Adult Social Care Glossary, v 0.6

6.75 People may have needs that are met by various bodies. Therefore, a holistic approach to assessment which aims to bring together all of the person's needs may need the input of different professionals such as adult care and support, children's services, housing, experts in the voluntary sector, relevant professionals in the criminal justice system, health or mental health professionals.

6.76 A local authority may carry out a needs or carer's assessment jointly with another body carrying out any other assessment in relation to the person concerned, provided that person agrees. In doing so, the authority may integrate or align assessment processes in order to better fit around the needs of the individual. An integrated approach may involve working together with relevant professionals on a single assessment. It may also include putting processes in place to ensure that the person is referred for other assessments such as an assessment for after-care needs under the Mental Health Act 1983. In some settings, for example in prisons, local authorities should engage relevant professionals early to ensure assessors are prepared for carrying out an assessment in that environment.

6.77 Where more than one agency is assessing a person, they should all work closely together to prevent that person having to undergo a number of assessments at different times, which can be distressing and confusing.

6.78 Where a person has both health and care and support needs, local authorities and the NHS should work together effectively to deliver a high quality, coordinated assessment.

[Guidance note continues]

Care and Support Statutory Guidance

15.14 Local authorities, together with their partners, should consider combining or aligning key processes in the care and support journey, where there may be benefit to the individual concerned from linking more effectively. Combined assessments should only take place in suitable circumstances and where assessors are trained to do so. For example, combining assessments may allow for a clearer picture of the person's needs holistically, and for a single point of contact with the person to promote consistency of experience, so that provision of different types of support can be aligned. A number of assessments could be carried out on the same person, for example a care and support needs assessment, health assessment and continuing healthcare assessments. Where it is not practicable for assessments to be conducted by the same professional, it may nonetheless be possible to align processes to support a better experience, for example, the second or third assessor could be obliged to read the first assessment (provided there is a lawful basis for sharing the information) and not ask any information that has already been collected, or the different bodies could work together to develop a single, compatible assessment tool. Local authorities have powers to carry out assessments jointly with other parties, or to de-delegate the function in its entirety.

CASSG paras 6.75-6.79 use 'integrated assessment' to describe the scenario of multiple agencies carrying out an assessment of one person, which is defined in para 6.3 as a 'joint assessment'.

CASSG para 15.14 uses the term 'combined assessment', but appears to describe a 'joint assessment' as defined in para 6.3 (or an 'integrated assessment' as defined in paras 6.75-6.79).