Brokerage Procedures

Before arranging a Domiciliary Service, you should make sure that the following information is available on Mosaic:

1. Completed assessment/reassessment or review;
2. Completed Care and Support Plan;
3. Completed Homecare Referral.

If any of the above information is missing Brokerage will not be able to arrange the service.  

Urgent or interim services

If the service is being provided as urgent or interim support and the information above is not all available, Brokerage should be advised of this, and the funding agreement should be clearly evident on Mosaic. A “pen Picture” of the person’s support needs and care required should be provided to the Brokerage Team until the assessment/reassessment is available/completed. 

1. Assign the Homecare Referral to the Homecare Referrals Virtual Worker through Mosaic; then
2. Brokerage will use all available information to identify a provider and arrange the service.

1. Alert the Homecare Variations Virtual Worker to any Variations/Changes to a POC;
2. Include the date that this Variation/Change needs to be made;
3. Brokerage will notify the Income Team of any changes in order to adjust Client Charges where necessary.

Note: Where suspending or reducing a service will place a person or carer at risk, you should not make any changes until risk management strategies have been agreed.

Before arranging a placement, all cases must be taken to panel for agreement to start a search. In order to do so a panel document must be completed, and you should make sure that the following information is available on Mosaic:

1. Completed assessment/reassessment or review;
2. Completed Care and Support Plan.

If any of the above information is missing or authorisation for the search is not agreed the Brokerage Team will not be able to arrange the service.  

Urgent or interim placements

If the placement is being provided as urgent or interim support and the information above is not all available, Brokerage should be advised of this, and the funding agreement should be clearly evident on Mosaic. A “pen Picture” of the person’s support needs and care required should be provided to the Brokerage Team until the assessment/reassessment is available/completed. 

1. Brokerage will send out an anonymised Assessment/Review and identify as many options as they can;
2. Brokerage will keep Allocated Social Workers/Social Care Officers up to date in order to feedback information to the person/family;
3. Brokerage Team will complete the Purchase Services for the Placement, complete any necessary contracts.

Note: If a placement is identified above the Contracted Rate the Social Worker must attend panel for final agreement.

If you feel that a specialist placement is required, you should discuss this with your line manager and only proceed if they are in agreement.

You should also consider whether the person may be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, Funded Nursing Care, or joint funding.

Before arranging a placement, all cases must be taken to panel for agreement to start a search. In order to do so a panel document must be completed, and you should make sure that the following information is available on Mosaic:

1. Completed assessment/reassessment or review;
2. Completed Care and Support Plan.

If any of the above information is missing or authorisation for the search is not agreed the Brokerage Team will not be able to arrange the service.

1. Brokerage will send out an anonymised Assessment/Review and identify as many options as they can;
2. Brokerage will keep Allocated Social Workers/Social Care Officers up to date in order to feedback information to the person/family;
3. Social Worker/Social Care Officer to arrange move in date with provider;
4. Brokerage will purchase the service on Mosaic and complete contracts with provider.

Note: If a placement is identified above the Contracted Rate the Brokerage Team will attempt negotiation with the provider to reduce the cost, once this has been completed the Social Worker must attend panel for final agreement.

Before arranging a placement, all cases must be taken to panel for agreement to start a search. In order to do so a panel document must be completed, and you should make sure that the following information is available on Mosaic:

1. Completed assessment/reassessment or review;
2. Completed Care and Support Plan.

If any of the above information is missing or authorisation for the search is not agreed the Brokerage Team will not be able to arrange the service.  

Once a search has been agreed at panel, please complete the Brokerage Team Working Age Adults Referral Form.

You should also consider whether the person may be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, or joint funding.

Urgent or interim services

If the placement is being provided as urgent or interim support and the information above is not all available, the Brokerage Team should be advised of this, and the Out of Panel funding agreement received by a Head of Service/ the Assistant Director should be clearly evident on Mosaic. 

1. Brokerage will send out a redacted version of the WAA Referral form;
2. Brokerage will keep Allocated Social Workers/Social Care Officers up to date in order to feedback information to the person/family;
3. Assessments will be arranged/completed;
4. Brokerage will review and negotiate costs with the provider;
5. Social Worker/Social Care Officer to take to panel for final agreement;
6. Agree start date etc. with supported living provider;
7. Brokerage will purchase the service on Mosaic and complete contracts with provider.

