PROJECT EIGHT: Developing Fair Access to Case Services Process Report
Fair Access to Care Services is a new and major piece of guidance from the Department of Health. It is issued under section 7(1) of the local Authority Social Services Act 1970 and therefore has quasi-statutory status. This in effect leaves councils with no choice over whether it is implemented. It asks Councils to operate just one set of eligibility criteria for all adults who seek help from social services. ‘Eligibility criteria’ means the Council stating what its priority order is for helping people who may need help from social services. It should result in similar decisions being made for individuals with similar needs irrespective of where ever they live in the country and in whatever Council they find themselves. The new guidance came into force in April 2003.
The guidance prioritises the risks faced by individuals into four new bands – critical, substantial, moderate and low – and requires Councils to adopt these bands in determining their criteria. These new bands are not merely a guide – as Councils, whilst being allowed to add to them, are not allowed to vary their wording. The guidance further states that in setting their eligibility criteria, Councils should take into account the resources locally available for adult social services. The Council has to calculate how far its resources can go to meet the cost of services for individuals whose needs fall within the different bands. At the start of the project the Council believed it had enough resources to meet all of the needs in the critical and substantial bands.
Process to implement the FACs guidance
A range of communication methods were used to consult with people in the borough who had reasons for being interested in or connected to (i.e. stake holders) services that the social services department offer to people who are 18 years of age or over. These include:
• A Questionnaire was sent to 2500 people who had made contact with the social services department to request services between September and December in 2002. 203 completed returns were received.
• The questionnaire was further available on the Council’s web-site
• Individual interviews with 40 current users of adult social service packages of care were undertaken.
• A day-long stakeholder event was held on February 14th to which 100 people were invited and where 60 attended.
• A half-day professional stakeholder consultation was held on February 21st to which 40 professionals were invited and where 37 attended.
• A final report was written for senior managers to present to the Councils Elected Members.
