Improving outcomes for service users in adult placement - Commissioning and care management

SCIE Guide 14

Published October 2006

About this guide

Context

In 2005, as part of its Effective Services for Adults work, SCIE commissioned a practice survey to identify good practice assessment, care planning and social work in adult placement services, and to explore strategies for tackling barriers to good practice.

The project builds on an earlier study on person-centred approaches and adult placement, undertaken for SCIE in 2004 (1) and leading to SCIE guidance (2), in which service users, adult placement carers and scheme staff identified good practice but also highlighted a number of commissioning and care management issues affecting best practice in adult placement services (see Appendix 1).

Purpose

This guide sets out the findings of the 2005 practice survey, and suggests practice points for care managers, line managers and their managers, and directors of adult social care services, as well as adult placement schemes, to help improve outcomes for people using adult placement services.

The guide explores a number of areas and you will see these listed on the left hand menu. Within these topics it provides:

• A summary of the guide and the practice points
• Messages from the practice survey about commissioning, practice issues and value for money
• Suggestions about making good placements, from emergencies to risk assessment and advocacy
• The legal and policy framework, including the White Paper, ’Our health, our care, our say (DH 2006)
• links to relevant legislation, guidance and standards, and the Adult Placement schemes which were part of the practice survey.

Audience

This guide suggests how commissioners and care managers, and adult placement schemes, can improve outcomes for people who use adult placement. It is designed for people making referrals and those who are receiving them. It is also of use to those people who use services, their families and advocates, and adult placement carers.

Using this guide

The SCIE website is divided into three columns: the left, middle and right columns. The topics that are covered in this guide are listed in the left hand column. Click on these to access the topics.

Within each topic there are several pages of information, which you can skip to using the navigation in the middle column. All of the links are in blue. The right hand column also has links in the lozenges, either to a PDF of the guide so that you can print it out, or to other relevant information. The links may also repeat those listed in the middle column just so you don't miss anything!

Where available, practice ideas and examples are included that show how agencies have tried to improve practice and solve problems. These are self-reported and unevaluated. The examples are provided by those who were consulted as part of the practice survey, and reflect their own experiences. We welcome other practice ideas for inclusion.

Your feedback

SCIE welcomes comments on any aspect of the guide, which will inform future updates. We are also very interested in collecting examples of good practice. Please send us your feedback.