Trusted Assessor

Full Assessment Pack

The assessment meeting will normally be carried out face to face, usually by our Management team or another trained member of staff. The meeting should be carried out in a convenient and private place, usually at the cared-for persons home.

Assessments can be done over the phone or online, but this should only happen if the person you look after agrees to it. Online or telephone assessments are unlikely to ever be appropriate for people who lack capacity or have difficulties with communication.

If the person you look after agrees and has the capacity, they may also carry out a self-assessment. The local council will still be involved to help support the process and to be satisfied that the person has identified all of their needs.

The law says that local councils should apply an appropriate approach to enable the person being assessed to have their needs and wishes heard, such as to allow as much contact with the local council as they need.

The local council should consider the following when assessing the person you look after:

their needs and how that impacts on their care
the things that matter to them, for instance, a need to help with getting dressed or support to get to work
their choices and goals, for example, if they wish to take up a new activity or maintain relationships, and preferences for their day-to-day care
the types of services, information, advice, facilities and resources which will prevent or delay further needs from developing, helping the person stay well for longer (for example, the local council may offer them a period of reablement to reduce needs and regain skills, before completing the assessment)
the needs of their family

Our five Steps to the assessment of needs:

Step 1 - We will be asked for a copy of any current care plan for discharge information
Step 2 - We will carry out a quick assessment over the phone - This is to gain consent and check the personal information
Step 3 - Once this is agreed we will set you up a profile - via our online care planning system and will ask for a photo
Step 4 - Our Trusted Assessor will carry out the home visit with you and agree on the level of care
Step 5 - Our Care Staff will attend your home and carry out the care plan that was agreed.

We will also Carry out a Review of assessment needs - at least once every 3 months

Step 1 - You will be notified a week before the care review meeting is due to take place
Step 2 - You Care Assessor will make contact with you before the meeting to confirm how you would like the meeting - Over the phone or face to face
Step 3 - They Care Assessor will review your records and update them and provide you with a copy of the new care plan.

Download your Course Information here: Download the PowerPoint here:

Risk Assessment

Per- Assessment

Online Care plan

Review of Assessment

Once an Assessment has been Completed this needs to be emailed to Registered Manager, who will quality assure it and upload this to our online system.

