Welcome to the Lancashire Adult Policies, Procedures and Practice Guidance Portal.
This page provides a summary of how to use the Portal and its main features.
Contents
Finding Your Way Around the Portal
Using the Portal on Smartphones and Tablets
Adding Shortcuts to the Portal
Quick Reads and Audio Summaries
Finding Your Way Around the Portal
This site is divided into different sections. On the home page there are five buttons / tiles:
- ASC Policies and Procedures – policies and procedures for Adult Social Care;
- Practice Guidance– practice guidance and resources for Adult Social Care staff. This area is restricted to Lancashire County Council employees, who can create a log in using their work email address;
- Safeguarding – links to local safeguarding adults and children information and the Safeguarding Adults Board website;
- Carers – information about services for carers in Lancashire;
- Workforce, Academy and Quality Improvement– information on quality assurance, shared learning, supervision and workforce resources. This area is restricted to Lancashire County Council employees, who can create a log in using their work email address;
When you are in the ASC Policies and Procedures section, there are a number of tabs on the left side of the screen when viewed on larger screens or by clicking on the lined box in the top right corner on smaller screens (such as phones or tablets):
- Using this Portal is this page;
- ‘CQC‘ contains information and resources to support the Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessments of local authority adult services;
- ‘Contents’ contains contains the main policies and procedures for Adult Social Care staff.
- ‘Resources’ links to additional practitioner resources including case law, case studies and legislation.
- ‘Contact’ contains local contact details for teams, services and partner organisations. It also has a contact form, for people to send a message, comment or suggestion about the portal.
Accessibility Options
This portal has a number of different options to aid online reading. Using the ‘Accessibility’ drop-down menu on the left-side of the screen, you can change to green, blue or pink backgrounds, yellow text on a black background or you can return to the default setting.
You can also resize this portal website by pressing CTRL and + together to make it larger, you can keep pressing this to increase the zoom level. Pressing CTRL and – together makes the site smaller. This is a feature built into your web browser, known as in-browser zooming, and so depending on the browser you’re using the controls may be different.
In addition, the portal is designed to be accessible for users of text only and screen reader software programs which allow blind or visually impaired users to read the text that is displayed on the computer screen with a speech synthesizer or braille display. Our content is consistently structured, including headings, which makes using the software on this portal easier. Also, when viewed through screen reader software, every page has a ‘Skip to main content’ link which allows software users to go straight to the main content of that page instead of receiving the full navigation options every time. Please share this information with blind or visually impaired colleagues.
To view the content in a language other than English, use the ‘select language’ drop-down menu on the left-side of the screen and select the language you require. Translations on the Policy Portal are provided using Google Translate.
Google Translate is a free translation service that provides instant translations between different languages. However, Google Translate may not provide an exact translation from English to the required language. Also, it cannot translate all types of documents.
Policy Partners Project Ltd and Lancashire County Council cannot therefore guarantee the accuracy of the translation. However, this service may be useful when working with people who do not have English as their first language, but please bear these points in mind when using translated information.
Using the Portal on Smartphones and Tablets
This portal works well on smartphones and tablets by typing in the weblink in the internet address bar. When used on a mobile device the portal will immediately convert into a mobile phone friendly version, where the tabs sit behind the Menu button.
Adding Shortcuts to the Portal
You can easily access the Portal by installing a shortcut on your device, which will directly open up your internet browser to the Portal. You can do so using the following methods:
- on desktop / laptops: go to the homepage of the Portal website in your internet browser, then bookmark it using your browser’s bookmark feature. Open your browser’s list of bookmarked websites and drag the Portal bookmark onto the desktop of your device.
- on smartphones / tablets: open the APPP portal website in your internet browser, and do the following:
- On Android devices – click the three dots, and select ‘add to home screen‘.
- On iOS / Apple – click the share icon
, scroll down the page and select ‘add to home screen‘
Resources
The Resources section contains a number of links and documents to supplement the information in chapters. It includes
- Briefings – written by Policy Partners Project to reflect current issues or recently released research reports;
- Case Law and LGSCO Reports – information about case law and reports in relation to complaints against local authorities;
- Care and Support Statutory Guidance: Annexes – annexes from the Care and Support Statutory Guidance;
- Case Studies – case studies from the Care and Support Statutory Guidance;
- Easy Reads – links to easy read information for people with care and support needs;
- Glossary – definitions and key terms used;
- Legislation – links to relevant legislation;
- Statutory and National Guidance – links to national guidance, particularly from ADASS, LGA and SCIE;
- Organisations – links to websites for relevant national organisations;
- Provider Resources – links to guidance and other information and national organisations who provide services and support to provider services;
- Quick Reads and Audios – summary versions of chapters, in audio and text formats;
- Safeguarding Adults Review Reports and Inquiry Reports – links to significant SARs and reports from major inquiries.
Quick Reads and Audio Summaries
Some chapters have summaries (Quick Reads) and Audios which provide key information for staff who do not need to know the full detail of the chapter. They can be found at the top of the relevant chapter. A full list can be found in Quick Reads and Audios, in Resources.
