Social Services Delivery Standards

We want to provide good quality services and this is the responsibility of all our staff.

• All communication with the Unit, whether by phone, letter, fax, e-mail or personal visit will be fully replied to within 10 working days. Where detailed research or translation is required the enquiry will be acknowledged within 5 working days and a full response sent within 20 working days unless a date outside of this time frame has been agreed with the customer.
• E-mail enquiries sent to service addresses (generic e-mail accounts such as Helpdesk and Complaints) should be acknowledged within 1 working day with a full response sent as above.
• We aim to respond to telephone messages within 3 working days. If a course of action is agreed then this should be confirmed in writing within the above timescale.
• Telephones will be answered within 4 rings (approximately 20 seconds), ownership of enquiries will be taken and any messages passed on promptly. Some staff are based within local hospitals where arrangements may vary.
• Any adult who appears to have community care needs and is currently resident in Poole who is referred to the Unit, either by themselves or by another person or organisation, will be offered an assessment of their needs.
• Assessments will commence within 2 working days. Routine assessments will be completed within 4 weeks. Urgent assessments will be completed within 2 further working days. The worker will be trained and experienced in this task and have access to appropriate supervision and specialist advice to ensure that the assessment is of an acceptable quality.
• Care Packages will commence within 4 weeks of the completion, and agreement of the assessment.
• We will treat service users and carers equally and fairly, respecting differences in culture, religion, ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual orientation adapting services where appropriate to meet their needs.
• Service Users, their families and Carers where appropriate, will be involved in the assessment process as fully as possible. The Service User will be entitled to a copy of the assessment and care plan and others involved in the assessment will be given a copy unless the service user requests otherwise.
• Information will be given on the full range of available services and on eligibility criteria to meet needs identified in the assessment. Service Users, their families and Carers will be helped and encouraged to participate fully in making choices about care service provision to meet assessed need.
• Where no needs have been agreed as being eligible in an assessment, information will be given on other available services which may benefit the person being assessed, and help is available to arrange contact with these.
• Where care services are to be commissioned, detailed written information about charging issues will be given or sent to all Service Users and where appropriate their representatives, families and Carers.
• We aim to review all new care provision within 6 weeks. It will then be reviewed again after 6 months and then as a minimum, once a year. Service Users, their families and Carers will be encouraged and enabled to participate in these processes. A copy of the review or amended care plan will be provided to Service Users and where appropriate Carers. Monitoring of the quality of care services is carried out by the Unit's Contracts section.
• All Service Users will be given information about the Unit's Comments, Suggestions Compliments or Complaints policy and offered assistance in using this where necessary. We welcome all comments and suggestions.
• Complaints will be acknowledged within 4 working days with a response within 10 working days. If requested, the formal investigation at Stage 2 and response will be made within 25 working days. (This can be extended in complex cases) A review panel at Stage 3 will be held within 30 working days of the request, with the final response from Head of the Unit being made within 15 working days of the receipt of the panel findings and recommendations.
• Carers will be informed about services available to them and offered an assessment and if eligible, services in their own right.
• Records will be maintained of all activities undertaken by Unit staff in relation to Service Users and Carers and these will be made available to Service Users and others in accordance with the Data Protection Act & Freedom of Information Act.
• Unit staff are recruited and selected by means which ensure that they are competent. All staff receive an Induction and continuing supervision and training appropriate to their professional needs.
• Invoices will be processed promptly to ensure payment within 30 days of the date of the invoice.
• We aim to deliver all items of equipment, costing less than £1000, to households within 7 working days, unless structural work is required.
• People fit for discharge from Hospital, who are eligible for Social Services, will be provided with services as soon as possible.