Adult Social Care Accessible Information

1. Introduction

The Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to take steps or make reasonable adjustments to avoid disabled people being substantially disadvantaged compared to people who are not disabled. This duty is also set out in the NHS Accessible Information Standard (AIS).

The AIS is compulsory for all publicly funded adult social care services. This includes local authority adult social care directorates, care homes, nursing homes, day care, and providers in the voluntary and community or private sectors. The AIS aims to make sure that people who need to have information in a certain format or require support because of a disability, impairment or sensory loss, receive the support they need.

This is particularly relevant for people who:

• are blind or have some sight loss;
• have some hearing loss, are deaf / Deaf or deafblind;
• have aphasia (difficulty with language or speech);
• are autistic (see Working with Autistic Adults chapter);
• have other neurodiversity diagnosis including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia;
• have a learning disability;
• have a mental health condition which affects their ability to communicate.

2. Accessible Information Standard Requirements

To meet the information and / or communication needs of people with a disability or sensory loss, there are five compulsory AIS requirements. These are to:

• identify an adult’s needs (see Assessment chapter);
• record their needs (see Case Recording chapter);
• flag their needs so that they are very visible in their social care record;
• share information about their needs with other relevant practitioners, where possible with the adult’s consent and in line with data protection legislation;
• take steps to meet their needs (see Care and Support Planning chapter).

The Data Protection Act 2018 underpins these requirements (see Data Protection Act 2018 chapter).

 3. Who do Accessible Information Standard Requirements Apply to?

The AIS requirements, outlined in Section 2, Accessible Information Standard Requirements, apply to:

• anyone using Central Bedfordshire Council service who has information or communication needs due to a disability, impairment or sensory loss who is:
  • an adult in need of care and support;
  • the carer of an adult who is in need of care and support;
  • the parents or carers of a child or young person who is receiving services;
  • staff when they are receiving a service;
  • anyone who has been delegated authority by Central Bedfordshire Council to carry out its adult social care duties and functions.

Details of how Central Bedfordshire Council Adult Social Care apply the standard are available in the Accessible Information Policy & Operational Practice Guidance

See Appendix 1: Exclusions from AIS Requirements

4. Complaints & Appeals

As a first step, adults or carers who are not satisfied with Adult Social Care service or with a decision taken by the service should:

• discuss their concerns with the staff member they are dealing with; or
• ask to speak to the staff member’s manager.

The Council will try to resolve concerns quickly or explain why this is not possible.

If the concern is not resolved, or if preferred, adults / carers should use the Council’s Complaints Procedure to make a formal complaint, or the ASC Appeals Process to dispute a decision.

Anyone who wants to make a complaint or an appeal should be given information about they can do that. The information should be provided in a format accessible for their identified needs. Communication support should also be provided if the person has identified communication needs.

5. Further Reading

5.1 Relevant chapters

Interpreting, Signing and Communication

Adult Social Care Appeals Process

5.2 Relevant information

Accessible Information Standard (NHS England)

Appendix 1: Exclusions from AIS Requirements

The following are outside of the remit of the AIS:

• the needs of staff, employees or contractors (except where they are adults or carers receiving a service from the local authority);
• recording of demographic data / protected characteristics;
• recording of information / communication requirements for statistical analysis;
• expected standards of general social care communication / information (that is provided to individuals who do not have additional information or communication support needs);
• people’s preferences for being communicated with in a particular way, which do not relate to disability, impairment or sensory loss, and therefore would not be considered a ‘need’ or ‘requirement’;
• people who may have difficulty in reading or understanding information for reasons other than a disability, impairment or sensory loss, for example due to low literacy;
• expected standards, including the level of accessibility, of social care websites;
• ‘corporate’ communications produced / published by the local authority which do not relate to direct care and support or services, and do not directly affect people’s wellbeing;
• implementation of the Equality Act 2010 more widely. This includes other forms of support which may be needed by an adult due to a disability, impairment or sensory loss (for example ramps or accommodation of an assistance dog);
• provision of information in foreign languages – that is people who require information in a non-English language for reasons other than disability;
• matters of consent and capacity, including support for decision-making, which are not related to information or communication support;
• standards for, and design of, signage.