The ‘Home Care Today’ project ran from 2013 to June 2017. COTA Australia continues to provide access to Home Care Today resources which were current at June 2017. However they are no longer monitored or updated, and information may not be current.
Home Care Today has undertaken a project to explore the legal implications of the CDC approach to Home Care Packages. The aim is to ensure a balanced and positive approach to duty of care and dignity of risk that enables flexibility of service delivery within legal parameters. The project also explored other legal issues and strategies to address these.
As a result of this project a number of resources have been developed:
Consumer Directed Care, legal issues, positive risk taking and managing organisational uncertainty
This article summarises the findings of the legal issues project literature review and stakeholder interviews. Drawing on organisational dynamics, the article considers how uncertainty surrounding changes such as the introduction of CDC may lead to organisations becoming more risk averse. Given that CDC aims to increase consumer control and flexibility in service provision, this requires a positive approach to risk taking. The article suggests some strategies to assist organisations to balance their duty of care with the dignity of risk for consumers.
DOWNLOAD article: Consumer Directed Care, Legal Issues, Positive Risk Taking and Managing Organisational Uncertainty by Jonathan Pietsch
The Practice Guidance on Legal Issues in CDC has been produced as a result of the findings of the Legal Issues Project. The guide contains:
- an overview of the legal issues research
- definitions of key legal terms and a suggested decision-making process for dealing with legal and ethical issues
- a series of practice guides on the key legal issues raised in the research
- references to relevant literature and resources.
DOWNLOAD guide: Practice Guidance on Legal Issues in Consumer Directed Care
Home Care Packages: The provider’s guide to preparing agreements incorporating consumer directed care
This guide has been prepared to assist organisations to develop or review their current agreement. The 51 stakeholders from the legal issues project identified that organisations needed to meet a number of competing demands in the agreement. There was a particular focus on the agreement being written in plain language that was easily understood by the older person receiving the service. The guide provides the legal parameters, suggestions for ways to develop and/or review the agreement and specific information about special groups and how to meet their needs.
DOWNLOAD guide: Home Care Packages – Providers Guide to Home Care Agreements
Consumers Guide to Home Care Agreements
This guide has been prepared to assist consumers to understand their home care agreement.
DOWNLOAD guide: Consumers Guide to Home Care Agreements
Legal Issues Resources
Skills for Care UK (2011) – ‘Learning to Live with Risk: An Introduction for Service Providers’
DOWNLOAD abridged version: Learning to Live with Risk: An Introduction for Service Providers – abridged version
DOWNLOAD full edition: Learning to Live with Risk: An Introduction for Service Providers – full edition with notes on further reading
Faulkner, A (2012) JRF Programme Paper on risk, trust and relationships in an ageing society.
DOWNLOAD paper: The Right to Take Risks – Service Users’ Views of Risk in Adult Social Care
ADASS West Midlands Joint Improvement partnership NHS West Midlands – ‘A Positive Approach to Risk & Personalisation’.
DOWNLOAD paper: A Positive Approach to Risk & Personalisation – A Framework
Gateshead Council’s Community Based Services (2008) – ‘Positive Risk Taking Policy
DOWNLOAD resource: Positive Risk Taking Policy
SCIE (2010) – ‘Enabling risk, ensuring safety: Self-directed support and personal budgets’
DOWNLOAD resource: Enabling risk, ensuring safety: Self-directed support and personal budgets