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{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Preventing Social Isolation and Loneliness Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that {{org_field_name}} takes proactive and effective measures to prevent and reduce social isolation and loneliness among service users receiving domiciliary care.

Social isolation and loneliness can have serious health consequences, including increased risks of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and physical health conditions. As a domiciliary care provider, {{org_field_name}} plays a crucial role in ensuring that service users remain socially engaged, connected, and supported.

This policy supports compliance with the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, and the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017, as amended. In particular, it supports compliance with the requirements relating to provider assessments, personal plans, personal outcomes, well-being, dignity, communication, language needs, safeguarding, staff competence, record keeping, monitoring and continuous improvement. The service will have regard to the current statutory guidance issued by the Welsh Ministers under section 29 of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 and to the inspection requirements applied by Care Inspectorate Wales.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All service users, particularly those at risk of social isolation and loneliness, including individuals who are elderly, living alone, have limited mobility, or experience cognitive impairments.
• All staff working for or on behalf of the service, including employees, workers and persons engaged under contracts for services, together with any volunteers permitted to work within the service. Each person must act within their role, competence, training and authorised responsibilities.
• Family members, advocacy groups, and local community organisations, with whom we collaborate to provide enhanced social support.

3. Identifying Service Users at Risk of Social Isolation

As part of our initial assessment and ongoing care planning, staff will assess each service user’s social needs to determine their risk of isolation.

Before agreeing to provide care and support, {{org_field_name}} will determine whether the service is suitable to meet the individual’s care and support needs and support the individual to achieve their personal outcomes. This determination will take account of the individual’s care and support plan, relevant health or other assessments, the individual’s views, wishes and feelings, identified risks, reasonable adjustments and the service’s statement of purpose.

Where the individual does not have a local authority care and support plan or another sufficient assessment, {{org_field_name}} will complete an assessment before agreeing to provide the service. That assessment will include the individual’s health, personal care, communication, emotional, social, cultural, religious and spiritual needs, including any risk of loneliness or social isolation, and will identify the individual’s personal outcomes and aspirations.

An initial personal plan will be prepared before the provision of care and support begins. Where care and support must begin urgently and it has not been possible to prepare the personal plan beforehand, the personal plan will be prepared within 24 hours of the service commencing.

A provider assessment will be completed within seven days of the commencement of the service. The provider assessment will consider how the individual’s care and support needs can best be met, how the individual can be supported to achieve their personal outcomes, their views, wishes and feelings, and any risks to their well-being. The personal plan will be reviewed and revised as necessary following completion of the provider assessment.

The individual will be actively involved in the assessment, personal-planning and review process. The placing authority, where applicable, and any representative will also be involved. A representative will not be involved where an adult, or a child aged 16 or over, does not wish the representative to be involved, or where the representative’s involvement would be inconsistent with the individual’s well-being. The individual’s views, wishes, feelings, preferred relationships, interests, routines, communication needs and desired level of social contact will be recorded and respected.

This assessment includes:

• Living situation (e.g., lives alone, lack of nearby family or friends).
• Physical health and mobility (e.g., difficulty leaving the home).
• Mental health and emotional well-being (e.g., symptoms of depression or anxiety).
• Cognitive function (e.g., dementia or memory impairment affecting social engagement).
• Communication barriers (e.g., sensory impairments, language differences).
• Access to social networks (e.g., family involvement, community participation).

• The individual’s own view of whether they feel lonely or socially isolated.
• The type, frequency and level of social contact the individual wants, including whether the individual sometimes prefers to spend time alone.
• The individual’s personal outcomes relating to relationships, community participation, hobbies, education, training, employment, volunteering, faith, culture and recreation.
• Any risk to the individual’s physical, mental or emotional well-being arising from loneliness, isolation, bereavement, loss, abuse, neglect, self-neglect or deterioration in health.
• Any barriers to social participation, including inaccessible transport, financial difficulty, discrimination, digital exclusion, communication needs or lack of reasonable adjustments.
• The individual’s Welsh-language or other language needs and preferred method of communication.
• Any reasonable adjustments, communication aids, assistive technology or staff support required to enable meaningful participation.
• The action to be taken, the responsible person and any agreed timescale where an unmet need or identified risk requires intervention.

