Reviews of Services - Initial, Service and Annual Reviews
What are reviews and why do we have them?
Orkney Health and Care provides a number of different services in Orkney, such as Home Care; Day Services; Respite breaks and provision of equipment.
Services are provided to meet people’s needs and to help them live safely and comfortably, either at home or in a residential care home.
Once services are put in place, they have to be checked to see that they are working properly and are still required. You may need more help or you may be able to manage with less or no help. This is a review.
By law, Local Authorities must review all services they provide or pay for at least once a year. Orkney Health and Care provides and reviews services on behalf of Orkney Islands Council. Additionally, six monthly reviews are held by individual service providers, so most people receiving services will have two reviews each year.
Annual reviews
Annual reviews are usually managed by Social Workers or Occupational Therapists Community OT Team; Adult Services Teams; the Community Mental Health Team and the All Age Disability Service. Anyone who provides a service will be asked to attend and the service user can ask family members or informal carers to support them or contribute information.
Service six monthly reviews
Six monthly reviews within services such as Home Care or St Colms, for example, are managed by the key worker and a senior from the service.
Initial reviews
When you first have a new service from Orkney Health and Care, this service should be reviewed between 4 and 6 weeks from it starting, to make sure it works properly and to make any adjustments needed. The Social Worker or Occupational Therapist who organised the service will review it with you and will include the service provider and any other people who can contribute, such as Community Nurses.
Saying what you think about the services you receive
The worker calling the review will want to see you on your own to make sure that you have an opportunity to say what you think about your services. If you wish, you can have someone with you or have Orkney Advocacy support you.
In the review meeting, the worker recording the review will make sure that you and everyone there can say what they think.
If you have family or supporters who cannot attend the meeting, they can contribute by phone, letter or sometimes a video conference can be arranged.
What happens after the review meeting?
After the meeting, the worker will put all the comments and decisions made at the review in writing. The worker’s manager will then be asked to check the report and will sign it and recommend what is to happen next.
If everything is satisfactory with your services and no changes are anticipated, your case will be closed to the worker until the next annual review or until such time as your circumstances change and services need to be adjusted.
If your circumstances are likely to change soon or there are difficulties with services to meet your needs, your case will remain open to the worker who will continue to work with you until things have settled.
You will be sent a copy of the review to read, check and sign if you agree with what is written. You will be asked to return the signed review and will be given a copy to keep for your records. Everyone who contributed to the review will also get a copy of the report and can comment on it if they wish.
What else might happen as a result of a review?
It may be that the review decides that a new Single Shared Assessment must be done with you because your circumstances have changed and new services may be needed.
If you have informal carers, they may be offered a Carer’s Assessment to be undertaken with them by Orkney Health and Care or Crossroads.
