Department of Health launches draft guidance on single assessment process

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The draft guidance is available from www.doh.gov.uk and consultation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.