SSRG Newsletter - September 2004

Personal Social Services (PSS) Performance Assessment Framework (PAF) Indicators Data and Bandings for 2003/04 and preceding years

Just in case any of you missed the above (shame on you!), Councils received an email communication from the Key Statistics Division, Department of Health on 16th August 2004, concerning the above.

Your attention should have been grabbed by the attachment: Guidance for Business Relationship Managers on data quality issues affecting the PIs and therefore the assessment process for 2003-04.

The appendix sets out a summary of all the indicators and shows where there have been changes to definitions compared to the previous year and where the bands for the indicators have been changed.

This document identifies the following change to a Key Threshold Indicator for 2003/2004:

“AO/D55 Acceptable waiting times for assessments

Councils have raised issues about the variable interpretation by different councils of the definition of “start of assessment” that affects this indicator. This may affect the comparability of this indicator across councils. This should be considered when using this indicator as part of the evidence for the star ratings judgements. The indicator includes new older clients only and is the average of:

(i) the percentage where the time from first contact to beginning of assessment is less than or equal to 48 hours (that is, 2 calendar days), and

(ii) the percentage where the time from first contact to completion of assessment is less than or equal to four weeks (that is, 28 calendar days).

Only part (i) of the indicator is affected by the different local interpretation of “start of assessment”. The definition specifies that the “start of assessment” should include contact with the client. Some councils have followed this whereas others have included other activity such as gathering information prior to contact with the client as the “start”. Where the definition of contact with the client has been followed the indicator is likely to be lower than where other activities have been included as “start of assessment”.

This indicator is also one of the key thresholds.

A decision has been taken to amend the application of the key threshold relating to AO/D55 so that the thresholds are only applied to component (ii) time from first contact to completion of assessment within four weeks of the indicator. This means that judgements will only be limited where the percentage of clients where the time from first contact to completion of assessment is less than or equal to four weeks is less than 40% (max judgement “some”) or less than 50% (max judgement ‘most’)”.

You will be fully aware that this change can impact adversely by severely reducing an authorities indicator percentage. This in turn could possibly lead to an authority not achieving the threshold for this Key Threshold indicator - with the resultant limitation on adult judgement scoring.

Concerns have been raised in respect of the sudden inyear change to this Key Threshold indicator. In all Department of Health notifications and negotiations with CSCI, DfES, local authorities and their representative bodies (and within the DH’s Technical Working Group)time and again, the following statement has been reiterated “ that no changes will be made to indicators without authorities receiving six months advance notification of the change”.

Clearly in this instance, this agreement has not been adhered to.

It would, therefore, appear to go against all natural justice for this change to be implemented and used without any advance notification or agreement.