Community equipment and housing adaptations: draft guidance

Core Values and Principles

Access to assessment and provision should be fair and consistent, be focused on individual outcomes and enablement, have service users and unpaid carers listened to, have a say, be respected and responded to, and be reliable. There should be no discrimination on the grounds of race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief. Health boards and local authorities have responsibilities under equality legislation for ensuring that discrimination does not occur, and for promoting equality of opportunity. They are also subject to a proactive duty to promote race, disability and gender equality.

People needing equipment and adaptations, and their unpaid carers, need to understand clearly their right to an assessment and the assessment process; what needs can be met by health and social care services, and other agencies, as well as any costs involved. They should receive advice and information to enable them to participate in informed decisions about the outcomes they wish to achieve. Any decisions made, and the reasons behind them, should be transparent from the outset for service users, unpaid carers, family and staff.

The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 puts in place a system of carers' rights designed to listen to carers; improve consistency of support; and prevent problems – helping sustain caring relationships and protect carers' health and wellbeing – set out in our Carers' Charter. This includes each carer's right to an Adult Carer Support Plan or Young Carer Statement (sections 2 and 3 of the Carers' charter) to identify what is important to them and their needs for support. Carers also have rights to have their views taken into account in assessing the needs of the person they care for (section 5c of the Carers' charter). Every area must also have a local carer strategy and carer information and advice service.

When assessing for equipment and adaptations, there should be clear evidence that outcomes for the service user, and also the unpaid carer have been addressed in the care plan, and an updated adult carer support plan (or young carer statement).

This also applies to the transition from children services to adult services.