The assessed needs, risks, preferences, agreed personal outcomes and required support will be recorded in the individual’s personal plan. The personal plan will state how the individual’s needs will be met on a day-to-day basis, how the individual will be supported to achieve their personal outcomes, how identified risks will be managed, and how positive risk-taking and independence will be supported. A copy of the personal plan and any revised personal plan will be made available to the individual in a language, style, presentation and format appropriate to their needs and level of understanding, and to other persons where required by law.

3.1 Consent, Mental Capacity and Individual Choice

Staff must obtain the individual’s consent before arranging social contact, sharing personal information, contacting family members or representatives, making a non-emergency referral, enrolling the individual in an activity, or supporting the use of digital communication.

An individual’s decision to decline an activity, family contact, digital communication or community participation must be respected where the individual has capacity to make that decision. A preference for solitude must not automatically be treated as loneliness or a failure to engage.

Where there is reason to doubt the individual’s capacity to make a particular decision, staff must follow the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the relevant organisational mental capacity policy. Capacity must be assessed in relation to the specific decision at the time it needs to be made. The individual must be given all practicable support to make the decision before being treated as unable to do so.

Where an individual lacks capacity to make the specific decision, any action taken must be lawful, necessary, proportionate and in the individual’s best interests. The decision-making process, consultation undertaken and reasons for the decision must be recorded. No restriction may amount to a deprivation of liberty without lawful authority.

4. Strategies for Preventing Social Isolation and Loneliness

4.1 Encouraging Meaningful Social Interactions

• Care staff are trained to engage service users in conversation, reminiscence activities, and meaningful discussions during visits.
• Care plans include social goals, such as encouraging phone calls with family or participating in hobbies.
• Staff ensure that all service users feel heard, valued, and emotionally supported.
• Social interaction during a care visit must not prevent staff from completing the care and support required by the individual’s personal plan. The visit must be allocated sufficient time to provide the required care safely, respectfully and without rushing, and staff must accurately record the care and support provided.

4.2 Facilitating Community Engagement

• Service users will be supported to attend local events, social clubs, and activities, where possible.
• Staff will provide information about befriending services, day centres, and community initiatives that support social inclusion.
• Where mobility is an issue, alternative at-home social engagement options will be explored.

Where community participation or an activity forms part of the individual’s agreed personal outcomes, the required support, staffing, transport arrangements, risks, reasonable adjustments, costs and contingency arrangements will be assessed and recorded in the personal plan. Risk assessments must support proportionate and positive risk-taking and must not impose unnecessary restrictions on the individual’s independence, choice or community participation.

4.3 Supporting Digital Inclusion

Staff will help service users access and use technology for communication, including:

• Video calls (Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp) to connect with family and friends.
• Online social groups or forums for those comfortable using technology.
• Simple technology training sessions, where appropriate, to boost confidence in using digital communication tools.

Digital support will only be provided with the individual’s consent or other lawful authority and in accordance with the individual’s personal plan. Staff must respect the individual’s privacy and confidentiality, must not access personal accounts or passwords unless this is specifically authorised and necessary, and must follow the organisation’s data protection, safeguarding and financial-support procedures. Any concern about online abuse, exploitation, coercion, fraud or financial abuse must be reported immediately under the safeguarding procedure.

4.4 Encouraging Family and Volunteer Involvement

• With the individual’s consent, and where consistent with their wishes and well-being, family members and other people who are important to the individual may be supported to maintain appropriate contact through visits, telephone calls, letters or agreed digital communication. Staff must not disclose information to family members or other persons without the individual’s consent or another lawful basis.
• Volunteers or community groups (e.g., Age Cymru, local befriending services) may be involved in providing companionship.
• Before a volunteer or external organisation is introduced, the service must establish the person’s role, accountability, safeguarding arrangements, information-sharing boundaries and suitability for the proposed contact. Volunteers must not undertake regulated care or support tasks unless lawfully engaged, appropriately checked, trained, competent and authorised to do so.
• Where appropriate, intergenerational projects (e.g., school visits, community engagement schemes) will be facilitated.

4.5 Enhancing Emotional Well-Being and Mental Health Support

• Staff are trained to identify signs of loneliness, depression, and emotional distress.
• Where staff identify a significant or worsening concern about an individual’s mental or emotional well-being, they must record and report the concern promptly to the manager or designated senior person. With the individual’s consent, or another lawful basis where consent cannot be obtained, the service will seek appropriate advice or make a referral to the individual’s general practitioner, community mental health service, local authority, crisis service or another relevant professional. Where there is an immediate risk of serious harm, staff must contact the emergency services and follow the safeguarding and emergency procedures without delay.
• Staff will encourage hobbies and interests that promote well-being, such as gardening, reading, puzzles, or listening to music.

