Equality Impact Assessment - Independence and Wellbeing Strategy

• Home
• Your Council
• Equalities
• Equality Impact Assessments
• Equality Impact Assessment - Community Services
• Equality Impact Assessment - Independence and Wellbeing Strategy

Is this a new function or a review of an existing function?

This is a new function taking into account the changes implemented from the Adult and Social Care Eligibility Criteria.  This strategy builds on existing work to make sure that low to moderate care needs are met and it underpins the Adult and Social Care Eligibility Criteria.

What are the aims/purpose of the function?

To improve independence and wellbeing in the community and to ensure that people with low or moderate care needs are supported to live within the community. To enable social workers who carry out the assessment process on current and potential services users who do not qualify for service due to the eligibility criteria are provided with appropriate advise and signposted towards other service providers within the community.

Is the function likely to have an impact on any of the following determinants of health and wellbeing?

	+	-	?
Healthy lifestyles	Check mention of access to leisure. Mental health awareness should improve access to leisure
Socio-economic environment (Income, Education, Employment, Community safety and crime and Social contacts)	Community development plans to reach out to communities, and local befriending initiatives and targeting isolated/ housebound people good	Employment only OK if properly supported Shouldn’t be forced to volunteer/work Concern re crime/bullying people with learning disabilities	Unsure how meeting places, community hubs will be facilitated & how to ensure comprehensive
Physical environment (Housing conditions, Transport and Health and Safety)	Plan to co-ordinate community transport	Awareness about Careline service/Personal alarm
Emotional health (Enhancing control, Reducing anxiety, Facilitating participation, Promoting Inclusion)	Is there enough on providing choice and supporting people to make choices as part of signposting Volunteering Proposals for user involvement Training on mental health awareness good, other groups?	Changes and uncertainty are causing anxiety and raising concerns about the future for current users and carers Health and safety issue re volunteers and vulnerable groups People shouldn’t be forced to volunteer Nothing on enabling other roles e.g. school governor

Is the function designed to meet specific needs such as the needs of minority ethnic groups, older people, disabled people etc?

This strategy supports the Adults Social Care Eligibility Criteria to ensure that we are meeting the needs of individuals with low or moderate care needs. This strategy sets out to meet the needs of the whole community. It is likely to affect proportionately higher numbers of older people reflective of the populations needs. The strategy will support children with disabilities when they become adults through the transition process too.

What information has been gathered on this function? (Indicate the type of information gathered e.g. statistics, consultation, other monitoring information)? Attach a summary or refer to where the evidence can be found.

A range of information was used, primarily from the Joint Public Health Annual Report 2007, Social Services Performance indicators and the demographic profile of the Borough.  

Information was also drawn from national research and best practice (e.g. Valuing People, NSF for Older people – both DH documents).

A needs analysis is included in the strategy which builds on both quantitative and qualitative information.  Consultation meetings were attended by a widely representative group of the Borough’s residents although exact numbers and profiles were not recorded at the time.

As part of the needs analysis we are gathering information on an on-going basis which surveys providers and care management teams to establish where people who fail to meet critical and substantial need, according to adult social care eligibility criteria, are going and whether their needs are being met.

Those who fail to meet eligibility criteria will be monitored in terms of their age, care needs and ethnicity and this will be reviewed to see the impact of the strategy.

The survey is tracking how referrals are made to different providers and from care management teams, what support needs people have, what help if offered to them and, where it has not been possible to meet support needs, what action or further signposting was undertaken.

Does your analysis of the information show different outcomes for different groups (higher or lower uptake/failure to access/receive a poorer or inferior service)? If yes, indicate which groups and which aspects of the policy or function contribute to inequality?

The strategy should not produce any differential outcomes for any particular equality groups except that older people and disabled people would be most common service users. Data collection and analysis of data will provide a better understanding of the impact on the community as a whole and any negative impact on the equality groups.

Is the function likely to have a disproportionate impact on any of the following groups?

The Strategy took into account people who find it difficult to access services due to their age, gender, disabilities, ethnicity, religion or beliefs, sexual orientation, economic status, carers’ roles and worked towards minimising and eliminating disadvantage suffered by any individuals.

Are these differences justified (e.g. are there legislative or other constraints)? If they are, explain in what way.

