Sharing Information About People Receiving Care (Domiciliary Support, Wales) Policy

Policy Statement

{{org_field_name}} accepts that to provide the highest standard of care for people receiving care it is vital to work in partnership with other professionals and services.

A key aspect of partnership working is the sharing of relevant information, which in line with confidentiality and data protection rules should always be on a “need-to-know” basis.

The policy sets out the values, principles and procedures underpinning the service’s approach to sharing information about people receiving care with other providers. The policy is in line with the requirements of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017 and statutory guidance, with particular reference to Regulations:

15: Personal Plan
33: Access to Health and Other Services
76: Engagement with Individuals and Others.

This policy should be used with the Working with Other Providers and Agencies in Domiciliary Support (Wales) Policy.

Policy on Sharing Information with Other Providers

The service recognises that its services form one element in the range of care, treatment and support with which people receiving care need to be engaged, and that, to provide optimal care, it needs from time to time to share information with other health and social care providers, particularly in emergencies such as during the Covid-19 emergency. This helps to provide continuity of care and to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort in obtaining the same information. Subject to our obtaining the express consent of people receiving care, including written consent where important, there is a particular responsibility for such information sharing:

when a person is considering using our service
when a person using services needs a specific health service and the service has information that could contribute to addressing their needs
when a person receiving care is admitted to or discharged from hospital
when a person receiving care transfers to another care setting
in complex care arrangements and end-of-life care when different professionals could be involved in the person’s care.

Sharing information about a person receiving care will only be undertaken with their express permission and with regard to data protection rules. This will apply in the event of our using an integrated records system, when we will check that all information inputted on the system is with the person’s consent.

The service recognises that the wishes of people receiving care who do not want their personal information revealed or disclosed to another agency must be respected but every effort will be made to persuade people receiving care that sharing information on their needs is vital to their care.

Sharing information with powers of attorney

For people who have been assessed as without the mental capacity to give their informed consent, decisions to share their information will be taken in line with their best interests.

Where someone using the service has appointed a power of attorney (or they have a deputy appointed by the Court of Protection) to take decisions about their health and welfare and/or financial and property affairs, in the event of their being unable to take the corresponding decisions themselves {{org_field_name}} will regard the power of attorney as the person’s lawful representative with whom the relevant information can legitimately be shared.

{{org_field_name}} also recognises the attorney’s right to access information which they need to take as power of attorney, but not information that is outside the scope of their legal responsibilities as power of attorney for health and welfare and/or property and financial affairs respectively.

Starting care

Around the time when a person is considering starting to receive care it is important, as part of the comprehensive needs assessment process, that the service becomes aware of information held by other providers and practitioners relating to the person’s health and care needs, in order to ensure that the service has the necessary capacity to respond to those needs.

Needing a health service

When a person receiving care needs a health service, whether this is from a general practitioner, from a hospital or from some other health professional, it is vital that the body responsible for the treatment has the fullest possible information. {{org_field_name}}, which will often have been in a good position to observe the individual’s needs and symptoms, will co-operate as fully as possible in supplying information (subject to consent) to responsible health service personnel.

Admission to and discharge from hospital

The service recognises admission to hospital as a critical event in the life of a vulnerable person. We will do everything possible to ensure that health service staff have good information about the person’s needs, taking special care with communication when treatment is urgent. This information should include any advance directives, particularly involving DNAR, issued by the person that have been passed on to {{org_field_name}}.

Similarly, when a hospital patient is discharged, whether or not the person has previously been a user of our service, we will make every effort to ensure that it has all of the necessary information about the person’s needs to ensure that the transition between environments is achieved with as little disruption in care as possible.

Emergencies

The service has policies and procedures for summoning help for a person in an emergency.

It instructs staff who are involved in summoning help or assisting to address the emergency to make sure that any receiving services, eg paramedics, have all the information they need to carry out their work on behalf of the person receiving care and that this information is passed on to any other service, eg Accident and Emergency, in line with their requirements.

Depending on the circumstances requiring emergency help, the senior staff member on duty is responsible for the collection and collation of the information and documentation that needs to be passed on. If available, the person’s key worker could also take on or take over that role.

Transfer to another care provider

This service recognises that some people will wish to move to a different provider, to a care home, or to a situation where they will be more independent but be regularly helped by a relative or friend. In such instances, we will co-operate fully in passing information about the person and their needs to those who will take over care responsibility.

End-of-life care

This service recognises that the period towards the end of a person’s life is one which makes particular demands on those undertaking care and which calls for especially close co-operation over information sharing. We will pass on to anyone undertaking the terminal care of an individual information about both their condition and needs, and any wishes that have been expressed to us about how their care should be handled, including any advance directives that they have issued.

Safeguarding

When a safeguarding alert is raised, the service will co-operate fully with the safeguarding authority in respect of any information it needs to complete its enquiries and follow-up actions. The service will ensure that the person or their lawful representative’s consent from the outset to the sharing of any information as it would with any other partner agency over any other matter concerning their wellbeing. Information shared without a person’s consent will need to meet any of the criteria for disclosure, eg as a public interest issue as described in the Confidentiality of People Receiving Care’s Information Policy.

Training

All staff will be given training in the sharing with other care providers of information relating to people receiving care, and in the consent and confidentiality issues involved.

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}}

DW214. Sharing Information About People Receiving Care (Domiciliary Support, Wales)