This highly sought after HCPA Prevention and Enablement Service aims to:
Support and educate providers to deliver preventative and enabling care, to increase mobility, prevent unnecessary falls, and reduce deterioration, through practical support and education.
Providers will embed the Hertfordshire ConnectedLives ethos by creating an ‘Enabling Care Culture’, and staff will maximise the independence of the people in their care, using a standardised strengths-based approach self-assessment toolkit, which is designed to facilitate the move from a ‘task based’ to an ‘outcome focused’ culture of care.
HCPA use the skills of Physiotherapists to upskill your staff with enhanced knowledge and practical skills, which will allow them to help individuals improve such things as sit to stand, mobility, and positioning, as well as how to spot early signs of deterioration.
An Enabling Care Approach
For many years it has been the culture in the Social Care sector that tasks should be performed for people who are in need of care, as they are unable to do them themselves. This is likely, at least in part, due to a lack of awareness about the principle: “use or lose it” and thus, a lack of questioning about whether a person has the potential to ‘improve.
With an Enabling Care Approach, HCPA aims to change this culture!
Recent guidance on the physical and mental health benefits of being more: active, empowered, and independent, now emphasises what has been known in Therapy settings for a long time, and that is: through an enabling approach, people can actually improve, and live longer, better lives!!
Moreover, the act of empowering others has an invaluable impact on the mental health and well-being of individuals who deliver care, therefore staff who receive this education tend to report greater job satisfaction and feelings of self-worth.
The NICE guidance NG47 2017 explains enablement as: “Assessment and interventions provided to people in their home (or care home) aiming to help them recover skills and confidence and maximise their independence”. However, this guidance, only refers to Intermediate Care Teams, and there is currently no other guidance on what is meant by the term Enablement and even less on how to create an Enabling Care Approach culture across all care settings. HCPA have therefore been working with all Stakeholders across Hertfordshire (HCC, CCGs, DTA Teams, Community Therapy Teams, Monitoring Officers, Safeguarding Teams) to create training and toolkits that are fit for purpose, and to ensure that everyone is aware of, and on board with, this revolutionary service.
Prevention is one of the seven key responsibilities within the Care Act (2014), and HCPA aims to support Care Managers to embed the correct governance, tools, education, and resources to prevent deterioration, to promote independence and improved quality of life. Prevention in social care is about encouraging people to be more proactive about their health and wellbeing. It can increase independence and significantly reduce or delay the need for care and support services.
The Prevention and Enablement Self-Assessment Framework actively promotes 10 topics that underpin Prevention and Enablement, giving homes one of the following as a status:
- Exceeded
- Assured
- Partially Met
- Not Met
This can be used to highlight areas that need improvement and facilitates the process of preparing to achieve Outstanding on CQC and Herts Monitoring inspections.
Targeted Support is a bespoke service which will be offered on a case-by-case basis, and the HCPA Prevention and Enablement team are always available to answer your questions and provide up-to-date resources. Education focuses on Falls prevention, Frailty, UTIs and Hydration, and Enabling Care, and the team also work with Care Homes to support them through the Prevention and Enablement Self-Assessment Framework. This is usually completed with the Care Manager and then education and support training is booked based on identified actions.
View the Framework here to use as a self-assessment tool.
Resources
- Click here to watch a webinar on Enabling Care, including falls and frailty
- Read this Resource Booklet!
- Sit-Less-Move-More-Full-Brochure.pdf (usercontent.one)
- NHS England – Involving people in their own health and care
- Click here for the government guidance on physical activity guidelines
- NICE Recommendations – older people: independence and mental wellbeing
For providers who care for individuals with a learning disability, visit the Adult Disability and Mental Health area in HCPA Members Zone and click on the Posture Friends side tab.
Click here to see the resource booklet for an enabling care approach for adults with a disability.