Milton Keynes Council
Care Reviews and Reassessments
Xyla Health and social care (formerly ICS Assessment Services) was initially commissioned by the Council in February 2016 to support the remodel of the Learning Disabilities Community Support Team; through the review and reassessment of current service users.
Following successful delivery of this project, the contract was extended to Older People and Physical Disability reviews; where we undertook 200 cases which required an annual review or reassessment.
Key Achievements:
- Council required 80 LD Reviews and 200 OPPD Reviews
- Project required review of independent support leads and 12 month reviews
- LD reviews cleared in 12 weeks and OPPD reviews cleared in 16 weeks, all using qualified reviewing staff
- Assessments cleared on time and to budget
- 36 care packages reduced overall
- Savings made in 12.5% of cases, totalling £56,030 annually
Our Approach:
As part of their required efficiency savings, Milton Keynes Council conducted a review of their Learning Disability Community Support Team. Following this review, the Council decided clients in receipt of the Community Support Team’s services would be transferred to a newly-established supported living framework of providers.
In order to provide an accurate reflection of the support requirements for new providers, the Council required reviews of all clients in receipt of the CST. These reviews needed to be delivered in the context of changing social care review and assessment practice, as well as the introduction of the Care Act and need for council efficiency savings.
Xyla Health and social care undertook the reviews, creating a support plan to mirror their capabilities and needs. Reviews were then quality assured by our Project Lead before finally being uploaded onto the Council’s case management system and sent for authorisation by the Learning Disabilities Team Manager.
A particular focus within this project was the assurance that care packages met the needs of service users, while also ensuring that they were promoting independence. The assessments and all associated documents were processed through the care management system.
Benefits:
- Robust Quality Assurance and check / challenge of all support plans
- Full administrative support
- Identified reductions in the number of hours of care provided and the resulting spend
- Support plans, focused on increased independence, in addition to a strengths-based approach
“We recognised that a number of service users needed to be seen and our internal team were at full capacity. I received a recommendation about ICS from the Head of Service in LD following the successful completion of a project there. After consultation, we felt reassured we could outsource the responsibility for these assessments.
We were very happy with the overall outcomes and assessments submitted were of a high standard. We felt that ICS’s strength-based approach offered excellent value-for-money and assessments were proportionate to the needs of individuals assessed.
I am personally pleased that ICS’s work has resulted in substantial annual savings for the council and a reduced workload going forward. I would highly recommend ICS’s services.”
