Policy Champion: Inclusion Coordinator

NANSA INCLUSIVE CARE AND SUPPORT POLICY

Policy Champion: Inclusion Coordinator

Lead manager:Leon Smith

Policy Statement and Introduction

NANSA exists to promote the care, welfare, interest, treatment, education, inclusion, employment and advancement in Norfolk of people of all ages with disabilities.
This policy covers the ways in which NANSA will meet the needs of those individuals who require additions or interventions as a result of:

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Sensory or Physical Impairment
Learning Difficulties
Emotional/Social Development

To also include other diagnoses such as epilepsy or autism that require individually tailored support plans in order to safeguard the individual and others from harm while providing care/support appropriate to their needs.

Objectives and Purpose of the Policy

Alongside NANSA’s Equal Opportunities & Diversity Policy (and advice set out by the Department of Health and the Department of Education in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice for 0-25yrs - January 2015)it isthe purpose of this policy to ensure that NANSA implements a framework that observes the statutory guidance for organisations supporting individuals who have special educational needs or disabilities.
NANSA’s Inclusive Care and Support Policy aims to ensure equal opportunities and equal treatment for those individuals who access our care/support. This does not mean we will treat all individuals the same way;NANSA will respond to service-users in ways which take account of their specific diagnoses, challenges and difficulties (and aim to remove barriers).

Scope and Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of NANSA’s Management Team and Referral Panel to ensure all new service-users are able to access a provision and support from NANSA that meets their specific needs. If NANSA is unable to meet the needs of the client then the referral will be refused and NANSA will need to sign-post to other more suitable provision (see NANSA Referrals Policy).
Ahead of an agreed start-date the NANSA Management Team across the support services will ensure all the information has been captured in relation to the individuals’ specific
diagnoses, challenges and/or difficulties. NANSA will then work collaboratively with the service-user and their family to ensure the support plan is tailored to meet their needs appropriately and safely. Wherever practically possible additions and/or interventions will be agreed in order to remove any barriers to NANSA’s provision of equal opportunities and treatment for all. These additions/interventions could include:

Epilepsy Care Plans (see NANSA’s Seizure Support Procedure)
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) including symbols, signing etc
Training (workshops or awareness training in order for staff to meet specific needs)
Reasonable Adjustments and Adaptations (particularly for those accessing academia)
A ‘Touch’ Rationale (see NANSA’s Positive Touch and Safe Handling Policy)
Reactive Strategies (see NANSA’s Management of Behaviours that Challenge)

Key-workers and Development Coaches will work with an assigned number of service-users and assist the Management Team with the reviewing of NANSA support plans. It is the responsibility of NANSA’s service management team to ensure that the information held on the CRM corresponds to the support team’s working documents (paper based records) and that all information and individual circumstances are accurate and up-to-date. The specific responsibilities and processes used across NANSA services are detailed on each department’s own Inclusive Care and Support Procedure.

Application and Monitoring

NANSA’s Inclusive Care and Support Policy will be implemented and monitored in the following ways:

NANSA’s service Management Team and Referral Panel will establish the needs of the service users ahead of their start date.
NANSA’s service Management Team will work alongside service-users to ensure a Support Plan is collaboratively put together with input from others who currently, and have, supported the client.
NANSA’s service Management Team will ensure every Support Plan can appropriately respond to an individuals’ needs and that it offers clear guidance and a rationale in relation to any necessary responses, additions and interventions required.
NANSA will provide the additional resources, training and equipment needed to meet their service-users’ needs.
The service Management Team across the various NANSA departments will each implement, update and follow their own Inclusive Care and Support Procedure: demonstrating ways in which they will Evidenceand Monitor this area of NANSA’s work.
Beneficiary feedback will be continually obtained from all service-users to ensure they feel their needs are being met and to look at the ways in which NANSA can increasingly remove the barriers standing in the way of equal opportunities and treatment.
Audits will be carried out to ensure Inclusive Care and Support is in place for all service-users and that evidence/monitoring is:

1)based on accurate and up-to-date information
2)consistent (all staff have adopted the agreed response to current needs)
and that:
3)staff have received the necessary training to support the service-user
4)staff have read support plans ahead of supporting the individual
5)staff competency has been assessed/recorded ahead of supporting the individual
6)any agreed additional equipment/resources are in place and used effectively
7)staff meeting minutes provide evidence of shared learning and consistent practice
8)Quality Assurance is completed by the Management Team as well as Key-Workers and Development Coachesin order to ensure a regular review of every individuals’ needs i.e. allergies, medication etc(see Inclusive Care and Support Procedures)

Definitions

Inclusion relates to many areas of NANSA’s work and has a vast and varied application in the external community. However, in the context of this policy (and the accompanying framework) inclusion relates to the ways in which NANSA will ensure all service-users receive equitable and fair treatment appropriate to their unique circumstances.
Equality, in relation to this topic, can be confusing and (when applied) counter-productive. Equality aims to ensure that all clients are treated the same way but Inclusion requires a different model known as Equity of Treatment. Inclusion does not mean we will treat all individuals the same way; NANSA will need to respond to service-users in ways which take account of their specific diagnoses, challenges and difficulties. The responses will vary from one individual to another; on outings and trips NANSA may need to ensure a lift is available for a wheelchair user. One individual may be supervised using the stairs while another be supported to use the lift. The journey and the ways in which NANSA individually supports each service-user may be different, but it is these differences in NANSA’s care and support (from person to person) that enable them to ensure Equal Opportunities for, and active participation from, all service-users.

Wherever possible NANSA will seek to remove barriers altogether (Liberation) by providing accessible and inclusive activities and services for all their service-users.

Legal and External References

SEND Codes of Practice 0 – 25yrs

Care Act 2014 (easy read)

United Nations Convention: Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

Mental Capacity Act (MCA)

Dignity in Care (Dignity Champions)

Other Related Policies (and accompanying procedures)

NANSA’s related procedures:

Seizure Support Procedure
Inclusive Care and Support Procedure (Children and Young People)
Inclusive Care and Support Procedure (Adults’ Centre)
Inclusive Care and Support Procedure (Train and Trade)

NANSA’s related policies:

NANSA Equal Opportunities & Diversity Policy
NANSA Referrals Policy
NANSA Positive Touch and Safe Handling Policy
NANSA Management of Behaviours that Challenge Policy