Team overviews

These two teams are designed to be the front door to adult social care with a remit in line with the Care Act 2014, to reduce and delay the need for further social care interventions. These are large teams comprising of a team manager for each locality, principal social worker or care manager, registered social workers, assessment and enablement workers and community support workers.

Workers are located in various locations around the county to ensure they are integrated with the local communities and aware of resources, groups, etc. that may be available for individuals to access.

The service includes different types of staff that can provide, amongst other things, the following functions:

• community connecting
• housing support
• enablement
• practical support
• volunteering support
• MH support
• completion of social circumstance reports
• trusted strength based assessments
• assistive technology
• occupational therapy
• links with MAPPA
• referrals from prison
• safeguarding concerns

There are links with the psychiatric hospitals, providing short term support where it is appropriate and access to the Mental Health intermediate teams. There are two locality teams based in Northampton and Kettering.

​The Health Assessment Team (HAT) is a vibrant and fast paced team, providing social care support to the two acute hospitals, community hospitals and Specialist Care Centre reablement beds in Northamptonshire.

The team is made up of qualified Social Workers, Care Managers and Assessment and Enablement workers who are based at the two acute sites.

The remit of the team is to ensure timely, safe and appropriate discharges and to ensure flow through the hospital system, working closely with partners from health and the voluntary sector.

Our work is framed by the requirements of the Care Act 2014 and the need to ensure delayed transfers of care are kept to a minimum and the team has an ethos of 'Think Home First' and reablement is pursued whenever possible to promote independence and reduce or delay the need for ongoing support.

Working with customers and carers at time of crisis is particularly rewarding and, in return for managing the challenges that this environment can present, you will receive regular informal and formal supervision and the opportunity to be part of and learn from the multi-disciplinary team within the hospitals and reablement centres.

Working from a variety of sites around the county is encouraged and ensures that professional and personal development is ongoing alongside more formal training opportunities.

With the ever-changing face of health and social care no two days are the same and if you thrive on promoting positive customer outcomes, enjoy a fast paced environment and want to experience close partnership working then this may well be the team for you. 

​The team provides support to customers from 25 years of age onwards, who have a diagnosed learning disability or who have eligible support needs due to a learning difficulty. The aim of the service is to support individuals to be as independent as possible and to provide Care Act compliant assessment, reassessments and reviews that are strength based and focus on the outcomes they wish to achieve.

The team will complete care and support plans with customers to outline how they hope to achieve their identified outcomes which will enable the brokerage to source appropriate support. During their involvement the team ensure that due consideration is given to any complexities arising from a lack of capacity, ensuring that appropriate steps are taken to complete bet interest meetings and where applicable Court of Protection proceedings. The team will also lead on safeguarding enquiries and ensure that customers are appropriately safeguarded.

The team is countywide and is based in Angel, the principles of next generation working applies with workers using perches within other locations within the county as well as utilising mobile working technology.

​The team provides support to customers between the ages of 25 and 65 years of age who, due to a physical health condition or limitation or acquired brain injury, meet the eligibility for support from adult social care. The team completes Care Act compliant assessments, reassessments and reviews with a view to supporting individuals to be as independent as possible.

The team will complete care and support plans with customers to outline how they hope to achieve their identified outcomes which will enable the brokerage to source appropriate support. During their involvement the team ensure that due consideration is given to any complexities arising from a lack of capacity, ensuring that appropriate steps are taken to complete bet interest meetings and where applicable Court of Protection proceedings.

The team will also lead on safeguarding enquiries and ensure that customers are appropriately safeguarded. The team is countywide and is based in One Angel Square, the principles of next generation working applies with workers using perches within other locations within the county as well as utilising mobile working technology

​The team supports young people who are between the ages of 18 and 25 years of age and young people who are transitioning from children's services. The aim of the team is to provide seamless transitions for those with eligible adult social care needs. They work closely with the disabled children's team, looked after children's team, leaving care services and the education health and care planning team, ensuring that they receive an assessment and input from the team prior to their 18 birthday when they transfer to ASC.

