J. M. on 26/07/2010 12:20
Hi Lisa, reply below as follows:Background TCES Data Research ProjectCommunity Equipment Stores. They are typically a joint venture funded by local authorities and PCTs. The store manages the issue, delivery and installation of equipment that Occupational Therapists (OTs) determine is required by their patients (Clients). The OTs work for either the NHS (typically a PCT but also for Acute Trusts) or for the local Social Services. Typically the NHS issue equipment to support a Client while they are recuperating from an operation or an accident. These are normally short term loans. Social Services normally provide long term loans to assist people to remain in their own homes rather than being taken into a Care Home. The funding of the stores is controlled on behalf of the NHS or Social Services by Commissioners or Joint Commissioners who agree budgets between themselves and the store.TCES is an acronym for Transforming Community Equipment Stores. It has come about as part of a wider Social Services agenda known as Personalisation. This is based on an idea that social care should be tailored or "personalised" to the needs of the individual. It should be noted that this initiative is restricted to Social Services and does NOT include the NHS. The main component of TCES has been the Retail Model. The original form of the Retail model was that it would be adopted nationally and would, in time, replace the Community Equipment Stores. The idea was that OTs would issue a prescription for the items their client requires and the Client would then either collect from a retailer or arrange to have the items delivered. The outcome of the project has been that it has become a regional scheme with individual authorities able to decide whether or not to adopt it. In addition it has been decided that only the smaller Simple Aids (walking aids, stools, commodes etc.) are suitable for Prescription and that a local Community Equipment Stores infrastructure is still required to deliver the larger Complex Aids such as (beds, hoists etc.). This has become known as the Hybrid model.The project is about researching and building a contact list of the key contacts responsible for the TCES programme in local authorities. These are:Commissioners and Joint CommissionersThese are the people that have the responsibility for commissioning services and agreeing the budgets that will be provided. A Community Equipment Store is typically provisioned by a number of Commissioners from Local Authorities and the NHS acting together. These people will be influencing and putting into action the policies that determine how the store operates and whether or not the retail model will be adopted and what form it will take.TCES Project ManagersThese are people who have been tasked with recommending how the Retail Model could be implemented and, if a decision has been made to proceed, project managing its implementation.ApproachWe would like you to make enquiries to see if you are able to find a suitable list for TCES. Failing that, an alternative approach would be to procure a list of Community Equipment Store managers and then use this to ask the Managers who their Commissioners are. The output of this exercise would therefore be:A Contact List for Community Equipment Stores A TCES Contact database