Single Assessment Process
Why do we have a single assessment process?
The government requires every local authority to have a single assessment process. This is to make sure that you receive the best help available when you most need it.
In Sheffield we are committed to strong partnership working, and as a result the Sheffield First for Health partnership has set up a single assessment process in Sheffield.
This means that Social Services works with Sheffield’s National Health Service Trusts, the Councils Neighbourhoods service, and the voluntary sector, to deliver services and improve the quality of life for residents of Sheffield. It has achieved this by the development of an assessment procedure that is used by all agencies in Sheffield for all adult care needs.
What is the legal context for single assessment?
A number of national policy documents, charters and frameworks have referred to the need for single assessment processes backed by effective joint working and partnership arrangements. Included in these documents are the National Health Service Plan, National Service Framework for Older People, White Paper ‘Valuing People’, A New Strategy for Learning Disabilities for the 21st Century, Fair Access to Care and Caring about Carers.
What does single assessment include?
The process will include the four types of assessment
- initial contact assessment
- overview assessment
- in depth/specialist assessment
- comprehensive assessment
An initial and overview assessment will be completed when you first have contact with services. The various in depth/specialist assessments will be specific to each organisation.
When will the care programme approach be used rather than single assessment?
If you need help because of lasting mental health problems, the care programme approach should be applied.
If you have a learning disability, the care programme approach rather than single assessment process will be used if you have a learning disability and a lasting mental health problem.
If you are an older person, the following guidance has been provided by the Department of Health.
- The care programme approach should be applied if you are an older people with severe mental illness due to schizophrenia or other psychosis. The assessment of your care needs should be based on the single assessment process.
- The single assessment process, plus critical aspects of care programme approach, should be applied to you if you are an older person with severe mental health problems, when you would be provided for under care programme approach if you were younger.
If you are provided for under care programme approach and reach old age, you may not necessarily transfer to being provided for in the single assessment process. This decision will only be made if it is in your best interests.
What other information is available?
You can view more information about the single assessment process on the Department of Health website and the Careline website.
You can view information about Getting help from Social Services.
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