Tower Hamlets Reablement Service

Lead service provider/commissioner

Name:

Tower Hamlets London Borough Council

Type of knowledge

Type of knowledge:

Project evaluation

Type of evaluation:

Outcome evaluation; Survey; Interviews

Prevention service description

The Occupational Therapy-lead (but multiagency) service currently receives 100 referrals a month, from a variety of sources, including a First Response team based at the local authority who people and their families can contact themselves. 40% of referrals come from hospitals (including community hospitals) with other community-based health teams also make referrals, including community learning disability teams and community mental health teams. Following a referral an assessment by a social worker, using Fair Access to Care (FACS) criteria establishes whether a period of receiving reablement care will be appropriate. In most cases, service users will then receive a home visit from a Reablement Officer (an upskilled domiciliary carer) to get them set up

Each service user is allocated a key worker, and independence planner/superviser who will work with them to establish the things they want to achieve, in 9 domains including (but most importantly not exclusively) personal care, mobility, social and healthy-living activities, housing and money issues. It is a holistic assessment designed to put people in control of getting their independence back and preventing either social isolation or a return to hospital. No service user is the same so tasks will vary according to the individual. There is a real emphasis on getting people back into their communities, with carers accompanying them to activities and services, with the view to helping them get back to doing it by themselves.

Intervention/service type:

Intermediate care and reablement; Information and advice; Low-level support

Target client group(s):

Older people; Adults with long-term health conditions; Adults with mental health problems; Adults with physical disabilities