Empowering Clients and Promoting Independence

1 Empowering Clients AND Promoting Independence Corporate Policy K:\Policies\Policies 2013\ Empowering Clients and Promoting First Issued: Jan 2003 Version 6 issued: July 2013 Approved: Title of Document Empowering Clients and Promoting Independence First Issue Date January 2003 This Version Number and Re-Issue Date Version 6 July 2013 Signed off by Chief Executive Next review date July 2015 Has Equality Impact Assessment been completed? Yes Distribution All Projects All Regional & Local Offices Head Office Empowering Clients and Promoting Independence Equality Impact Assessment K:\Policies\Policies 2013\ Empowering Clients and Promoting First Issued: Jan 2003 Version 6 issued: July 2013 Approved: Equality Impact Assessment for this Policy Is it likely that the policy could have a positive or negative impact on minority ethnic groups?

2 What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? Y N Please explain This policy is designed to empower Clients and promote Independence among all client groups Is it likely that the policy could have a positive or negative impact due to gender (including pregnancy and maternity)? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? Y N Please explain As above Is it likely that the policy could have a positive or negative impact due to disability?

3 What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? Y N Please explain As above Is it likely that the policy could have a positive or negative impact on people due to sexual orientation? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? Y N Please explain As above Is it likely that the policy could have a positive or negative impact on people due to their age? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? Y N Please explain As above Is it likely that the policy could have a positive or negative impact on people due to their religious belief (or none)?

4 What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? Y N Please explain As above Is it likely that the policy could have a positive or negative impact on people with dependants/caring responsibilities? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? Y N Please explain As above Is it likely that the policy could have a positive or negative impact on people due to them being transgender or transsexual? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this?

5 Y N Please explain As above Is it likely that the policy could have a positive or negative impact on people due to their marital or civil partnership status? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? Y N Please explain As above Empowering Clients and Promoting Independence Equality Impact Assessment K:\Policies\Policies 2013\ Empowering Clients and Promoting First Issued: Jan 2003 Version 6 issued: July 2013 Approved: Can any adverse impact be justified on the grounds of Promoting equality of opportunity for a particular group?

6 (For example, the policy may be deliberately designed to promote equality for disabled people but may run the risk of this being at the expense of non-disabled people which is permissible under law). Y N Please explain N/A Has this policy been amended or developed in the last review in order to promote equality of opportunity for any particular group? (please note any changes made) Y N No Amendments made in accordance with changes in legislation. Has the policy been amended or developed to take account of changes in legislation, statutory guidance or accepted good practice?

7 Y N No Empowering Clients AND Promoting Independence Corporate Policy K:\Policies\Policies 2013\ Empowering Clients and Promoting First Issued: Jan 2003 Version 6 issued: July 2013 Approved: 1. INTRODUCTION Creative Support is committed to ensuring that service users are empowered to exercise choice and control over the support they receive and to realise their full potential to live independently. This policy sets out how this will be achieved. This commitment is in line with Creative Support s agency philosophy statement and our standards for the provision of support.

8 2. INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT PLANNING It is expected that each service user will have an individual outcome focussed Support Plan based on their identified needs, strengths and aspirations (as determined during the Holistic Assessment). Support Pans, Person Centred Plans and Recovery Star Plans will fully take into account Clients views, aspirations and cultural, religious and lifestyle needs and will involve family, carers or other professionals as appropriate. The support plan will set out objectives and desired outcomes for the service user and it is expected that the promotion of Independence will be a key objective for most service users.

9 The Support Plan will outline the strategies to be used by staff to enable the service user to become more independent. The Support Plan will be reviewed regularly in order to review progress and achievement of personal goals and to identify areas where support needs to be targeted to ensure further progress towards Independence . 3. Empowering Clients Creative Support is dedicated to ensuring that Clients are empowered to exercise maximise choice and control over their lives and the support they receive.

10 This is achieved through enabling Clients to be fully involved in the design, development and delivery of the service in order to ensure that the support we provide is a true reflection of the needs and preferences of the service users. This will include supporting service users to be involved with staff recruitment, training and quality assurance processes, and Empowering service users to make their views known through our accessible complaints and suggestions procedures, through supporting client to become a Service User Representative and through facilitating regular consultation opportunities for Clients to attend.