Cardiff review

Where a person with dementia who is being cared for at home displays additional or increased needs that may lead to an increase in the carer’s stress, then Social Services should consider if a review is required

That an appropriately phased programme of training be developed to ensure that Social Work Assistants who will be required to undertake assessments and reviews have a relevant social care qualification at Level 4 or above.

General Practitioners to be encouraged to develop systems to be able to identify when a patient has caring responsibilities associated with a relative who has a diagnosis of dementia.

Where a Carer’s Assessment is refused by a husband or wife deemed to be the main care giver, the assessment should be routinely be offered to additional family members who are also undertaking care giving tasks.

As an extension of the recent ‘Better Conversations’ training, all relevant staff undertake additional carer awareness training to further enhance a proactive approach in supporting carers and providing them with information

General Practitioner’s should make any referral on to appropriate services and should not expect family to make contact with services themselves.

All social care staff should ensure that the voice of the individual at the heart of the assessment should be heard. This should ensure that they are interviewed in their own right, and also alone if felt to be appropriate or necessary.

Day Centres to ensure proportionate follow up and further consideration where the “Getting to know you” forms are not completed and returned by the family.

General Practitioner’s to consider signposting carers of a relative with dementia to third sector for support and advice when they are presenting with stress related symptoms associated with a caring role.

Adult Social Care Services to ensure that concerns expressed by family members, and/or others, regarding any potential safeguarding concerns as regards an adult, when the adult in question is deemed and assessed to be an Adult at Risk, are acted upon in accordance with the guidance in Part 7 (Vols. 1 and 6) of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.

That Adult Social Care Service revisit the overall Review-related risk assessment process to maximise safeguarding and escalation measures. In effect, this would aim to improve the capacity of the Reviewing role to recognise when it would be more appropriate to conduct Reviews in person and where service users should be interviewed on their own.

Further, strengthen partnership working between the memory team and third sector to further develop support that is provided to family member s involved in a caring role.

In line with Cardiff & Vale Dementia Strategy, Cardiff & Vale University Health Board will encourage GP surgeries in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan to become designated ‘Dementia Friendly’ and provide literature, awareness and guidance on dementia to patients and members of the public

That Adult Social Care Service considers how to assess the risks in a case prior to being transferred into a Review.

A capacity assessment should be considered at each contact following a diagnosis of cognitive impairment in relation to having the ability to accept care and support.

Cardiff & Vale University Health Board to encourage GPs to undertake dementia training in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan in line with the Cardiff & Vale Dementia Strategy. Dementia training should also be provided as part of the CPET programme for GP education.