FEATURE ADULT SOCIAL CARE
‘ We now focus on strength-based conversations and , rather than writing an assessment , we try to capture the client ’ s story ,’ says Jonè . ‘ It sounds so simple , but it helps remind us we are talking to a human being rather than a client .’
Jonè is working to ensure clearer and more consistent communication between the team , particularly between staff on the duty shift . That ’ s particularly important for communication between different members of the team working on the same referral at different times .
Why have certain decisions been made so far ? Why has one pathway been followed instead of another ? And what still needs to be done ?
And the team has also been in touch with hospital teams to promote the use of EQuip . Hospital staff have started giving patients the EQuip notebook for patients to be able to then self-refer to the adult social care team , saving time for both teams and empowering the patient by putting the onus back on them .
Alongside the five-step work , the team has also put a focus on optimised care , including shifting cases to single-handed care , and is drawing on expertise from teams they are in contact with about the five-step work to see what they can learn too .
Their work has included awareness sessions for hospital occupational therapy teams to increase their confidence to prescribe equipment which may facilitate single-handed care .
The changes have helped deepen the five-step process , and Reigate and Banstead are staying in touch with teams they have met from the last year to see how they can now take their work further . Says Jonè : ‘ It ’ s been an overwhelmingly positive experience to help so many other teams .’
Contact the team on : jone . vosloo @ surreycc . gov . uk . Read last May ’ s issue at : www . rcot . co . uk / otnews .
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The five-step process When a referral is received by the adult social care Reigate and Banstead locality team , they follow the five steps below :
SIGNPOSTING : The first three steps are handled by the duty team . A strengths-based conversation is held with a client to see if the team are the right people to support them . Some people also decide to buy their own equipment at this point if they want something more complex than the team would ultimately be able to offer them . 44 per cent of cases are signposted on .
MEETING BASIC PROVISION / ORDER EQUIPMENT FROM DUTY : The occupational therapist on the phone will establish a basic level of need and may be able to order equipment straight away for 23 per cent of cases . Sometimes a client or someone helping them will send over photographs to ensure the team have the right information to enable the duty worker to order the equipment .
SEND AN EQUIP NOTEBOOK : For around 11 per cent of cases , if the team isn ’ t sure what equipment a person may need or if they need more information about the client ’ s environment , then they send out their 27-page EQuip notebook to clients who are capable or have someone capable of filling it in . It gathers information on the client ’ s environment and needs , giving the duty team enough information to establish the best intervention to put in place and freeing up time for more complex cases . It also means clients aren ’ t sat on a waiting list but can get involved in the solutions they need .
SET UP A MEASSURED CLINIC APPOINTMENT : a local MeAssured clinic is held in Mersham for clients to attend where they can . This replaces many occupational therapist visits , saving on staff travel time and cutting the need to outsource a lot of assessments .
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ALLOCATION : only the most complex cases now require step five . Many appointments are now handled virtually , with the team starting with virtual assessments just before COVID-19 landed last year . Only 14 per cent of cases are handled through steps four and five .
40 OTnews May 2021