Devon County Council

When should Referral Coordinators - or other staff who complete Level 1 / initial referrals - also complete the Eligibility Criteria Checklist?

Index of contents:

• Principles
• Recording Decisions
• Circumstances when the Eligibility Criteria Checklist does not need to be completed
• Assessments undertaken by NHS staff leading to equipment
• Circumstances when the Eligibility Criteria Checklist does need to be completed

Principles

This protocol is underpinned by the need to:

• Evidence practice and decision making.
• Monitor consistency of FACS usage.
• Maintain a manageable process for Referral Coordinators.
• Ensure responses are proportionate to the needs of individuals who may be in need of community care services and provided in a timely way.

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Recording Decisions

The Level 1 / initial assessment, together with any action taken, should be evidenced on the appropriate Referral Form, that is, the SS1or CPA Initial Contact Form.

Where health staff complete an assessment that leads to a request for community care services and there is no open referral / care manager involved, the assessment may be appended to the Level 1 / initial assessment. This is a temporary measure to be used where there is no agreement about use of a single assessment process.

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Circumstances when the Eligibility Criteria Checklist does not need to be completed

Referral Coordinators and others who complete referrals will not complete the Eligibility Criteria Checklist where one or more of the following factors are identified:

• There is a need for further assessment. This includes Levels 1, 2 and 3 care management assessments, Mental Health Act assessments, Care Programme Approach assessments, specialist assessments and Adult Protection Investigations.
• There is an emergency / crisis requiring an immediate response (including service provision). The person should be informed that a fuller assessment will follow shortly and that services may be withdrawn or changed as a result of this assessment.
• Individuals are referred to another agency / no further action necessary.
• There is an adjustment to a current care package that does not require a re-assessment of needs.
• The individual / carer / family have been given information about relevant options to meet needs and wish to arrange the support themselves and it is appropriate for them to do so.

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Assessments undertaken by NHS staff leading to equipment

Referral coordinators will not complete the Eligibility Criteria Checklist where assessment by NHS practitioners identifies and evidences that to assist an individual to remain living at home / facilitate discharge from hospital / other settings there is need for equipment from Social Services and:

• The individual / carer / family member have been given information about relevant options to meet needs and do not wish to arrange the support themselves or it is inappropriate for them to do so.
• Needs are critical or substantial.
• Needs are substantial and permanent (see legal framework guidance).
  
  and

• Can most effectively and efficiently be met by the provision of equipment.

Note: This is a short term arrangement pending NHS staff receiving FACS training to enable them to complete the eligibility checklist.

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Circumstances when the Eligibility Criteria Checklist does need to be completed

Referral Coordinators and others who complete referrals should complete the Eligibility Criteria Checklist where the referral information identifies and evidences that to assist an individual to remain living at home / facilitate discharge from hospital / other settings:

• The Level 1 / initial assessment information is sufficient to determine whether to support an individual or not through the provision of community care services. (The assessment information may be provided from a number of sources including assessments by health staff). The assessment should identify and evidence that:
  

1. The individual, family, carer have been given information about relevant options to meet needs and whether they wish to arrange the support themselves or not.
2. There is sufficient information to determine the level of risk to an individual's independence or safety if needs are not addressed through the provision of community care services.
   

• There is not a request for equipment only from health staff - in this circumstance the relevant process set out above should be followed.

Note: Relevant health staff should complete the eligibility checklist as part of the assessment process once they have completed the FACS training.