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DC208-Accessible Information Standard Policy (LD/A)

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Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

Accessible Information Standard Policy(LD/A)

1. Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this policy is to set out how {{org_field_name}} meets people’s information and communication support needs in accordance with the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), where the Standard applies, and with wider legal requirements concerning accessible and person-centred communication.

This policy applies to:

The current Accessible Information Standard is DAPB1605: Accessible Information, published by NHS England on 30 June 2025.

The Standard applies to organisations providing publicly funded NHS care or adult social care, including private, voluntary, community and social-enterprise providers where they deliver publicly funded adult social care.

Organisations within scope must have regard to the Standard and must implement its applicable mandatory requirements.

Where {{org_field_name}} provides wholly privately funded adult social care to an individual and the Accessible Information Standard does not directly apply to that activity, {{org_field_name}} will nevertheless meet its duties under:

The organisation will apply the principles of accessible, person-centred communication consistently across its service.

{{org_field_name}} is registered with the Care Quality Commission to carry out the regulated activity of {{org_field_regulated_activity}} for {{org_field_service_users_bands}} in their own homes.

2. Policy Statement

{{org_field_name}} is committed to:

We believe that effective communication is fundamental to delivering safe, person-centred care and promoting dignity, independence, and choice.

3. Legal and Regulatory Framework

This policy aligns with the following current legislation, regulations and national standards:

Application of the Accessible Information Standard

All providers and commissioners of publicly funded NHS care or adult social care must have regard to the Accessible Information Standard.

This includes private-sector adult social care providers where they provide publicly funded care.

For organisations within scope, requirements in the Standard described as “must” must be met. Requirements described as “should” should be met unless there is a credible and legitimate reason, which should be documented, for not doing so.

The Standard must therefore not be described as applying automatically to every privately funded service solely because the provider is registered with CQC.

Regardless of funding arrangements, {{org_field_name}} will continue to comply with its Equality Act 2010 reasonable-adjustment duties and applicable CQC requirements concerning accessible, person-centred communication.

4. Key Principles of the Accessible Information Standard

The Accessible Information Standard sets out a consistent, six-step approach to ensuring people’s information and communication needs are met. We will:

5. Identifying Communication Needs

We identify communication needs at the initial assessment stage and throughout the care journey. This includes:

Identifying and Meeting the Communication Needs of Autistic People and People with a Learning Disability

When assessing autistic people and people with a learning disability, staff must identify each person’s individual information and communication needs rather than making assumptions based on diagnosis.

The assessment must consider:

Identified needs and agreed reasonable adjustments must be recorded clearly in the person’s care records and flagged so that relevant staff can act on them.

Staff must apply the recorded adjustments when providing care, explaining medication, seeking consent, supporting decisions, discussing Positive Behaviour Support plans, responding to distress and facilitating complaints.

Information must be shared appropriately and lawfully with relevant professionals and services to support continuity of care.

Communication needs and the effectiveness of adjustments must be reviewed at planned care reviews and whenever the person’s needs or preferences change.

The Registered Manager must ensure that staff understand the individual’s communication requirements and that failures to provide accessible information are investigated and addressed.

6. Recording and Flagging Needs

Information and communication support needs identified under this policy will be recorded accurately, consistently and in a way that enables staff to act on them.

Records will include, where applicable:

·        The person’s information and communication support needs.

·        Preferred communication methods.

·        Required alternative formats.

·        Communication aids or equipment.

·        Communication-professional support requirements.

·        Appropriate contact methods.

·        Relevant reasonable adjustments.

·        Emergency communication requirements.

·        Changes identified at subsequent reviews.

A clear flag or alert will be used in relevant records and systems so that authorised staff can identify recorded needs promptly and take the appropriate action.

Digital Records and Coding

Where electronic record or administration systems use SNOMED CT, Read v2 or CTV3, {{org_field_name}} will ensure that the current data items and codes specified by the Accessible Information Standard are used where required.

Where electronic systems do not use those clinical terminologies, or where paper records are used, communication and information needs will be recorded using the human-readable definitions or categories specified by the Standard.

Recorded information will be:

·        Accurate.

·        Kept up to date.

·        Visible to staff who need to act on it.

·        Protected against inappropriate access.

·        Reviewed when other relevant demographic or care information is reviewed.

Where {{org_field_name}} develops, implements or contracts for a new electronic service-user record or administration system, the requirement to comply with the Accessible Information Standard will be included in the relevant system or software specification and contract where the Standard applies.

7. Meeting Communication Needs

{{org_field_name}} will ensure that identified communication and information needs are acted upon.

Support may include:

Staff will ensure that information is:

Accessible Contact Methods

{{org_field_name}} will provide accessible ways for people to contact and communicate with the service according to identified need.

This may include:

A person must not be prevented from accessing the service because the organisation only offers a method of communication they cannot use.

Timely Communication Support

Communication support and accessible information will be arranged without unreasonable delay.

Where support must be arranged in advance, this will be planned wherever reasonably possible so that communication needs do not create avoidable delays in:

Communication Professionals

Where {{org_field_name}} arranges professional communication support, including British Sign Language or deafblind interpreters, the organisation will ensure that the professional meets the requirements applicable under the Accessible Information Standard, including:

Family members must not routinely be used as substitutes for appropriately qualified professional communication support where such support is required.

