Planning and reviewing care and support arrangements

11.1   When the council has agreed to meet needs, we will support people to be as actively involved as they can be in planning and reviewing their care and support arrangements. We will involve the adult’s carer (if they have one) and: 

• any suitable adult the person wishes to involve 
• anyone necessary to support the adult’s involvement, for example an independent advocate 

11.2   Planning and review will be appropriate and proportionate to the adult’s needs and circumstances.   

Planning 

11.3    We will on a case by case basis take all circumstances into account and make every effort to reach agreement with the adult about how they wish their needs to be met. 

11.4   We will record agreed arrangements in the adult’s support plan and provide a copy to them and / or their representative and others as appropriate. 

11.5   People may prepare their own support plan if they wish but the council must be satisfied that the plan will appropriately meet unmet eligible needs. 

11.6   If the council cannot reach agreement with the adult about how needs will be met, we will:  

• explain the reason why the council will not agree to the adult’s preferred arrangements  and what must happen before we can agree the support plan   
• make arrangements to meet needs while matters are resolved  
• provide information about how to use the  Adult Social Care Complaints about adult social care procedure 

Making arrangements - when the council is helping to fund care and support 

11.7   There are options about how care and support is arranged when the council is helping to fund their care and support through care at home. People may:  

• apply for direct payments if they would like to make some or all of their own care and support arrangements - see section 12 Direct Payments
• ask the council to arrange their care and support for them
• choose a combination of the two 

11.8   People may change their chosen options at any time by notifying the council.  

11.9   Where the council is meeting needs through care in a care home, shared lives scheme or supported living accommodation, please see the Adult Social Care Choice of accommodation and top ups | Gloucestershire County Council  policy. 

Making arrangements - people who self fund their own care and support  

11.10   Most people who are self funding their own care and support make their own arrangements to meet needs as there is no need for council involvement.  

11.11   The council will make arrangements which it considers to be appropriate to meet assessed unmet eligible needs for an adult who needs care and support: 

• at home and asks the council to make arrangements on their behalf, or 
• in a care home and either: 

• • lacks capacity to make their own arrangements and has no legally appointed representative to make decisions on their behalf, or 
  • has capacity but is unable to make arrangements for themselves and has no-one to help them, or  
  • for some other reason it is appropriate for the council to make arrangements for the adult   

11.12   Where the council arranges care and support under paragraph 11.11, the adult will: 

• be responsible for the total cost of their care and support and for any arrangement fee applied by the council
• have a support plan which the council will keep under review and will continue to be subject to annual financial assessment unless: 

• • they (or their representative) ask the council to withdraw after making initial arrangements, and 
  • there is no good reason (for example safeguarding concerns) for the council to remain involved

Reviewing arrangements 

11.13   In most cases, the council will review care and support arrangements within 6 to 8 weeks of signing off a support plan to check that arrangements are meeting needs. 

11.14   The council will then review arrangements at regular intervals. We may align a review with the annual review of direct payments if the person chose this option for meeting needs. 

11.15   The council will also review care and support arrangements: 

• on a reasonable request by or on behalf of an adult  
• when it believes that a support plan is no longer effective or appropriate 
• if needs and desired outcomes can be met and risks managed more cost effectively  
• when a move between long term care homes is proposed - see section 14 
• if a top up is / is to be discontinued  - see section 10 
• when a care home / care provider no longer meets the council’s quality expectations or is going to close as a result of deregistration or a change of registration with the Care Quality Commission 

11.16   Where a review indicates that arrangements are no longer effectively meeting needs, we will work with the adult to amend or revise their plan. In some instances, it may be necessary to re-assess the adult’s needs and agree a new plan.