Assessment and care planning:3 conversations

A model for development – case studies

The ‘3 conversations’ model is an innovative approach to needs assessment and care planning. It focuses primarily on people’s strengths and community assets. It supports frontline professionals to have three distinct and specific conversations.

Solution overview

The first conversation is designed to explore people’s needs and connect them to personal, family and community sources of support that may be available.

The second, client-led, conversation seeks to assess levels of risk and any crisis contingencies that may be needed, and how to address these.’

The third and final conversation focuses on long-term outcomes and planning, built around what a good life looks like to the user, and how best to mobilise the resources needed (including personal budgets), and the personal and community assets available.

Outcomes and financial benefits

Initial evidence on the impact of the model suggests a significant reduction in the proportion of contacts that go on to receive long-term packages of care. The model has been shown to deliver savings to the local authority and high levels of satisfaction from people who have contacted teams using the 3 conversations model.

Partners 4 Change report that when the 3 conversations model was applied to 100 people in a local authority area, the overall cost of care and support (£750k) was reduced by £100k.

In another area, it has been estimated that if the model was replicated across the whole area, it would ‘create about £6m of savings for social care (mainly in reductions in usage of residential and nursing care) and £4m of savings for the NHS (mainly in the reduction in A&E admissions – using the King’s Fund analysis of A&E costs)’.

For further information, visit the Partners 4 Change website.

Conversation	Needs assessment and care planning questions
1. Initial contact	How can I connect you to things that will help you get on with your life –based on your assets, strengths and those of your family? What do you want to do?
2. If people are at risk	What needs to change to make you safe and regain control? How can I help make that happen?
3. If long-term support is needed	What is a fair personal budget and what are the sources of funding? What does a good life look like? How can I help you to use your resources to support your chosen life?