The team will complete care and support plans with young people to outline how they hope to achieve their identified outcomes which will enable the brokerage to source appropriate support. During their involvement, the team ensure that due consideration is given to any complexities arising from a lack of capacity, ensuring that appropriate steps are taken to complete bet interest meetings and, where applicable, Court of Protection proceedings.

The team will also lead on safeguarding enquiries and ensure that customers are appropriately safeguarded. The team is countywide and is based at One Angel Square, the principles of next generation working applies with workers using perches within other locations within the county as well as utilising mobile working technology

​The team works closely with the CCG’s CHC team and acts as the link between them and NASS, the aim being to ensure CHC assessments are attended by a LA rep and that the team support other parts of NASS in relation to CHC queries. The team will attend CHC assessments when the individual is not known to NASS or currently doesn’t have an allocated worker, in addition they attend CHC panels and are involved in the dispute process.

​The team supports adult customers across the county who have a diagnosed mental health condition (mental illness or functional mental disorder) or autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with no associated learning disability. We undertake comprehensive assessments of social care needs under the framework of the Care Act 2014 and/or s.117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007). Where eligible or s.117 social care needs are identified we work collaboratively with customers to develop plans of support that are outcome focused and aimed at maximising independence, minimising reliance on the provision of statutory care services and promoting wellbeing. Support plans are reviewed regularly.

Workers within the team work closely with colleagues in health, including psychiatric in-patient services, and other partner agencies to ensure customer’s needs are addressed by the most appropriate service.

While the assessment and review of customers’ social needs forms the bulk of the team’s work, we also undertake safeguarding investigations, Court of Protection proceedings, mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and a range of duties under the Mental Health Act.

We are a supportive and energetic team, one that strives to be the best we can be. We encourage learning, professional development and innovation. The team has developed and agreed standards of recording that exceed the standard proscribed in the current Recording with Care Policy. We are looking to introduce an allocation process that will, hopefully, increase throughput (benefitting the customer, worker and organisation), and are finalising team processes so that workers are clear about their role, tasks and the timeframes for completion.

​The Older Person's (OP) teams provide services to people aged 65 and over requiring assessment and support for Care Act eligible social care needs. The teams consist of Team Managers, Principal practitioners, Social Workers and Assessment and Enablement workers, including experienced Care Managers from the previous structure.

The teams deal with specialist and complex cases including Court of Protection and Deprivations of Liberty Safeguards, Mental Capacity Act and safeguarding alerts, enquiries and investigations. The teams also undertake initial and annual or scheduled reviews. The remit of the OP teams is substantial and, as would be expected in such a service, involves working with customers, carers and family members who present with complex and challenging needs.

Covering the whole county, the OP teams operate in both dense urban conurbations and large rural areas where resources are scarce and opportunities for informal support networks are a challenge. There are two locality teams based in Northampton and Kettering.

​Northamptonshire County Council is committed to ensuring that those individuals experiencing mental health crises within the county of Northamptonshire are offered a timely and appropriate response from Approved Mental Professionals which matches the risks, at whatever times of day those occur.

Northamptonshire AMPH service provides a dedicated service operating between 9am and 9pm to respond to requests from individuals who are in mental health crisis and are considered to need admission to hospital using the powers of the Mental Health Act (MHA). The service operates using the legal frameworks of the MHA 1983, the MCA 2005 and the Care Act 2014.

We respond to requests from a range of referrers which include health professionals (e.g. police, local hospital trusts and families and carers). Our aim is to ensure that individuals are afforded professional scrutiny of all requests and, whenever possible, the least restrictive options for care and support will be arranged. This will mean that some requests for our service are appropriately diverted to other services if the level of risk does not indicate that a MHA assessment and possible admission is necessary. The team will also ensure that referrers have made valid attempts to see and offer support prior to making requests to the AMHP service.

