and support options

  • Quality of care and support

  • Contingency

  • Feedback

Key resources

The Care Act 2014 places a responsibility on local authorities to ensure the availability of information and advice relating to local care and support for adults and support for carers. It is good practice, and mutually beneficial, for local authorities to ensure home care providers are fully aware of all relevant local services.

The information for the public is written for people using home care services and their families and carers. It uses simple language to explain what care they should expect and how the NICE guideline should make a difference to their care.

Community capacity

Community resources are not limited to formal services. They include lower‑cost and free activities and are related as much to people's interests as to their needs. A community can also provide a valuable preventive role (see the SCIE prevention library) and help with safeguarding.

Home care providers and local authorities should hold a bank of knowledge on community resources, and they should share this information as widely as possible. This is so they may effectively point people towards the resources that will be most useful to them, taking into account the person's preferences, interests and abilities.

Key resource

The Care Act (2014) requires communities to build their capacity. This involves making use of resources that already exist – such as neighbourhood groups and befriending schemes – and developing new ones. It helps people find ways of meeting their own needs, and the needs of others, in the place where they live. Think Local Act Personal has information on building community capacity.

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