Dartford Gravesham & Swanley Mencap Ltd

springball_banner2

DGS Mencap

53 Highfield Road

Dartford

Kent DA1 2JS

Tel: 01322 281833

Fax: 01322 286633

info@dgsmencap.org.uk

Local Street Map

Referrals Policy for Residential Home

DGS Mencap was established to provide a 'home for life' for people with learning disability. If a vacancy arises in any of the home, the vacancy will be notified to local Learning Disability teams in Dartford, Gravesend and Swanley. After that, flyers regarding the vacancy will be sent to PCTs and any residential care purchasers within South East and London area.

Interested Care Managers or other parties will then be sent a brochure and statement of purpose of the respective home. An application for the vacancy will need to be submitted to the Services Manager (Housing & Support) from DGS Mencap.

The Home Manager and support staff will conduct assessment of prospective service users for the home. Normally a few assessment dates will be set aside for further visits if need be. The prospective service users will be assessed and shortlisted according to priority order i.e

- Has a learning disability
- Individual care support needs can be met within the house.
- Greatest housing need (priority would be given to service users from Dartford, Gravesend and Swanley area).
- Most compatible with existing service users living in the respective home

Services Manager from DGS Mencap will then contact interested Care Managers regarding the result of their application for the vacancy. The short listed service user will have a gradual induction to the home where he/she will visit the home for the day perhaps for lunch and then followed by an overnight stay for the service users to familiarise with the home environment.
In terms of Hyde Housing, an assessment will also need to be done by their Housing Officer. This can be done jointly with the Home Manager or support staff.

Once the induction had taken place and the service user is happy to move in to the home, a care review will then be convened to discuss the moving in date and also the residential care contract. The contract price will need to be agreed by the purchaser as stated before the move takes place.

Placement will be reviewed 12 weeks after the service user has moved in. The review will involve the Care Manager from the purchasing authority, Housing Officer from Hyde Housing and Services Manager and Home Manager from DGS Mencap.

If the service user remains happy in his/her placement and the placement is meeting his/her needs, the next review will then take place in six months.

If at any time the service user is unhappy and the home no longer meets his/her needs, alternative accommodation will be sought by the respective Care Manager.