8. Staff Roles and Responsibilities

All staff are responsible for:

Managers and the Registered Manager are responsible for ensuring that this policy is implemented in practice, that suitable systems and audits are in place to monitor compliance, and that learning from feedback, incidents or CQC inspection findings leads to measurable improvements. Care workers are responsible for identifying and addressing communication needs during day-to-day care, and admin staff are responsible for ensuring that all written and digital communication (including appointment letters and service information) is produced in accessible formats where required.

9. Training and Awareness

All staff receive training on the Accessible Information Standard and inclusive communication as part of their induction, with updates at least annually and whenever there are significant changes to legislation, the AIS or CQC requirements. Training is proportionate to staff roles and responsibilities and ensures that staff are competent to identify, record, flag, share, meet and review people’s information and communication needs in line with AIS, the CQC fundamental standards and the registered manager’s responsibilities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Training covers:

Regular workshops and e-learning modules reinforce learning and build confidence in meeting communication needs.

10. Monitoring and Quality Assurance

Implementation of this policy will form part of {{org_field_name}}’s Regulation 17 governance arrangements.

The organisation will monitor compliance through:

Quality Assurance

Where the Accessible Information Standard applies, {{org_field_name}} will quality assure the alternative formats and communication support provided to ensure that they genuinely meet people’s identified needs.

Quality assurance may include:

Findings will be used to improve systems, staff practice and training.

Self-Assessment

{{org_field_name}} will use the Accessible Information Standard Self-Assessment Framework, or another robust equivalent method, to assess and demonstrate its level of compliance where the Standard applies.

Improvement actions identified through self-assessment will be:

Publication

Where the Accessible Information Standard applies, {{org_field_name}} will publish its accessible communication policy so that staff and people using the service can access it.

The published policy will explain how the organisation:

The policy will itself be made available in accessible formats where required.

11. Information Sharing and Consent

Information concerning a person’s communication or information needs may constitute personal data and, where it reveals disability, impairment or health information, may constitute special category personal data.

{{org_field_name}} will process this information in accordance with:

Information will be shared only where:

Consent is not the only lawful basis for sharing information.

Where consent is the appropriate lawful basis, valid consent will be obtained and the person’s wishes will be respected.

Where another lawful basis permits or requires information sharing, staff must not unnecessarily withhold information merely because explicit consent has not been obtained.

Subject to applicable information-governance requirements, information about communication needs should be included where appropriate as a routine part of:

People will be informed in an accessible way about:

Only information necessary for the relevant purpose will be shared.

12. Addressing Unmet Needs and Complaints

Where an identified information or communication need has not been met:

  1. The issue must be reported promptly to the care coordinator, Registered Manager or other appropriate manager.
  2. The circumstances will be reviewed to establish why the need was not met.
  3. Immediate action will be taken where reasonably possible to provide the required accessible information or communication support.
  4. Any incorrect or incomplete care record or communication flag will be updated.
  5. Relevant staff will be informed of the correction.
  6. Additional training, supervision or system changes will be implemented where required.
  7. The incident will be reviewed for wider learning where the failure may have affected safety, consent, dignity, access to care or another important outcome.

People must be enabled to raise concerns, provide feedback and make complaints in a way that is accessible to them.

This may include:

Information about the complaints process will itself be made available in an accessible format appropriate to the person’s needs.

Complaints concerning accessible information will normally be handled under {{org_field_name}}’s Receiving and Acting on Complaints Policy.

Data Protection Complaints

Where a complaint also alleges that {{org_field_name}} has infringed the person’s data-protection rights in the way communication or accessibility information has been:

the statutory data-protection complaints procedure will also apply.

For data protection complaints received on or after 19 June 2026, {{org_field_name}} will:

The organisation’s Confidentiality and Data Protection Policy should be followed for the detailed procedure.

Where a complaint concerns both accessible communication and data protection, the relevant processes will be coordinated so that the person’s concerns are dealt with effectively without unnecessary duplication or delay.

Learning from complaints will be incorporated into the organisation’s governance, training, audit and improvement arrangements.

13. Promoting Inclusive Communication

We promote inclusive communication by:

14. Supporting Service Users with Complex Needs

For service users with complex communication needs, we:

{{org_field_name}} is dedicated to ensuring that all service users, regardless of their communication needs, can access information, express themselves, and participate fully in their care. By adhering to the Accessible Information Standard, we promote dignity, choice, and independence while delivering safe, effective, and person-centred care.

We believe that communication is a fundamental right and that every individual deserves to receive information in a way they can understand. This commitment extends across all aspects of our service delivery.

All staff must adhere to this policy, ensuring an inclusive and respectful environment for everyone we support.

15. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually, or sooner where necessary.

An earlier review will take place where:

The Registered Manager will ensure that the review considers:

Where the Accessible Information Standard applies, {{org_field_name}} will ensure that the current accessible communication policy remains published and accessible.

Material amendments will be:

{{org_field_name}} will use feedback, audits, complaints, incidents, self-assessment and regulatory findings to continuously improve accessible communication.

Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
Copyright © {{current_year}} – {{org_field_name}}. All rights reserved.

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