The differences are inbuilt into the Fair Access To Care Banding and if the strategy is implemented as planned it should not affect any equality target groups negatively. The issues of concern arise from the point of contact and assessment carried out. It is important that staff are trained to implement the assessment process in a fair and consistent way to minimise any negative impact.  It is crucial that individuals who are assessed on the low to moderate threshold are provided with alternative provisions. There will also be occasions when an individual will have a variety of needs that cuts across the four bands to meet his or her needs. It is important that monitoring and analysis of data takes places and is reported to the Adult Health and Wellbeing Board and the IWB Strategy Steering Group, which is overseeing the implementation.

What action needs to be taken as a result of this Equality Impact Assessment to address any detrimental impacts or meet previously unidentified need? Include here any reasonable adjustments for access by disabled people. Include dates by which action will be taken. Attach an action plan if necessary.

The following priorities have been identified in the strategy which will work towards meeting the needs of the whole community.

Involve the local community to provide services that meet their needs

Consult at a neighbourhood level, in particular with vulnerable groups, to establish what services local people want and how they can be provided.  This will be started through 4 Participatory Health Needs Assessments which will be undertaken over the coming year in four key areas of deprivation within the borough.

Improve access to services which improve health and wellbeing and provide practical support to keep people independent and help them help themselves

• Extend the self assessment pilot to a wider range of services, and offer self care advice or access to benefit checks.
• Further develop equipment site on RBK website into a community care self assessment site with information and advice signposting, which people can use by themselves or with assistance from providers.
• Transport emerged as a key issue in terms of being able to access both mainstream and targeted services, there are a number of transport facilities available but little coordination.  Further work needs to be undertaken to address personal transport requirements and it is recommended that the Overview Commission review the provision across the Borough
• Develop a joint plan to better co-ordinate transport arrangements, with shared responsibility for enabling residents with low to moderate needs to access community-based services, provide better access to and information about transport and more person-sensitive transport services.
• Further develop support for carers.
• Develop training for frontline professionals and develop competencies including mental health awareness, drug and alcohol awareness and understanding of services available, knowledge of local services to support independence.
• Develop more affordable and locally based adult education opportunities.
• Increase availability of English classes and interpreters.
• Develop more web based self help information sheets.

Improve information and advice and ensure it is in appropriate formats

• A Directory of local services to be produced, by Neighbourhood, to facilitate access to local services, advice and support in various formats and locations.
• Continue to work with InfoProject as a key vehicle for further improving the cohesiveness of information provision for disabled and older people.
• Improve IT literacy to enable people to access information more easily.
• Accessible information and advice in a variety of settings, at a local level, which can be accessed at times which meet residents’ needs.  Information to include advice about healthy living, emotional health and mental illnesses, entitlement to benefits, informed financial advice, self-care, carers support, services to increase independence, eg equipment and how to access it, housing advice, support to maintain the home, services for foot-care, oral health, continence care, low-vision and hearing, Careline and community safety advice.
• Tackle the stigma attached to mental health issues through increased mental health awareness and facilitated access to universal services, eg leisure, employment, adult education, etc.

Provide more holistic services within the community

• Community-based services, one-stop where possible.
• Community development will be encouraged and supported to reach out to communities, encouraging participation in volunteer schemes, including local befriending initiatives and practical self-help, targeting some of the hard to reach/isolated/housebound people.
• We will work together across statutory agencies and with extended schools, children’s centres, libraries, adult education centres, leisure facilities, community groups, GP practices, health clinics, faith groups and other relevant organisations to provide integrated support in a range of local settings.

Encourage and support communities to work together to meet lower level needs

• Develop mechanisms to work with local people, in particular vulnerable groups, at a neighbourhood level, to shape the future of services based on consultation.
• Support service users to help themselves (eg skills and knowledge training, self-assessment, benefits advice, etc).
• Maximise opportunities for people to become involved in volunteering.
• Develop capacity of local people to deliver adult education, physical activity, information, monitor services, befriending and advice.
• Employ local people.
• Develop neighbourhood care models, eg setting up local clubs using local volunteers, buddies, gardening projects, collect prescriptions, etc.

On page 14 of the strategy we need to include NI 140 –Fair treatment by local services

When will you evaluate the impact of action taken? Give review dates.

The action plan will be monitored in accordance with the Strategy. There will include public feedback sessions to review progress and impact, as well as reviews of data. There will be an annual review by the working group to an open meeting of residents and stakeholders, results will be reported to the Adult Health and Wellbeing Board.

Assessment completed by:

Charlotte Fitzgerald

Community Services – Head of Strategy and Performance

June 2008