Minor Works and Low Level Equipment

1. Charging for Minor Works and Low Level Equipment

Under Section 14 of the Care Act it is not lawful to charge for equipment or minor works costing under £1000.

If works or equipment have been agreed by a social work team as part of a personal budget practitioners should ensure that the financial assessment team is notified of the cost of the equipment or works, so that this is disregarded when calculating any financial contribution payable.

2. Arranging Low Level Equipment

Occupational Therapists

The need for low level equipment should be identified during an appropriate and proportionate assessment process and clearly recorded on a Clinical Reasoning Form.

The precise nature of equipment required must then be decided and, when making this determination practitioners should seek the advice and support of their line manager or the Equipment and Adaptations Manager as required.

When the most appropriate equipment is identified the practitioner should use the TCES Connections online ordering system to pick the stock, or to upload a special item if the equipment required is non-standard.

Practitioners should attach the Clinical Reasoning Form to the order which should then be submitted to their line manager for authorisation.

Standard stock

Assuming there are no issues with the information submitted or the equipment being proposed upon authorisation the order will be released to Medequip for processing.

The Equipment and Adaptations Manager will monitor progress and notify the Occupational Therapist when the equipment is in place.

Special items

Assuming there are no issues with the information submitted or the equipment being proposed upon authorisation the Equipment and Adaptations should be notified. They will then;

Purchase the equipment;
Carry out any checks in the person's home to make sure it is set up and the person knows how to use it; and
Notify the Occupational Therapist when the equipment is in place.

Monitoring effectiveness of equipment

The Occupational Therapist is responsible for making appropriate and proportionate arrangements to monitor the on-going effectiveness of the equipment as required.

Hospital Discharges

When arranging a hospital discharge the need for low level equipment should be identified during an appropriate and proportionate assessment process and clearly recorded.

The precise nature of equipment required must then be decided and, when making this determination practitioners should seek the advice and support of their line manager as required.

When the most appropriate equipment is identified the practitioner should seek formal agreement from their line manager before using the TCES Connections online ordering system to pick the stock.

The order should then be submitted to the Enabling Independence Team for authorisation.

Assuming there are no issues with the information submitted the order will be authorised and a prescription generated. Upon notification the practitioner arranging the hospital discharge should;

Print the prescription; and
Provide it to the person (or their representative).

The person (or their representative) should then take the prescription to an authorised retailer where it can be exchanged for the equipment.

Monitoring effectiveness of equipment

The practitioner arranging the hospital discharge is responsible for making appropriate and proportionate arrangements to monitor the on-going effectiveness of the equipment as required.

If the practitioner is of the view that further assessment by an Occupational Therapist in the community is required a referral should be made.

Social Work Teams

The need for low level equipment to meet an eligible need should be identified during an appropriate and proportionate assessment process and clearly recorded.

As part of Care and Support Planning practitioners should then explore the range of low level equipment available in the marketplace so as to;

Identify the most appropriate to meet the person's needs; and
Establish the exact cost of the equipment required.

When exploring low level equipment practitioners should seek the advice and support of their line manager, or the Equipment and Adaptations Manager as required.

When the most appropriate equipment is identified the practitioner must obtain the necessary funding agreement.

If the person already receives a Direct Payment

So long as the funding has been agreed the person can proceed to use their Direct Payment to purchase the low level equipment.

If the person is likely to experience difficulty ordering equipment or setting it up consideration should be given to a referral to the Equipment and Adaptations Manager so that they can be appropriately supported (see below).

If the person is able to manage Direct Payment

Wherever possible it is preferable that the person receives a Direct Payment and makes their own arrangements to purchase low level equipment.

Assuming funding is agreed the possibility of a Direct Payment should be explored in the first instance.

Making a referral to the Equipment and Adaptations Manager

A referral to the Equipment and Adaptations Manager should be made when;

A Direct Payment is not appropriate; or
The person is likely to experience difficulty ordering or setting up equipment; or
Equipment is required as part of a Safeguarding enquiry.

Referrals should be made via e-mail using otandsequipment@lbbd.gov.uk address.

Upon receiving a referral the Equipment and Adaptations Manager will;

Purchase the equipment, or support the person to purchase the equipment;
Carry out any checks in the person's home to make sure equipment is set up and the person knows how to use it; and
Notify the social worker when the equipment is in place.

Notifying the financial assessment team

Practitioners should notify the financial assessment team of the element of personal budget being used for low level equipment and this should be disregarded in any financial assessment process.

Monitoring effectiveness of equipment

The social worker is responsible for making appropriate and proportionate arrangements to monitor the on-going effectiveness of the equipment as required.

3. Arranging Minor Works

The need for minor works should be identified by an Occupational Therapist during an appropriate and proportionate assessment process and clearly recorded on a Clinical Reasoning Form.

Authorisation from a line manager should be sought during supervision and, when obtained a referral should be made to the Equipment and Adaptations Manager via e-mail using otandsequipment@lbbd.gov.uk. The will then;

Carry out a feasibility check in the person's home;
Commission out for the works;
Monitor progress; and Notify the Occupational Therapist when complete.

If the Occupational Therapy assessment was carried out following a referral from a social work team the Occupational Therapist should notify the relevant social worker that the works have been completed.