Welcome to the Fair Access to Care Services (FACS) e-learning resource.
We hope that you find it useful and enjoyable.

Who is this resource for?


This resource is suitable for:


Primarily:

  • people carrying out assessments on behalf of the local authority including: social workers, care managers, members of other professions and other staff using FACS to make key decisions about individual's and carer's eligibility for support
  • first line managers who are responsible for overseeing the decisions being made in their organisations about people's eligibility for support
  • staff handling complaints and appeals against FACS decisions.

  • But also:


  • local authority members.
  • GPs, hospital and other NHS staff, managers and Trust members
  • people using or seeking services and support, and their carers
  • parents of disabled children, and relatives of others requesting or referred for adult services
  • workers planning transition arrangements between children's and adult services
  • local authority and other staff providing information, advice and guidance to people who want to use services, those who want to complain, potential users of services and concerned members of the public
  • advocates, brokers and independent representatives
  • service providers, managers and workers in the private and voluntary sectors
  • trainers and educators of social work students, newly qualified social workers and those working in social care settings.

Learning aims

    By the end of this module you should have a better understanding of:


  • What FACS is
  • What's new, what's changed and what's remained the same
  • How FACS will apply to your practice.

  • Top tips to the 2010 guidance: What does this mean for practice?


    • An individual seeking or referred for help with a social care need, regardless of their impairment, is entitled to a FACS assessment that is fit for purpose.
    • An individual's financial situation must not pre-empt or influence the assessment of their social care needs. Eligibility assessment always precedes financial assessment.
    • Assessments and support planning are focused on ways to achieve agreed outcomes, not driven by needs or impairments.
    • Do not filter individuals out too quickly on too little information. Further investigation may reveal eligible needs behind lower level 'presenting' needs.
    • Think prevention, early intervention, well-being and safeguarding: they can prevent or delay needs escalating.
    • Think signposting, information and advice as routes to wider choice, whether or not the individual is likely to be eligible for publicly funded support.
    • Think personalisation to promote greater choice and control for individuals, and sustain options for carers.
    • Think beyond adult social care services. Suitably adapted housing, smart technology and equipment, improved health care, greater benefits take-up and community support can all help to delay or avoid the need for care.
    • Think self-directed support, direct payments, personal budgets and co-production as means to achieve more flexible, personalised solutions.
    • Recognise carers and personal and community networks as valued partners in care. Providing support for them is a worthwhile investment.

    Estimated time required

    30 to 40 minutes

    Instructions

    Work through the sections in order, starting with Introduction.