All cases

In all cases before arranging Respite, you should make sure that respite has been agreed as part of the person's Care and Support Plan. 

If respite is being provided as urgent or interim support and the information above is not all available, the funding agreement should be clearly evident on Mosaic.

Generic respite

Before arranging respite, all cases must receive the relevant agreement to start a search:

Block bed request = Team Manager

General OP Resi/Nurse Home = Head of Service 

The Brokerage Team require the Respite Referral Form to be completed along with an up to date completed assessment/reassessment/review and a completed care and support plan. 

If any of the above information is missing or authorisation for the search is not agreed the Brokerage Team will not be able to arrange the service.

1. Brokerage will send out a redacted version of the Respite Referral form and the Assessment/Reassessment/Review;
2. Assessments will be arranged/completed where required;
3. Move in date will be arranged by Brokerage using the requested Respite dates;
4. Brokerage will purchase the service on Mosaic and complete contracts with provider.

Shared Lives is support for an adult who can’t live on their own. Hosts share their home, family, and community life. People supported in Shared Lives learn new skills, take part in more activities, make new friends and become more independent. Through sharing a life together both people’s lives become enriched. 

All sorts of people can benefit from the support of a Shared Lives carer, particularly those with a learning disability, autism, older people, people with mental ill health, people leaving hospital or who have a long-term health condition, and young people in transition to adult services. 

Maximising independence and wellbeing is central to the Shared Lives ethos. Their Carers support people to develop life skills such as literacy, money management, cooking, use of public transport, and day-to-day living skills. Although for some people, the aim is to maintain their skills and help manage the things they find difficult to do without help. 

For further information see: Shared Lives.

Kent Association for the blind provide support that includes:

• Information and advice;
• Specialist assessment and initial emotional support (e.g., for people with newly diagnosed eye conditions);
• Rehabilitation and Mobility Training;
• Equipment recommendation and loans;
• Support with accessing low vision aids;
• Support with access computer training and IT equipment;
• Voluntary registration and Severely Sight Impaired (Blind) and Sight Impaired (Partially Sighted);
• Support with accessing employment, training and leisure opportunities.

For further information see: Kent Association for the Blind.

Medway's Deaf Services Team support the Deaf, hard of hearing or deafblind residents of Medway. They focus on maintaining and promoting independence. They provide a range of services including:

• Statutory specialist assessments if someone is deaf, hard of hearing or deafblind;
• Support for welfare rights, housing and employment issues;
• Equipment recommendations and equipment loans;
• Supporting with use of interpreters and equal access to services;
• Voluntary registration as deaf or hard of hearing;
• Educating colleagues and external agencies about hearing issues;
• Raising awareness of the barriers that deaf and deafblind people face.

For further details contact the information and advice line on 0800 132 320. This is a freephone open Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm, and Friday until 4pm.

The Intermediate Care service supports people in the early stages of recovery from an acute episode of illness through rehabilitation, enablement and mutually agreed goals. The aim is to help people return to their own home after a period of support in a community bed.

A key part of the Intermediate Care Service is Home First, which supports people back to their own home after a stay in hospital. This may include a package of care and or appropriate aids and small pieces of equipment to support during recovery. This is put in place for a short period initially but will be reviewed and reduced, increased, or removed in line with needs.

The Medway Community Support Outreach Team (CSOT) offers a need’s led, flexible and responsive provision, to service users who need support because of their Mental Health. The CSOT operates 7 days a week, 365 days of a year including evenings, weekends, and bank holidays at times and days that are best suited to the individual.

The team's key aims are to help people to:

• Improve their quality of life;
• Develop, improve and maintain daily living skills;
• Increase their self-confidence and self–esteem;
• Reduce the need for residential care, acute care provision;
• Promote overall well-being, equality and social inclusion;
• Support service users to rebuild and maintain family and social networks to prevent social isolation.

For further information, see: Medway's Community Support Mental Health Outreach Team (CSMHOT).