Template for Impact Assessment Level 1: Initial screening assessment
Subject of assessment: / The closure of Sunningdale Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation and Crisis Service and the commissioning of rehabilitation and respite services from the independent sector.Coverage: / Care, Wellbeing and Learning
This is a decision relating to: / Strategy / Policy / Service / Function
Process/procedure / Programme / Project / Review
Organisational change / Other (please state)
It is a: / New approach: / Revision of an existing approach:
It is driven by: / Legislation: / Local or corporate requirements:
Description: / Key aims, objectives and activities
It is intended that the Council will cease to be a provider of mental health residential rehabilitation, respite and crisis services.The Council will continue to provide access to rehab and respite care by commissioning rehabilitation and respite services from the independent sector. The aim is to commission high quality rehabilitation and respite services from the independent sector for less than it costs the Council to provide these services directly.Provision of the residential crisis service is the responsibility of Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV). This organisation is currently considering its options regarding the provision of a residential crisis service to the people of Middlesbrough.
Statutory drivers
The Council does not have a statutory duty to provide respite or rehabilitation services and there is no legislation that says if respite or rehabilitation services are provided, how they should be provided.The Council has a statutory duty to provide community care services to individuals who meet the Fair Access to Care Services (FACS) criteria, under the National Health Service and Community Care Act. Community care involves “assisting people with social care needs, and enabling them to live at home, as independently as possible, in the belief that this is what most people want” (ref. Mandlestam, M (1999) Community Care Practice and Law – 2nd edition, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London). It is considered that the provision of residential rehabilitation and respite services will reduce the demand for community care services, such as residential care or long term packages of care.
Differences from any previous approach
The Council is currently a provider of residential rehabilitation, respite and crisis services at Sunningdale. It is proposed that the Council will cease to directly provide mental health residential rehabilitation and respite services and instead these services will be commissioned from the independent sector.
Key stakeholders and intended beneficiaries
Current and potential future users of services, carers, families, PCT and NHS.
Intended outcomes
- The aim is to commission rehabilitation and respite services from the independent sector for less than it costs the Council to provide these services directly, while maintaining current standards..
- To ensure that people with mental health problems continue to be provided with a quality service and are not disadvantaged by the decision to move towards commissioning these services.
Live date: / The proposal is subject to consultation with TEWV and it is a requirement that a competitive tender exercise is carried out to select a suitable provider of services, therefore changes are unlikely to take effect before July 2013
Lifespan: / It is usual for new contracts with the independent sector to be issued for 3 years with the possibility of extending for a further 2 years.
Date of next review: / A review of the new contracted service would be carried out within the first year of the contract.
Screening questions / Response / Evidence
No / Yes / Uncertain
Human Rights
Could the decision impact negatively on individual Human Rights as enshrined in UK legislation? [*] / None of the absolute or qualified rights will be infringed by these proposals.
Equality
Could the decision result in adverse differential impacts on groups or individuals with characteristics protected in UK equality law? Could the decision impact differently on other commonly disadvantaged groups? * / The Council has a duty to consider the impact proposed decision on relevant protected characteristics to ensure it has due regard to the public sector equality duty. The duty means the Council must have due regard when taking decisions to the need to:
(a)eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act;
(b)advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it;
(c)foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.
Consideration of this duty has shaped this proposal
Service users–The proposal is particularly relevant to the disability protected characteristic because it is a targeted service at those with mental health issues who require rehabilitation and/ respite care. Analysis of past use shows that in 2011/12, almost equal numbers of males (51%) and females (49%) accessed Sunningdale, the majority were white British (90%) and aged between 35 and 64 (75.5%). These figures are in line with the overall profile of the town’s population.
The current service has a 14 bed capacity for respite and rehabilitation care. It is proposed that a new service provider is commissioned from the independent sector to continue to deliver rehabilitation and respite services to people with mental health problems in Middlesbrough with 10 bed capacity. There will be no adverse impact arising from this reduction in capacity as analysis of usage figures demonstrates that the unit has been operating under capacity for some time, increasing the cost of the care provision.
- It is predicted that 10 people with mental health problems will require residential rehabilitation services at any one time.
- It is predicted that 1 person at any one time will require respite.
Staff –Because the proposal is to close the service and commission future needs at a reduced cost, it is inevitable that it will have an impact on staff as, depending upon the nature of the commissioned service, redundancy and TUPE may be required.
The closure and re-commissioning process will be supported by a range of HR policies to ensure there is no disproportionate adverse impact on staff as a result of their holding a protected characteristic which could be a breach of the Equality Duty.
Documents used to support this process include service review guidance, redeployment policy and redundancy policy. Based on the evidence available, there are no concerns that the service review will disproportionately affect any person because they hold a protected characteristic. Evidence used to assess this evaluation includes equality analysis of staffing included within the review and data on outcomes achieved by the team. HR policies have been separately impact assessed. Consultation will be undertaken on proposals with staff and relevant partners as part of the service review.
Evidence used to inform these judgements includes:
- consultation with current, past and non-users of the service who have recognised mental health issues, carers / families and partners
- analysis of usage figures.
Community cohesion
Could the decision impact negatively on relationships between different groups, communities of interest or neighbourhoods within the town? * / No direct impact on relationships between different groups is envisaged. The proposal is that the needs of people with mental health issues who need respite and rehabilitation care will continue to be met, however who delivers the service will change.
Middlesbrough 2020 – Our Vision
Could the decision impact negatively on the achievement of the vision for Middlesbrough?* / The provision of rehabilitation and respite services to people with mental health problems, contributes to the priorities set out in the Council’s long term vision including the following:
- Children and vulnerable adults are safeguarded
- People live longer and healthier lives
- Children and adults have the skills they need
Organisational management / transformation
Could the decision impact negatively on organisational management or the transformation of the Council’s services as set out in its transformation programme? * / The proposal is directly relevant to the transformation / change management agenda of the Council. The extent of the impact on this area is dependent on who the provider is following the competitive tendering process,
Next steps:
If the answer to all of the above screening questions is No then the process is completed.
If the answer of any of the questions is Yes or Uncertain, then a Level 2 Full Impact Assessment must be completed.
Assessment completed by: / Lesley Williams / Head of Service: / Tom Boyd
Date: / 10th December 2012 / Date: / 14 December 2012
[*]Consult the Impact Assessment further guidance appendix for details on the issues covered by each of theses broad questions prior to completion.