Social workers have been urged to prepare for the new health and social care single assessment process for older people, due to come into effect from April 2002.
The call comes in the Department of Health's draft consultation guidance on the process published this week. "Social workers should be prepared to update their skills and knowledge so that they are able to work effectively with older people, other disciplines and the assessment procedures," it says.
Social workers must also be able to accurately identify colleagues who will be best placed to carry out in-depth assessments.
The guidance stresses the need for agreed local approaches to the process to be established with a person-centred, standardised, and out-come centred approach.
The draft guidance is available from www.doh.gov.uk and consultation ends September 26, with final guidance expected in October.
