When Level 3 is not Enough: English Local Authority Decision Making in Relation to Required Qualification Levels for Specialist Deafblind Assessment

In England, a social care assessment relating to a deafblind individual ‘must be carried out by a person who has specific training and expertise’ (Care Act Regulations 2014). Although Statutory Guidance states that this should be a ‘minimum of OCN or QCF Level 3, or above, where the person has higher or more complex needs’, it does not define what is meant by these terms. This presentation reports on a pilot study that explored both how ‘higher or more complex’ needs are conceptualised by local authorities, and who are considered qualified to assess these. The study, supported by an advisory group consisting of a local authority Principal Social Worker and a person living with deafblindness, was undertaken in two stages: an online questionnaire sent to 15 local authorities, and co-produced vignette-based interviews with six decision-makers. Data were analysed using framework analysis. The study found that in determining the level of qualification and training required by assessors, decision-makers focussed on the particular communication method employed by the deafblind person as well as the complexity of the impairment itself. Complexity arising from the relationship of the impairment with other factors, and the potential complexity facing people with late-life acquired deafblindness were sometimes overlooked. While legal guidance concerning assessment is fundamental to improvements in social care for deafblind people, its operationalisation is not yet fully understood. Exploring ways in which decision-making about specialist assessment is made is an important first step in ensuring deafblind people have access to appropriate specialist support.