Suffolk County Council launches new digital self-assessment tool for adult social care

Suffolk County Council has launched a new digital self-assessment tool for adult social care, as part of growing its online referral and needs assessment offer for local adults with care needs and their representatives.

As part of its new adult social care strategy ‘People at the Heart of Care’, Suffolk County Council is working with Imosphere, a leading provider of social care and support tools to introduce their self-assessment tool - alongside Imosphere’s ‘Formulate’ solution for calculating accurate and sustainable care and support cost estimates.

For the Council, the self-assessment tool will enable them to easily capture the personal outcomes of adults with care needs and highlight where needs appear eligible for each Care Act domain. Implementing the tool at this stage will lay much of the groundwork for the anticipated 2025 social care funding reforms.

For citizens across Suffolk, the tool will support a strengths-based approach and enable them to explain their situation and identify the outcomes they would like to achieve and the resources that are available in their local community.

Jamie Stewart, Transformation Manager - Practice and Culture at Suffolk County Council said: “As technology forms a key part of our new strategy for adult social care, the self-assessment tool will prove vital in helping us capture what individuals are looking to achieve and the support they are likely to need - including determining an appropriate level of care and support funding for people with eligible needs.”

Natalie Kenneison, Chief Operating Officer at Imosphere said: “With the increased pressure that local authorities are facing and the demand on services contining to rise, it’s clear that tools and technology are vital to lessening the burden.

We’re proud to be working with Suffolk County Council to streamline and simplify the self-assessment process for people with care and support needs. It’s been great working with Jamie and the team over the last few months, supporting them to roll the digital tools out to social care professionals across Suffolk.”

Suffolk County Council has been working closely with Imosphere to undergo a phased roll-out of the Formulate solution and self-assessment tool, including the facilitation of an in-depth training programme with social care practitioners.