NQSW resource - Outcome statement 11: Community capacity building
Community capacity building: Legislation and policy
Take some time to explore our list of legislation and policy. This section will provide you with the legal framework and background you need when considering this outcome statement. Remember also to familiarise yourself with your local policies and procedures, as these may have may have local variations and interpretations.
These documents have been organised into:
See also the full List of policy and legislation relevant to all outcome statements (PDF file).
Click on the titles below to read more about each resource.
Legislation
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The Health and Social Care Bill 2011Open
This Bill, if passed by Parliament, will have a major impact on health and social care in England as it proposes to:
- transfer responsibility for public health to local authorities
- establish Health and Wellbeing Boards
- introduce GP-led commissioning
- reform health and social care arm’s length bodies.
The Bill's progress can be tracked on the parliamentary website.
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Independence, well-being and choice: our vision for the future of social care for adults in England – Green paper (2005): Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services – White paper (2006)Open
The Green paper set out a vision for adult social care. It was the basis for extending people’s choice and control.
The White paper that followed reinforced the vision and direction for the whole health and social care system. It sought to give people a stronger voice.
How this resource applies to outcomes
The Green paper and White paper were key documents of the previous government in setting the scene for the transformation of adult social care.
Link: Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services – White paper (2006)
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Strong and prosperous communities – the Local Government White paper (2006)Open
The aim of this White paper was to give local people and local communities more influence and power to improve their lives. It is about creating strong, prosperous communities and delivering better public services through a rebalancing of the relationship between central government, local government and local people.
How this resource applies to outcomes
Ensuring that people are actively involved in identifying the outcomes they want to achieve is critical. You can support this process by ensuring that the needs and voices of community groups and individuals are heard in a range of forums including those where services are commissioned.
Link: Strong and prosperous communities – the Local Government White paper (2006)
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Welfare Reform Act 2009 – Part 2 Open
Part 2 of the Welfare Reform Act 2009 legislates to increase disabled people’s right to control provision of services, as envisaged in the Independent Living Strategy (Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), 2008). Under its enabling powers, the Secretary of State can make regulations conferring new rights for disabled people to have greater choice and control over the way services are provided.
How this resource applies to outcomes
This part of the Act is a step towards disabled people gaining the right to control the provision of support services. It gives ministers powers to extend choice and control in further stages until the right to control is established. In your work with disabled people, you should be aware of progress towards the right to control.
Policies, procedures and strategies
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A vision for adult social care: capable communities and active Citizens (2010)Open
Freeness, fairness and responsibility are the values underpinning the policy document. The vision provides a clear steer from the Coalition Government for the direction of adult social care. The principles are laid out on page 8 of the report (Prevention, Personalisation, Partnership, Plurality, Protection, Productivity and People). The vision document is accompanied by four supporting papers, on safeguarding and personalisation; transparency in outcomes; developing the market; and building stronger communities.
Complementing the vision is the Think local, act personal initiative supported by ADASS, SCIE and many lead organisations.
How this resource applies to outcomes
This applies to all 12 outcome statements. You may wish to note the prominence of community capacity building, service development and protection (safeguarding) with joint and integrated working as a thread throughout.
The role of the College of Social Work and the commitment to ‘New freedoms’ (P37) should be noted. In addition, independent social work practices in adult services, feature in the changed landscape. Se also information about the Pilot sites for Children’s services.
Link: A vision for adult social care: capable communities and active Citizens
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Code of practice for social care workers and Code of practice for employers of social care workers (2004)Open
The Codes of practice for social care workers and employers of social care workers describe the standards of conduct and practice within which they should work.
How this resource applies to outcomes
These are the Codes by which all your practice is measured. They encapsulate the professionalism expected from regulators, employers and those who use services. Any concerns should be raised with supervisors and addressed immediately.
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Common core principles to support self-care: a guide to support implementation (2008)Open
Skills for Health and Skills for Care have worked with key stakeholders, including people who use services, and carers, to develop a set of Common core principles to support self-care. The principles capture best practice in order to support service reform and promote choice, control, independence and participation of people who use services.
