Intake Team

Who are we? We are a team of Social Workers and Social Care Co-Ordinators, Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Social Care Officers (SCOs). Sometimes we are joined by student social workers or OTs or other people requiring working experience

What do we do? We assess, initiate and oversee the care of adults over the age 18 who are referred to Social Services because they require care, equipment or a period of support to improve health. We also oversee the care of service users who have been discharged from hospital and have been assessed as requiring a period of care to help them continue to recover.

So who does what? Social Workers/Social Care Co-Ordinators: These are generally Social Workers, but can be Nurses or OTs. They visit service users and assess their needs, deciding whether they need a care package, a period of enablement, equipment or adaptations. Occupational Therapists: OTs visit service users and will work with them to improve their strength and ability. They provide equipment or help service users practice life skills, for example kitchen skills or dressing skills. They will assess for adaptations such as grab rails. They can refer service users to the main OT service if the equipment or adaptation is likely to be expensive or require specialist input. Social Care Officers: SCOs support the Social Workers/Social Care Co-Ordinators and OTs in their work. They often work directly with service users under the direction of the OT implementing the treatment programme. Some of the Social Workers and SCOs are Trusted Assessors and can visit service users and assess for simple equipment or undertake some enablement work on their own behalf

What does that really mean? Social Workers/Social Care Co-Ordinators Assess the referrals that come into the Council and identify the problems service users are experiencing – for example with personal care or preparing meals. Visit Service Users and undertake an assessment to determine the assistance a Service User requires, such as carer support or an assessment by an OT. Sometimes a SW/SCC will visit with an OT to gain a wider understanding of the difficulties a service user may be experiencing, and whether an OT could help to alleviate the problems Set up packages of care, refer Service Users to other agencies, provide advice about other services such as charities that may be able to assist Service Users or their families

What does that really mean? Occupational Therapists OTs work to help people to live their lives the way they wish to do so. They work with service users to improve their ability to manage tasks such as washing and dressing, organising food, looking after their homes, doing the things they want to do. OTs will provide equipment and help a service user practice tasks such as making tea or getting dressed. Sometimes, the OT will identify more specific goals, such as visiting shops or using public transport. OTs visit people who have come out of hospital and have been provided with a period of enablement care to assist them to fully recover. This means that carers will visit for a period and the OT will assess and identify what can be done to assist the service user to improve their functional ability. If necessary, an OT will refer a service user to another agency such as the Community Physiotherapist or the Community Dietiation.

What does that really mean? Social Care Officers SCOs work with the SW/Social Care Co-Ordinators and the OTs. SCOs will assist a service user to practice the tasks that the OT and the service user have agreed together. They will assist services users to become confident with tasks such as walking, making drinks and meals and personal care – showering or stripwashing. They will visit regularly to encourage service users to improve their abilities – e.g regular walking practice. They assist with administration and paperwork!!! Some SCOs are Trusted Assessors and can assess Service Users with less complex needs for simple equipment such as a raised toilet seat or a shower stool.

Case – Mrs J Mrs. J, a lady in her eighties, referred to the Intake Team after a period in hospital. Lived alone, very few relatives. However, she did have friends who visited and assisted her with her housework and shopping. She had a stairlift but was currently sleeping downstairs and using a commode because her toilet was upstairs. Required assistance with washing, dressing, meals and with managing the commode. As a result she was assessed as requiring three calls a day. OT visited and assessed. Mrs. J said she wanted to be able to go upstairs to use the toilet and wash upstairs. She was sleeping in her chair and wouldn’t use the bed that had been moved downstairs. She had been provided with a kitchen trolley and wanted to be able to make her own meals and drinks and use the trolley to transport them to the living room.

Case – Mrs J What did we do? Assessed Mrs J’s physical abilities. Practiced walking with her walking frame/kitchen trolley Practiced getting on/off the stairlift; practiced operating stairlift and transferring on/off stairlift at the top of the stairs. Assessed toilet and provided equipment to ensure safe use; practiced transferring on/off toilet. Assessed Mrs J’s washing skills. Provided perching stool for use in the bathroom and provided goals for independent washing to be undertaken with the support and supervision of the carer. Practiced kitchen skills, making tea and snack meals and heating readymeals. Discussed problems that Mrs J experienced in getting on/off bed. Ensured bed lever and back rest were properly fitted. Practiced getting on/off. However, Mrs J felt that she wanted to continue to sleep in her chair.

Case – Mrs J At the end of the enablement period, Mrs J was using the stairlift to go upstairs to use the toilet and to wash and dress. She was providing meals for herself. The care calls were reduced to one call a day to ensure the commode was managed although Mrs. J was not using this regularly, and to assist Mrs J with her morning routine

Case – Ms. M A joint visit by a Social Worker and an Occupational Therapist to a lady with physical disabilities as a result of a neurological disorder. No care provided as lady was very reluctant to have a carer assist her. OT provided equipment to help get in/out of bath, a mobile commode to assist with nighttime and daytime toileting needs, and referred her to the Wheelchair service for a wheelchair to enable her to go outside OT referred client to Physiotherapy to improve strength in transfers

Mr S Older gentleman living with his wife who had severe dementia and for whom he was the primary carer, supported by his daughter and son Mr S had arthritis in his knees and hips. His strength was reduced. As a result he was having difficulty walking up/down stairs, lifting things, getting in and out of his chair and in and out of the bath OT arranged for stair rails to be fitted, and for rails to fitted in the toilet and at the entrance to the house to assist with transfers. Chair was raised and raised toilet seat placed on the toilet to assist with toilet transfers. OT assessed Mr S with a kitchen trolley to assist with the transfer of drinks and meals. With SCO, OT assessed Mr S with a bathboard across the bath, to assist with bath transfers. However, this did not fit. A bathlift could have been provided but Mr S was concerned about the impact of the equipment upon his wife and elected to continue to strip wash at the sink

To Sum up … We love our work!!! We are a group of professionals who work with service users to assist them to remain in the community for as long as possible. We will assess service users for care and equipment. We will work with service users to help them improve their skills and abilities We will liaise with other agencies when necessary And last but not least … We love our work!!!