S117 places an enforceable duty on both Health (Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)) and Social Services to provide aftercare services upon discharge from hospital. Neither the CCG nor the LA can charge for the services engaged to meet those needs.
Attenti were commissioned to help design a new collaborative process in line with national guidance and legislation which protected the person in receipt of care, the LA, and CCG.
The programme also involved the completion of outstanding reviews within a 10 week timescale whilst identifying inefficiencies and compiling data vital for SLT decision making across mental health.
All reviews were completed by Approved Mental Health Professionals in line with a collaborative quality assurance process. This ensured 100% first time acceptance of the reviews and the outcome negating the potential for future challenge.
Challenge
- High number of reviews out of timescale
- Process followed not consistent across practitioners
- Ambiguous funding guidelines increasing pressure on all services
- General awareness of S117 Outcome
The programme was designed to not only complete a necessary piece of work within tight timescales but to create new guidelines, policies and procedures in relation to Section 117 funding. Based on the findings from the programme it was recommended that ASC incorporated S117 into their standard annual reviews and renew a focus on intensive support for working age recipients of S117 funding to promote independence and work towards discharge. Attenti have since provided support to ensure the client receives the maximum value from their investment and the benefits continue far beyond the completion of the reviews.