Adult Social Care Glossary, v 0.6

Events (Assessments only)

Assessments are a key event in the social care process and has therefore been included in the CLD specification to capture the full care pathway.
At minimum, local authorities should provide records for assessment events that involve a full assessment of eligibility for services under the Care Act 2014. Local authorities should also provide records for other types of assessment, including occupational therapy assessments of equipment including assistive technology and adaptations and reablement assessments. Where no eligibility assessment is made, the Assessment Type should be recorded as a Short Term Assessment.

DoLS, safeguarding, mental capacity and Mental Health Act assessments should not be included in CLD.

As set out under the ‘Events (All)’ section, carer assessments should be included where these records are available.

Assessment Type (Mandatory)

This field provides a categorisation for assessment events. It is recognised that local authorities will have different assessment practices and apply proportional and strengths-based approaches in different ways, including the ‘three conversations’ model.

If a determination of eligibility for services is made as part of the assessment, as set out under the Care Act, the Assessment Type should be recorded as a Long Term Assessment. This covers assessments of adults who may need care or support and carers.

Other types of care assessment, including occupational therapy assessments of equipment, reablement, and proportional assessments (Staged, conversation) that don’t involve an assessment of eligibility for services, should be recorded as a Short Term Assessment.

A financial assessment determines the client’s ability to pay for care services. There are three types of individual financial assessment/review for new and existing clients that should be included in CLD: new client financial assessments; planned financial annual reviews (statutory requirement); and ad-hoc financial re-assessments (when circumstances change i.e. client moves from Community to Residential). Annual updates connected to uprating at the beginning of the financial year should not be included as assessment events.

CLD excludes DoLS, safeguarding, mental capacity and Mental Health Act assessments,

The defined list of assessment types is:
• Short Term Assessment
• Long Term Assessment
• Financial Assessment

Data type: Defined list