Regional eligibility criteria for adult social care services
Dear Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Northern Ireland),
Regarding the above I would like the following information.
Why has the DHSSPSNI not issued any practice guidance on managing the regional access criteria as has been done in mainland UK via the Fair Access to Care Services Practice Guidance 2010 issued to authorities there?
How has the DHSSPSNI been ensuring that the access criteria are being applied in a consistent and fair way by each of the local health Trusts without providing practice guidance?
Yours faithfully,
James Johnston
Mr Johnston
We have received your Freedom of Information request and I attach your acknowledgement letter and a Public Information Leaflet.
John McCann
Information Management Branch
DHSSPS
Tel: 02890 528218
Please see attached response to your query.
Many thanks
Elderly & Community Care
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Assessments are inappropriate left an annotation ()
Aug 2016 - from my personal experience as a life long 'disabled' person receiving services from the WHT for the past 8 years, Elderly Care Team Managers refuse to acknowledge my legal right to a Support Plan. Managers doggedly continue to impose on me a reactive medical based 'care plan'. This does not mirror the NISAT assessment outcome and I remain offended and insulted by such a negative attitude to 'disability'.
I do NOT require support on the basis of my age or illness. I DO require 24 hours a day support due to life long disabilities; a fact that continues to be ignored. I would consider that it is obvious by just looking at me. The NISAT cannot be an effective tool if this has not successfully 'captured' the reality of my day to day situation.
DHSSPS issued Circular HSS (ECCU) 2/2008: Regional Access Criteria for Domiciliary Care May 2008 - to be implemented with immediate effect. This EUCHR directive was implemented in other UK areas several years earlier and it is long overdue here in Northern Ireland. However, I consider that this has still not been implemented here in NI as a pro-active approach towards Social Care in the Community. Instead, a reactive medical model remains in place.
Refer to McClean Judgment 2011 - 'it is not the person who should be assessed, rather it is the environment/s that the person inhabits'.
When will the WHT understand this?