- Principle 1: Ensure individuals are able to make informed choices to manage their self-care needs.
- Principle 2: Communicate effectively to enable individuals to assess their needs, and develop and gain confidence to self-care.
- Principle 3: Support and enable individuals to access appropriate information to manage their self-care needs.
- Principle 4: Support and enable individuals to develop skills in self-care.
- Principle 5: Support and enable individuals to use technology to support self-care.
- Principle 6: Advise individuals how to access support networks and participate in the planning, development and evaluation of services.
- Principle 7: Support and enable risk management and risk taking to maximise independence and choice.
How this resource applies to outcomes
These principles are fundamental for a NQSW and are key to demonstrating that the outcome statements have been achieved.
Link: Common core principles to support self-care: a guide to support implementation (2008)
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Encouraging user involvement in commissioning: a resource for commissioners (1996) Open
This book aims to give practical advice to those wishing to promote user involvement, helping to clarify the tasks which are part of any successful initiative concerning service users. Part 1 considers the foundations and infrastructure – information, communication, and decision-making. It discusses commissioners' anxieties about user involvement, the skills required, budget requirements, and aims and objectives. Part 2 covers various methods for involving users and identifies advantages and disadvantages of each method.
How this resource applies to outcomes
Developing and sustaining professional relationships is the basis for demonstrating effective work with individuals, families, carers, groups and communities. Understanding the needs of particular communities, with a view to identifying more appropriate services and plugging gaps in provision, can only be successful if people from those communities have fully participated in the whole process of development.
Link: Not available electronically.
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Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) (2008)Open
Since 1 April 2008, local authorities and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) have been under a statutory duty to produce a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). JSNAs inform Local Area Agreements and the Sustainable Communities Strategy. The Department of Health (DH) offers tools and guidance for undertaking a JSNA.
How this resource applies to outcomes
It is crucial to be aware of the diversity of culture and ethnicity, age and levels of disability in your area in order to allocate resources in the future. As a NQSW you are in an ideal situation to inform the JSNA about the needs and gaps in provision. This can be based on consultation with people in the community as well as the individuals, families and carers with whom you work directly.
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Living well with dementia: a national dementia strategy (2009): Living well with dementia: a national dementia strategy implementation plan (2009)Open
This strategy provides a strategic framework within which local services can:
- deliver quality improvements to dementia services and address health inequalities relating to dementia
- provide advice, guidance and support for health and social care commissioners in the planning, development and monitoring of services.
- provide a guide to the content of high-quality services for dementia.
How this resource applies to outcomes
As a NQSW you need to demonstrate how you have worked effectively with private, voluntary sector, micro and direct employers to provide a package of support. You need to work with and understand the different structures and governance of these organisations and ensure your approach reflects these differences in working towards improving outcomes for individuals with dementia, their families and carers.
Link: Living well with dementia: a national dementia strategy (2009)
Link: Living well with dementia: a national dementia strategy implementation plan (2009) (PDF file)
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Mental health and social exclusion (2004)Open
This Social Exclusion Unit report sets out a 27-point action plan to bring together the work of government departments and other organisations in a concerted effort to challenge attitudes towards mental health. Action falls into six categories:
- stigma and discrimination
- the role of health and social care in tackling social exclusion
- employment
- supporting families and community participation
- getting the basics right
- making it happen.
How this resource applies to outcomes
Tackling social exclusion and enabling participation is an essential part of social work. You will need to demonstrate an understanding of the environmental factors that promote or undermine the capacity and capabilities of communities.
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National Service Framework for older people and system reform (2001)Open
The National Service Framework (NSF) for older people was published in March 2001 as a ten-year programme. It sets new national standards and service models of care across health and social services for all older people. In order to deliver improved lives and greater value for money, work to redesign services and systems incorporates five key areas:
- early intervention for old age conditions
- streaming to specialist care in crisis situations
- early transfer to the community for rehabilitation in intermediate care
- multidisciplinary assessment prior to care home placement
- partnership working across health and social care.