4.6 Personalised Companionship and Activity Support

Where possible, care workers will engage in activities that the service user enjoys, such as:

• Playing games or doing puzzles.
• Listening to music or watching favourite films.
• Supporting creative activities (e.g., knitting, drawing, writing).
• Reading books or newspapers aloud for those with visual impairments.

4.7 Equality, Human Rights and Inclusive Support

Social support must be provided without unlawful discrimination, harassment or victimisation and with regard to the individual’s relevant protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. These are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

Staff must also respect the individual’s identity, culture, relationships, family arrangements, language, political or philosophical beliefs, socio-economic circumstances and other matters that are important to the individual. Reasonable adjustments must be made where required to prevent a disabled individual from being placed at a substantial disadvantage.

The individual must be supported to access relationships, activities, communities, faith groups and cultural opportunities that are consistent with their wishes and personal outcomes. Staff must challenge and report discriminatory behaviour in accordance with the equality and safeguarding procedures.

4.7.1 Welsh Language and Communication Needs

The individual’s language of need, language of choice and preferred method of communication will be identified during assessment and recorded in the personal plan. Reasonable steps will be taken to communicate with the individual in their preferred language and to provide an active offer of Welsh-language support to individuals whose first or preferred language is Welsh.

Information about activities, community services, advocacy, complaints and social-support opportunities will be provided in a language, style, presentation and format that the individual can understand. This may include Welsh, translation or interpretation, British Sign Language, Makaton, pictures, objects of reference, Easy Read, large print, audio, communication technology or another individual communication method.

Required communication aids and equipment must be available, accessible and maintained in working order. Staff supporting the individual must know how to use the individual’s agreed communication method and must report promptly where the person’s communication needs cannot be met.

4.8 Safeguarding, Neglect and Self-Neglect

Social isolation or a sudden reduction in contact may indicate abuse, neglect, self-neglect, coercive or controlling behaviour, domestic abuse, exploitation, discriminatory abuse or financial abuse. Staff must remain alert to signs including:

• another person preventing or controlling contact;
• unexplained withdrawal, fear or distress;
• an individual being prevented from leaving their home;
• lack of food, heating, medication or essential care;
• deterioration in personal care or the home environment;
• unexplained financial difficulty or loss of property;
• threats, harassment, online abuse or exploitation; or
• an individual expressing that they are unsafe or do not wish to live.

Where abuse, neglect, self-neglect or improper treatment is suspected, staff must take immediate and proportionate action to protect the individual, inform the manager or designated safeguarding person without delay, and follow the organisation’s safeguarding policy and the Wales Safeguarding Procedures. Appropriate referrals must be made to the relevant local authority safeguarding team, police, healthcare professional or emergency service according to the nature and urgency of the concern.

Staff must record the concern, the individual’s account, immediate protective action, persons informed, referrals made and the outcome. Staff must not investigate the concern themselves, confront an alleged perpetrator where this may increase risk, or promise absolute confidentiality.

5. Preventing Social Isolation in End-of-Life Care

Service users receiving palliative or end-of-life care are particularly vulnerable to social isolation. {{org_field_name}} ensures that:

• They receive enhanced emotional and social support from trained care workers.
• Family members are encouraged to visit and stay connected.
• Spiritual or faith-based support is available for those who wish to access it.
• The individual’s wishes concerning companionship, visitors, privacy, spiritual support and periods when they wish to be alone will be identified, recorded and reviewed in the personal plan. The service will provide the care and support it has agreed and is commissioned to deliver, and will liaise promptly with the individual, their representative where appropriate, commissioners and relevant health professionals where additional companionship or support is required.

6. Training and Support for Staff

{{org_field_name}} will ensure that staff and volunteers receive induction, information, training, supervision and support appropriate to their role and responsibilities. Staff must not undertake assessments, mental capacity decisions, safeguarding actions, digital support or specialist mental-health support unless they have the necessary knowledge, skills, competence, training and authority.

• Regular training on loneliness awareness, social inclusion techniques, and communication skills.
• Guidance on supporting service users with mental health issues linked to isolation.
• Specialist training on digital inclusion strategies, allowing staff to support service users in using online communication tools.
• Emotional support for staff, ensuring they feel confident and supported in their roles.