Where a referral indicates a significant risk to the persons own health, own safety, or the protection of others, then a MHA assessment will be co-ordinated by the AMHP. The team will give consideration to the timing of any MHA assessments and, whenever possible, will try to respond to customers experiencing crises within daytime hours when professionals, family and carers, who may know the customer, are available to contribute to that assessment.

The service is not constrained by age restrictions or any specialist need. We ensure that careful coordination delivers compliance with the MHA Code of Practice and is tailored to the specific needs of the individual at the heart of the process.

Northamptonshire Deprivations of Liberty Service is responsible for providing the Supervisory Body function for Northamptonshire as defined under the MCA 2005, Deprivation of Liberty Code of Practice and operates using the legal framework of the MCA 2005, the MHA 1983 and the Care Act 2014, and adheres to local and national policy and guidance, and associated codes of practice.

Local Authorities have a responsibility to protect the human rights of all vulnerable people within their geographical area of control, particularly in reference to these safeguards. Those who may be at risk of Deprivation of Liberty are people who have variable or no capacity to decide where they should live and also require substantial restraint or restrictions as part of their care plan.

The team responsible for coordinating the DoLS assessment process carry out Best Interests Assessments and reviews as required for the county council under DoLS legislation within statutory timescales. The service arranges and supports the formal authorisation process in respect of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

The service maintains close links with Managing Authorities and supports the work of the Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy service. They develop links with service users, carers and their representative groups to help them to influence policy development and raise awareness of MCA/DoLS issues.

The team works across the county of Northamptonshire ensuring that adults who may be at risk of harm are safeguarded. This includes working with partner agencies such as the Care Quality Commission, the Police and Health, carrying out safeguarding enquiries, including organisational or paid worker, complex abuse cases, and the quality assurance of provider led enquiries.

You will gain an understanding of Safeguarding Adult issues including:

• knowledge of Safeguarding Adults policy and procedures
• knowledge of the Deprivation of Liberty (DoLS) policy and procedures
• knowledge and experience of risk assessment and management
• ability to chair multi-agency Safeguarding Adults meetings
• knowledge of safeguarding across the life course, including transition between childhood to adulthood

​Commissioning and contracts

The team ensures that current and future commissioning and procurement activities are planned, implemented, monitored and reviewed effectively. This is achieved through effective business planning and utilisation of procurement or other mechanisms for service delivery and effective contract management as well as through identifying and resolving poor performance, risk management and cost avoidance.

Brokerage Team

This team sources the most appropriate options for care and support based on individual need and the ability of the market to meet those needs in a timely and cost effective manner. The team work closely with care managers, independent sector providers and partners in the health economy to reduce delayed transfers of care.

Quality Team

Ensures that all services are providing quality services that are achieving the best possible outcomes. This involves collating and reporting information of the quality and outcomes achieved by service providers, contract monitoring and undertaking service monitoring visits. Responding to, and taking action on, appropriately escalated issues regarding quality and outcomes and driving the continuous improvement by providers.

Personal Budget Support Service

The team provides advice and information in relation to Personal budgets and direct payments. As well as offering a payroll service and support to individuals to advertise and recruit personal assistants. The team manages holding accounts for individuals that are provided with a direct payment from NASS but are unable to manage the day to day running and returns in relation to the direct payment.

Central Business Support Team

The Central Business Support (CBS) team provide a wide range of vital business support services to all teams within Adult Social Care.

The diverse requirements from these teams means the CBS team operates from various locations across the county and has developed a culture of flexibility and multi-skilling, allowing staff to engage with a multitude of varied tasks in a busy, yet lively, working environment.

Day to day tasks cover a range of business support activities, ensuring we face fresh daily challenges. We engage with everything from telephone support, minute taking and invoicing to supporting referrals, recruitment and interviews. It is rare for two days to be the same.

To enable us to meet these exciting challenges effectively, the team is made up of the following roles:

• Central Business Support Manager
• Office Manager
• Senior Business Support Officers
• Business Relations Officers
• Business Support Officers

All staff have the opportunity to develop their skills with a range of formal and informal training programmes.