How this resource applies to outcomes
As a NQSW you need to demonstrate how you have worked effectively with private, voluntary sector, micro and direct employers to provide a package of support. You need to work with and understand the different structures and governance of these organisations and ensure your approach reflects these differences in working towards improving outcomes for individuals, their families and carers. Finding ways to fill gaps in a care package is a key part of your role.
Link: National Service Framework for older people and system reform (2001)
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Putting people first (2007)Open
The shared ambition of this policy is to put people first through a radical reform of public services, enabling people to live their own lives as they wish, confident that services are of high quality, are safe and promote their own individual needs for independence, well-being and dignity. It set out the shared aims and values which would guide the transformation of adult social care.
How this resource applies to outcomes
In terms of building community capacity, this concordat provided a vision for ensuring groups and communities were involved, heard and understood in the identification of gaps and development of services.
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Reaching out: an action plan on social exclusion (2006): Think Family: improving the life chances of families at risk (2008) Open
The action plan on social exclusion identified five key principles to inform the government’s approach and actions:
- better identification and earlier intervention
- systematically identifying ‘what works’
- promoting multi-agency working
- personalisation, rights and responsibilities
- supporting achievement and managing underperformance.
Additionally, the Families at risk review has heard a clear message: excellent children’s services and excellent adults’ services are not enough in isolation. To transform life chances and break the cycle of disadvantage, services must go further. They must Think Family. A system that Thinks Family has no ‘wrong door’: contact with any one service gives access to a wider system of support.
How this resource applies to outcomes
Current policy promotes early intervention and prevention as well as the involvement of families in developing packages of care. Think Family means going beyond the traditional and separate set up of children’s and adults’ services, using family strength and resilience to build capacity and improve outcomes.
Link: Reaching out: an action plan on social exclusion (2006) (PDF)
Link: Think Family: improving the life chances of families at risk (2008) (PDF)
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Reward and recognition: The principles and practice of service user payment and reimbursement in health and social care (2006)Open
This guide aims to support local health and social care organisations with the principles and practice of reimbursing and paying service users for their involvement. It sets out the principles of best practice for reimbursement and payment for involvement.
How this resource applies to outcomes
Paying people for their time and expertise is best practice but it can be undermined by conflicting advice and opinion. It is also clouded by the regulations surrounding benefit claims and the restrictions this places upon people’s ability to accept income from employment. The basic principle is to discuss reimbursement with those involved and encourage them to seek advice wherever possible.
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Transition: moving on well A good practice guide for health professionals and their partners on transition planning for young people with complex health needs or a disability (2008)Open
For all young people, the transition from childhood to adulthood involves consolidating identity, achieving independence, establishing adult relationships and finding meaningful occupation. For young people who are sick or disabled, this transition is made more difficult by concerns about how and where their health and social care needs will be met.
How this resource applies to outcomes
Transition from children’s to adults’ services can be a difficult time, fraught with tension about a range of issues, including who will pay for continuing care and whether or not the young person meets the threshold for adult care. It can be extremely stressful for both the young person and the family. As a NQSW you need to show that you have an understanding of these issues and that you are able to work collaboratively with other services. Essential to this process is working with the individual, their family and carers as well as the wider community to build capacity and enable the young person to have as much control as possible over their lives.
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Valuing employment now: real jobs for people with learning disabilities (2009) Open
The Social Exclusion Task Force, in partnership with the Department of Health (DH) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), led the publication of this cross-government learning disability employment strategy. The strategy sets out a vision to increase the number of real jobs for people with learning disabilities.
How this resource applies to outcomes
As a NQSW you need to demonstrate an understanding of the barriers people face in achieving positive outcomes, particularly when experiencing discrimination, and show how you have assisted people to exercise their rights and aspirations to gain employment. This may include providing information and support to access both universal and specialist services.
Link: Valuing employment now: real jobs for people with learning disabilities (2009)