• Relevant training will be provided during induction and refreshed where required following changes in legislation, national guidance, the needs of individuals or identified gaps in staff competence.
• Training will cover person-centred outcomes, signs and effects of loneliness and social isolation, communication needs, the active offer of Welsh, equality and human rights, consent, mental capacity, safeguarding, self-neglect, professional boundaries, confidentiality, record keeping and appropriate escalation.
• The manager will assess staff understanding through supervision, observation, competency assessment and appraisal, rather than relying solely on attendance at training.
• A written record will be maintained of training, supervision, competency assessment and any required improvement action.

7. Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

Each individual’s personal plan, including personal outcomes and support relating to loneliness and social isolation, will be reviewed whenever required and at least once every three months. An earlier review will be undertaken where there is a significant change in the individual’s needs, risks, wishes, circumstances or ability to achieve their personal outcomes. The review will consider the extent to which the individual has achieved their personal outcomes and whether the personal plan must be revised.

Reviews will involve the individual, the placing authority where applicable and any representative, subject to the individual’s wishes and the statutory exceptions relating to representative involvement. The individual will be given appropriate communication support to participate meaningfully in the review.

As part of the service’s quality-monitoring arrangements, {{org_field_name}} will seek and consider the views of individuals, their representatives where appropriate, service commissioners and staff about the quality and effectiveness of support provided to prevent or reduce loneliness and social isolation. Methods of obtaining feedback will be appropriate to the person’s age, understanding, communication needs and preferred language.

Feedback, complaints, compliments, incidents, safeguarding concerns, missed outcomes and personal-plan review findings will be analysed to identify themes, inequalities, unmet needs and opportunities for improvement. The service will record decisions, improvement actions, responsible persons and timescales and will monitor whether the required improvement has been achieved.

The policy is regularly updated to align with best practices, CIW regulations, and evolving community support initiatives.

Records relating to loneliness and social isolation must be accurate, factual, contemporaneous, respectful and sufficiently detailed to demonstrate the individual’s views, assessed needs, risks, personal outcomes, consent, action taken, referrals, communication with other persons and the outcome of reviews. Records must distinguish between observed facts, information reported by others and professional opinion. Records will be stored, accessed, retained and disclosed in accordance with the organisation’s records-management and data-protection procedures.

8. Collaborative Partnerships

Collaboration and information sharing will take place with the individual’s consent or another lawful basis. Before making a referral, staff will explain the purpose of the referral, the information to be shared and the likely next steps in a way the individual can understand. Only information that is relevant and necessary will be shared. Where there is an immediate safeguarding risk, information may be shared without consent where this is lawful and necessary to protect the individual or another person.

To enhance social support, {{org_field_name}} collaborates with:

• Local authorities and community organisations to identify social engagement opportunities.
• Befriending services (e.g., Age Cymru, The Silver Line) for additional companionship support.
• Mental health charities to offer well-being support for those struggling with isolation.
• Faith-based groups, cultural organisations, and support networks to provide personalised and culturally appropriate social opportunities.

9. Related Policies

This policy should be read in conjunction with:

• Person-Centred Care Policy (DCW07)
• Safeguarding Adults from Abuse and Improper Treatment Policy (DCW13)
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy (DCW30)
• Mental Capacity and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Policy (DCW39)
• End of Life and Palliative Care Policy (DCW38)

• Assessment and Personal Planning Policy.
• Mental Capacity and Best-Interests Decision-Making Policy.
• Safeguarding and Self-Neglect Policy.
• Consent Policy.
• Welsh Language and Communication Policy.
• Data Protection, Confidentiality and Information-Sharing Policy.
• Record Keeping Policy.
• Complaints Policy.
• Advocacy Policy.
• Staff Training, Supervision and Development Policy.
• Risk Assessment and Positive Risk-Taking Policy.
• Digital Technology and Online Safety Policy.

10. Policy Review

This policy will be formally reviewed at least annually and sooner where:

national or local safeguarding, mental health, equality, Welsh-language or social-care guidance changes.

legislation, regulations, statutory guidance or CIW requirements change;

the statement of purpose changes;

an inspection, complaint, safeguarding matter, incident or audit identifies a deficiency;

the service changes the categories of individuals or needs it supports;

feedback indicates that the policy is not effective or accessible; or

national or local safeguarding, mental health, equality, Welsh-language or social-care guidance changes.

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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}}
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