Quality standard
Quality statement 2: Discussing services that could help at a care and support needs assessment
Quality statement 2: Discussing services that could help at a care and support needs assessment
Quality statement
Older people with multiple long-term conditions having a care and support needs assessment discuss services that could help, any cost of these services and how they can be paid for.
Rationale
Discussing available services will enable older people with multiple long-term conditions and social care needs, and their carers, to consider options that could help them to manage their lives, and maintain their independence and quality of life. Having this discussion at a care and support needs assessment will ensure that all older people with multiple long-term conditions and social care needs are informed about the services available, regardless of whether they arrange and pay for all or part of their own care, or their care is supported by the local authority.
Quality measures
The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.
Structure
a) Evidence that accessible information is available locally about services that could help older people with multiple long-term conditions and social care needs, any cost of these services and how they can be paid for.
Data source: Local data collection.
b) Evidence of local processes to ensure that care and support needs assessments for older people with multiple long-term conditions include discussions about the services that could help, any cost of these services and how they can be paid for.
Data source: Local data collection.
Process
Proportion of care and support needs assessments for older people with multiple long-term conditions that include discussing services that could help, any cost of these services and how they can be paid for.
Numerator – the number in the denominator that include discussing services that could help, any cost of these services and how they can be paid for.
Denominator – the number of care and support needs assessments for older people with multiple long-term conditions.
Data source: Local data collection.
What the quality statement means for different audiences
Service providers (such as local authorities and community care providers) ensure that processes are in place to ensure that older people with multiple long-term conditions who have a care and support needs assessment discuss services that could help, any cost of these services and how they can be paid for.
Health and social care practitioners (such as social workers and occupational therapists) have a discussion with older people with multiple long-term conditions who have a care and support needs assessment about services that could help, any cost of these services and how they can be paid for.
Commissioners (such as local authorities) ensure that up-to-date, accessible information is available about local services that could help older people with multiple long-term conditions and social care needs, any cost of these services and how they can be paid for. Commissioners specify that their providers ensure that older people with multiple long-term conditions have the opportunity to discuss services that could help when they have a care and support needs assessment.
Older people with more than 1 long-term condition who are having a care and support needs assessment discuss available services that could help them, any cost of these services and how they can be paid for. This will ensure that they, and their carers, know what support is available to help improve their day-to-day life.
Source guidance
Older people with social care needs and multiple long-term conditions. NICE guideline NG22 (2015), recommendation 1.1.3
Definitions of terms used in this quality statement
Multiple long-term conditions
A long-term condition is defined as one that generally lasts a year or longer and impacts on a person's life. Examples include arthritis, asthma, cancer, dementia, diabetes, heart disease, mental health conditions, stroke, and hearing and sight loss. Multiple means a person has more than 1 condition. The impact and symptoms of these conditions can fluctuate, and people may or may not need to take medicines for their conditions. [NICE's guideline on older people with social care needs and multiple long-term conditions]
Care and support needs assessment
The process by which a local authority works with a person to identify their needs and the outcomes they would like to achieve to maintain or improve their wellbeing. The local authority's aim is to determine how it should respond to meet the person's needs under the Care Act 2014. It may also be known as a social care needs assessment. [NICE's guideline on older people with social care needs and multiple long-term conditions and expert opinion]
Discussing services that could help
People who pay for or arrange their own care, as well as those whose care is publicly funded, should have a discussion with their health or social care practitioner about the types of care and support available, and the choice of local providers. It should include:
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how to obtain care and support services
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the costs of different services
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how to obtain independent financial advice about meeting their care and support needs
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the impact of future changes in funding status or ability to pay
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advocacy services
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any telecare options that may support them, including considering whether a demonstration of telecare equipment could help them to make an informed decision about its usefulness
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social activities and opportunities that can help them to maintain their social contacts, and build new contacts if they wish to.
[Adapted from the Care Act 2014 and NICE's guideline on older people with social care needs and multiple long-term conditions, recommendations 1.1.3, 1.1.6, 1.1.7, 1.5.4. 1.5.11, 1.5.19, and 1.6.4]
Equality and diversity considerations
Information provided to people should be in a format that suits their needs and preferences. In particular, practitioners should identify, record and meet the information and communication needs of people who have hearing loss, sight loss or learning disabilities, as set out in NHS England's Accessible Information Standard.
People with communication difficulties or hearing or sight loss should be offered support to enable them to discuss services that could help, the cost of these services and how they can be paid for.
People with limited independence as a result of a physical disability or mental health condition may need additional support, such as an advocate, to enable them to discuss services that could help, the cost of these services and how they can be paid for.