Then the Care plan can be given to the service user in the hospital pack

Assessment Tools - Only to be used by the Nursing Staff

ABCDE is a comprehensive and systematic assessment of a patients physiology; airway, breathing, circulation, disability and exposure.
AVPU (alert, voice, pain, unresponsive) is an assessment used to measure a patients level of consciousness. See GCS.
Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (or ACE) – Well validated assessment tool for clinic setting assessment of cognitive functioning. This measures cognitive domains including language, visuospatial, memory and attention. Usage is usually in part with other screening tests such as blood test, ECG and MRI scan to inform a diagnosis.
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (or AUDIT) – A basic screening tool used to pick up the early signs of hazardous and harmful drinking and identify mild dependence and highlight if a need for assisted withdrawal is required.
Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on your weight in relation to your height and applies to most adult men and women aged 20 and over.
Braden Score (or Braden Scale) is used to predict pressure ulcer risk. It provides an estimated risk for the development of a pressure sore in a patient. See Waterlow score.
BUFFALO assessments are used to ensure compliance with sepsis bundles; Blood cultures, Urine output measurement, IV Fluids, antibiotics, Lactate measurement and Oxygen.
Beck Depression Inventory (or BDI) is a 21-item rating system that measures characteristic attitudes and symptoms of depression.
Bed Rails Assessment is used to help risk assess the use of bed rails with a patient.
Catheter Assessment is a check to ensure the device is still required, that the device is clean, shows no signs of wear, a fixation device is used and the catheter bag is in-date.
Cubbin & Jackson is used to predict pressure ulcer risk in a critically unwell patient, usually on intensive care. It provides an estimated risk for the development of a pressure sore in a patient.
Confusion Assessment Method (or CAM) is intended to assist with identifying the symptoms of confusion or delirium.
CAM-ICU is an adaptation of the confusion assessment method tool for use in ICU patients. See RASS.
Centre score is a set of criteria which may be used to identify the likelihood of a bacterial infection in adult patients complaining of a sore throat.
CRE Assessment (Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae) is a screening tool used to look for the signs of CRE.
DisDAT is intended to help identify distress cues in people who because of cognitive impairment or physical illness have severely limited communication.
Early warning score (or EWS, MEWS, NEWS, PEWS) is a guide used to quickly determine the degree of wellness of a patient. It is based on the six cardinal vital signs; Respiratory rate, SaO2, Temperature, Blood pressure, Heart rate and AVPU / GCS response. Some scores also include urine output.
FAST (face, arm, speech test) is used to assess stroke-like symptoms in a patient.
Falls risk assessment tool (or FRAT) is used to predict a patients risk of falling either in a hospital or at home.
FRAX tool was developed to evaluate fracture risk of patients. It is based on individual patient models that integrate the risks associated.
FLACC (face, legs, activity, cry, controllability) is a behavioural pain assessment tool designed for use on paediatric or non-verbal patients.
Glasgow Coma Scale (or GCS) is a neurological scale aims to give a reliable and objective way of recording the conscious state of a person for initial as well as subsequent assessment. A patient is assessed against the criteria of the scale, and the resulting points give a patient score between 3 (indicating deep unconsciousness) and either 14 (original scale) or 15 (the more widely used modified or revised scale).
Glasgow Depression Scale is designed to assess mood and the risks of depression on patients with learning disabilities.
Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (or GRACE score) score is used for risk assessment in ACS (acute coronary syndrome) which includes n-stemi, stemi and unstable angina.
Generalised Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (or GAD-7) – Screening tool used to measure the severity of Generalised Anxiety Disorder. 7 questions that can be administrated by a health care professional or self-administrated by the client themselves.
Hourly rounding is used to ensure patients are seen and assessed at least once an hour. It is useful in patients who are unlikely to call for help if needed i.e. dementia, delirium or children.
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (or HADS) – Used for Anxiety & Depression can be used in the community as well as a hospital. It is a 14 question Psychological screening tool assessing the severity of symptoms.
Hs and Ts -A variety of disease processes can lead to a cardiac arrest; however, they usually boil down to one or more of the “Hs and Ts”.
Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side Effect Rating Scale (or LUNSERS) – Is a self-assessment tool for measuring the side-effects of antipsychotic medications. Red herrings are included to check the accuracy of the results. The 51 questions are based on true side effects with 10 being false ones aim to help patients Identify, understand and gain awareness of side effects they could be experiencing.
Manchester Triage System (or MTS) is the most widely used A&E triage system in the UK, Europe and Australia, it assigns patients a priority and time-scale in which to be seen in emergency departments.
MUST is a five-step screening tool to identify adults, who are malnourished, at risk of malnutrition (undernutrition), or obese.
Mini PAS-ADD is an assessment tool for undertaking mental health assessments with people with learning disabilities
Moving & Handling Assessments are designed to ensure patients and staff are safe when providing patient care. The assessment shows the amount of staff, if any, required to assist the patient with mobilisation, pressure area care etc.
MRSA Assessment (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) is a risk assessment used to determine a patients MRSA risk status and if appropriate decolonisation needs to be undertaken.
Neonatal Pain, Agitation & Sedation Score (or N-PASS) is used, usually in neonatal intensive care, to assess an infants pain, agitation and sedation levels using body language and verbal responses.
PQRST (provocation/palliation, quantity/quality, region/radiation, timing) is a valuable tool to accurately describe, assess and document a patient’s pain. The method also aids in the selection of appropriate pain medication and evaluating the response to treatment.
The two-stage capacity test is used to decide whether an individual has the capacity to make a particular decision, it comprises of two questions: Stage 1. Is there an impairment of or disturbance in the functioning of a person’s mind or brain? If so, Stage 2. Is the impairment or disturbance sufficient that the person lacks the capacity to make a particular decision?
Traffic Light Assessment is designed for children or patients with a learning difficulty to help communicate likes, dislikes and preferences to staff the patient may not know.
Venous thromboembolism assessment (or VTE) is an assessment used to determine a patients risk of having a deep vein thrombosis (or DVT). It usually assesses the patients' mobility
Safer Nursing Care Tool (or Safer Staffing, Acuity, Dependency) is designed to assess the dependency of patients and any interventions required to ensure adequate and safe staffing levels.
SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendations) is the nationally recognised communication and assessment tool used in the UK. It provides a structured way to assess and communicate care. See ABCDE.
SBEAR (Situation, Background, Examination, Assessment, Recommendations) is a variation of the SBAR framework. See SBAR.
SPICT (Supportive & Palliative Care Indicators Tool) is used to identify people at risk of deteriorating and dying with one or more advanced conditions. Primarily used for palliative care needs assessment and care planning.
SOCRATES is a mnemonic acronym used by health professionals to evaluate the nature of pain that a patient is experiencing; Site – Where is the pain? Or the maximal site of the pain. Onset – When did the pain start, and was it sudden or gradual? Include also whether if it is progressive or regressive. Character – What is the pain like? An ache? Stabbing? Radiation – Does the pain radiate anywhere? (See also Radiation.) Associations – Any other signs or symptoms associated with the pain? Time course – Does the pain follow any pattern? Exacerbating/Relieving factors – Does anything change the pain? Severity – How bad is the pain?
Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (or RASS) is one of many sedation scales used in medicine to determine a patients agitation or sedation level. Other scales include the Ramsay scale, the Sedation-Agitation-Scale, and the COMFORT scale for paediatric patients. See CAM-ICU.
Waterlow score (or Waterlow scale) is used to predict pressure ulcer risk. It provides an estimated risk for the development of a pressure sore in a patient. See Braden score.
WHO Checklist was designed to reinforce accepted safety practices and foster better communication and teamwork between clinical disciplines it includes team introductions, checking the patients’ identity and confirming the proposed operation including consent forms.
Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale is a pain assessment tool designed around a set of faces which display different emotions.
Wells criteria is used for diagnosing deep vein thrombosis risk or diagnosing pulmonary embolism risk. See VTE assessment.
Visual infusion phlebitis score (or VIPS) is an essential tool that facilitates the timely removal of short peripheral intravenous catheters at the earliest signs of infection.