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Tel: 0330 043 5423

Independent Social Work Services for Solicitors and Professional Deputies

As experienced Independent Social Workers, we can be instructed to complete assessments and reports for a variety of reasons. Often, we are instructed by professional deputies to assist them in their role. Professional deputies are tasked with acting in the person’s best interests and this can be achieved by ensuring that mental capacity is assessed regularly and care needs are assessed and then reviewed regularly to ensure that the person is receiving the required care and decision making is lawful.

Care Needs Assessments and Reviews for Deputies

We use the Care Act 2014 as a framework for our adult care needs assessment.  The Care Act provides a framework under which local authorities assess care needs.  They use this framework to assess a person’s care and support needs and following this, identify which services a person is eligible to receive.  The assessment must be person-centred throughout, involving the person and supporting them to have choice and control.

Our care needs assessments are person-centred and involve the person and their support networks to complete a thorough assessment.  All of our assessments are completed by registered Social Workers with experience working within local authority adult social care teams.  The purpose of a care needs assessment is to identify the needs of a person, how these impact on their wellbeing and the outcomes that the person wishes to achieve in their day-to-day life.

Are you a professional deputy and unsure whether the care your client is receiving is sufficient? Maybe you are concerned that it is too much, and costing them more than it should. We can assess their care needs and report on the type of care they should be receiving.

Mental Capacity and Best Interests Assessments for Deputies

We are experienced Mental Capacity assessors and often instructed to complete an assessment of a client’s mental capacity for a variety of financial and health and welfare decisions, including COP3 reports.  For more details and a list of some of the decisions we can assess, please visit our dedicated Mental Capacity assessment pages.

We can assist professional deputies by assessing capacity for any decisions relating to property and financial affairs & welfare decisions. We can also be instructed by deputies and individuals who wish to determine whether the person has regained capacity and whether a deputy is still required.

Deprivation of Liberty and Continuing Healthcare

Our care needs assessments and reviews come as standard with a statement concerning deprivation of liberty and Continuing Healthcare. We will comment on whether further action  is required, and for people already subject to a deprivation of liberty order or the deprivation of liberty safeguards,  we will comment on the restrictive measures in place.

Ongoing Support

We can be instructed to undertake one-off reports (care needs and mental capacity). However, professional deputies often instruct us on an ongoing basis to ensure that standards of care are maintained.  We can offer the following service to professional deputies:

  • Initial care and support needs assessment (reviewed every six months or sooner of required)
  • Develop care and support plan (reviewed every six months or sooner if required)
  • Mental capacity assessments in relation to care and finances (reviewed every six months or sooner if required), we can also undertake a mental capacity assessment in relation to accommodation if a change of accommodation is being considered
  • Visits to the person every month for the first six months (every four months thereafter) with post visit reports
  • Monthly phone/video calls to care staff to discuss the person’s circumstances and whether referrals to other health and social care professionals are required