Adult and Community Services

Service Providers Assessments Team

The Service Providers Assessment Team was set up to revamp and raise awareness of the new assessment process when seeking Sheltered Housing accommodation and other services on offer to the elderly within the borough.

The team will carry out assessments for those wishing to move into sheltered accommodation schemes. Assessments will also be carried out for those elderly service users wishing to continue to live independently in their own home but with some assistance. These service users will be signposted to various services that offer the much needed floating support.

The team would also highlight the many and varied services which are on offer within the borough that can offer assistance to the elderly.

The Service Providers Assessment Team will be the link to the entire Borough's sheltered accommodation schemes within the community and will also develop and sustain service users' capacity to live independently in their own home.

What will this service offer?

Service Providers Assessment will ensure that the Frail and Elderly receive the right kind of assistance with their sheltered housing needs and will arrange access to the appropriate services on offer.

Service Providers Assessment will ensure clients are fully involved and listened to and that views and ideas are recognised when support is being planned. It will involve the client's family, advocates and other informal carers should the client wish.

It will deal with those things which are most important to the client and would involve working out the solutions, including choosing and changing housing support services to meet the client's needs.

The service would offer an opportunity for service providers assessment and its partners to share assessment information, with the consent of the client. This would avoid the client having to repeat information over and over again.

What is an assessment?

A service providers assessment initial assessment means we would collect information about you to help us understand more about your needs and circumstances and identify how these affect your daily independence and quality of life. When carrying out an assessment, your views and wishes will be service providers assessment teams priority. The assessment will identify not only your needs but also your strengths and abilities.

Assessments have been carried out in the past; what would make Service Providers Assessment different from the rest

Previously, different agencies have carried out assessments and planned support in line with their own services. This frequently involves duplicating information and making the client repeat the same details to various service providers.

The service providers assessment process would involve just one person carrying out an initial Assessment that would cover all housing support needs. If this initial assessment highlights the need for specialist help for a specific problem, then the information already gathered would be available to the specialist service and will form a key part of that Specialist Team's own assessment.

What will this involve?

When a referral is made to service providers assessment, an Assessment Officer will book an appointment with the client and an assessment will be carried out. This would cover detailed support needs and aspirations alongside the basic information such as name, address, date of birth, next of kin, GP etc. We would review the information to determine if the matter is straightforward, complex or somewhere in between.

Thereafter, the client would then be referred to a service provider who would then be able to offer a comprehensive support and care package where appropriate.

Where and how will the initial assessment be carried out?

The assessment will be carried out in the comfort of the client's own home or if preferred, in one of the One Stop shops situated in Barking and Dagenham. The Assessment would be carried out by a competent Assessment officer and, if desired, a carer or family member may be present.

Who can be referred to Service Providers Assessment?

Referrals can be made to service providers assessment if an applicant requires; sheltered housing accommodation; is 55 years of age or above; or if an applicant needs support from agencies and organisations that assist the frail, and elderly and / or any other clients of the borough that fall within any of the vulnerable groups.

How may this service be accessed?

Tel: 020 8227 2732, 020 8227 5175 or 020 8227 2730

Email: spainfo@lbbd.gov.uk for enquiries

Referrals to the team direct from the Barking and Dagenham Direct|

What will be the benefits of having this service?

With service providers assessment, it would mean a single point of access for all clients seeking sheltered accommodation and other services which would assist them to remain living in their own homes
Clients not requiring sheltered accommodation, will be signposted to available agencies / organisations for assistance
No more duplication of services for the clients
Clients will be given options to choose between similar service providers
Quicker turnaround times of all assessments
Improved customer services and satisfaction