Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013: statutory guidance

Statutory guidance on social care assessment and associated process covering adults, children, young carers and adult carers.


Section 9: Plan Support Planning

This section deals with support planning. It identifies the key requirements for a good support plan. It clarifies the choices that should be made available to a person as part of the support planning process along with the additional information and support that should be provided as part of this process.

General guidance on support planning

9.1 The support plan should be developed in line with the statutory principles in Section 1 of the 2013 Act and in line with this guidance. The plan should cover certain key aspects such as the personal outcomes which help to shape the plan, the resources (both financial and non-financial) which will help to meet those outcomes, the choices available to the supported person to arrange their support and all associated information. Table 10 provides some key ingredients, developed from the point of view of the supported person.

Table 10: - Support Plans: key ingredients

The people and things that are important to me The main risks and how we will manage them The people who can help me to achieve my outcomes
Where I can go for information and support My personal outcomes The things (knowledge, funding etc.) that will help me to achieve my outcomes
The things that I can do How I will arrange my support

9.2 The support planning process - the act of considering the outcomes and pulling together a plan - can make a significant difference to the person's life. In light of this the support plan should be developed in a collaborative way. A good support plan will demonstrate a link between the supported person's eligible needs, their wider outcomes and the support required to meet those needs and outcomes. It will be written in language that is meaningful and helpful to the supported person. It will be presented in a way that is engaging and helpful to the supported person as they embark on their pathway through support. It may include pictures alongside text.

9.3 The support plan may be developed in any type of format but it should be framed in such a way that it can be used as a living document. It should focus on what the person wants to achieve with the right help, rather than simply putting arrangements in place to stop things from getting any worse. It should be capable of acting as a reference point for the supported person, the authority, the provider and, subject to the person's wishes, other important individuals in the person's life. The parties involved should be able to return to the plan, review the plan, add to the plan or make changes over time.

Further guidance and hyperlinks:

Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services, Reshaping care and support planning for outcomes http://content.iriss.org.uk/careandsupport/assets/html/intro.html

Contact

Email: Heather Palmer

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