This theme explores the duty of prevent, reduce and delay needs, how it can be exercised and how it links with providing support, whilst exploring options and benefits of prevention.
Training videos
The duty to prevent, reduce and delay needs
How to prevent, reduce and delay needs
Key messages
Who has the duty to prevent, reduce, delay? General responsibilities
- Local Authority when undertaking a social care function.
How can needs be prevented, reduced or delayed?
- Examples – provide information and advice, assessment, etc.
When can needs be prevented, reduced or delayed?
- Needs can be prevented, reduced or delayed, not only through reablement.
- The duty to prevent, reduce and delay is alongside care and support provision and applies to all interventions.
It is in relation to assessed needs not to eligible needs – as promoting individual wellbeing.
Reflective questions
Find below a set of reflective questions that will help you embed the above key messages in your social care practice.
- Have I taken a holistic approach which entails prevent, reduce and delay and not only support?
- Have I ensured that I am preventing all appropriate needs, then reducing those that can’t be prevented, then delaying those that can’t be reduced or prevented and supporting only those where prevent, reduce and delay is not possible?
- Am I working with the adult/carer in supporting the needs that require support, whilst at the same time ensuring other needs are prevented, reduced or delayed?
- Am I maximising all of the universal services, informal support, information and advice, etc. to ensure prevent, reduce and delay of needs?
- Have I prevented, reduced and delayed ALL identified needs and appropriately recorded my actions?