Reading Confirmation
This form enables Adult Social Care staff to confirm they have read specific chapters in this Portal. This is useful for newly employed staff as part of their induction, supervision, CPD and for team discussions for example.
CQC Quality Statements
At the top of relevant chapters, we have added Quality Statements from the CQC Assessment Framework for local authorities.
The local authority commitments are included to help staff understand the service the CQC expects a good local authority to provide. They contain the commitments that local authorities should live up to in order to deliver truly person-centred care and support.
Statements about what people expect are taken from Making it Real which was developed with adults using services to capture what good, person-centred care looks like to them. These statements will help staff understand what a good experience of care looks and feels like from the perspective of an adult who is in contact with the local authority.
Chapter Feedback
You can provide feedback on whether you found this site useful by using the ‘was this helpful’ tool at the bottom of each page. If you found the content useful, select the ‘yes / thumbs up’ image, or if it was not helpful, you can select ‘no / thumbs down’. You will be given the option to provide additional feedback / comment. Any feedback you provide is anonymous.
Amendments
May 2025
| Section | Detail |
| Shared Learning (staff only, log in required) | Two sets of slides from reflective practice sessions on cultural competence have been added:
|
| Technology Enabled Care | A leaflet containing information for the public on the Technology Enabled Care Service has been added see, Additional Information, at the top of the page. |
April 2025
| Section | Detail |
| Technology Enabled Care | Charging information in Section 4.3 Paying for the TEC equipment and service has been updated to reflect inflationary price increases which take effect from 07 April 2025. |
| Non-Residential Care Charging Policy | This policy has been reviewed and updated to reflect changes in Adult Social Care charging effective for the financial year 2025/2026. |
| Residential Care Charging Policy | This policy has been reviewed and updated to reflect changes in Adult Social Care charging effective for the financial year 2025/2026. |
| Financial Factsheets | The following Financial Factsheets have been updated to reflect changes effective for the new financial year (2025/2026):
|
February 2025
| Section | Detail |
| Adult Short Breaks | A factsheet to help carers understand how to arrange a short break has been added. The factsheet is available in four different languages: English, Urdu, Punjabi and Gujurati. |
| Strategic Planning, Workforce and Quality Assurance: Shared Learning (staff only, log in required) | A link to the ‘Jack’ Safeguarding Adult Review published by Lancashire Safeguarding Adults Board has been added. A linked 7-minute learning briefing looking at reducing restrictive practices has also been added. |
January 2025
| Section | Detail |
| Practice Guidance (staff only, log in required) | The following documents have been updated:
|
| Strategic Planning, Workforce and Quality Assurance: Shared Learning (staff only, log in required) | A new shared learning brief on Record Keeping has been added. |
| Assessment of Needs | The My Assessment booklet which has been written to help people prepare for their assessment of needs, has been updated to include a QR code which links to a video containing a British Sign Language (BSL) version of the information. |
| Carer’s Assessments | The My Carer’s Assessment booklet and my Carer’s Assessment review booklet have been updated to include a QR code which links to a video containing a British Sign Language (BSL) version of the information. |
| Review of Care and Support Plans | The My Review booklet has been updated to include a QR code which links to a video containing a British Sign Language (BSL) version of the information. |
November 2024
| Section | Detail |
| Financial Factsheets | This new section contains all the financial factsheets which accompany the residential and non residential care charging policies. Having them in one place, easily visible on the contents should make them easier for practitioners and families to find. |
| Practice Guidance: Risk of Harm Management Framework | The framework sets out our approach for a strengths-based approach to risk management when working with people who have care and support needs. It also outlines the principles and processes for managing risk of harm and carrying out risk assessments, consistent with Making Safeguarding Personal and the Lancashire Multi-Agency Adult Safeguarding Policy and Procedures. |
| Practice Guidance: Short Term Support Service Operational Guidance | The Short-Term Support Service supports people to return home following a stay in hospital or in a Short-Term Bed or to remain at home through admission avoidance. The Operational Guidance describes how the Service works with the person and their family to determine the right care and support at the right time. |
October 2024
| Section | Detail |
| Strategic Planning, Workforce and Quality Assurance: Workforce (staff only, log in required) | The Adult Social Care – Expectations of Behaviour and Conduct have been added in the Recruitment and Retention tile. |
| Strategic Planning, Workforce and Quality Assurance: Workforce (staff only, log in required) | Links to the new Adult Social Care Supervision Contract and Supervision Record have been added in the Supervision tile. |
| Strategic Planning, Workforce and Quality Assurance: Shared Learning (staff only, log in required) | A new shared learning brief on Lone Working has been added. |
September 2024
| Section | Detail |
| Ordinary Residence Policy | This policy has been reviewed and updated, information in relation to ordinary residence and the provision of section 117 Aftercare was updated following the ruling of the Supreme Court in the Worcestershire Case (see Section 6.8). |
August 2024
| Section | Detail |
| Residential Care Charging Policy and Non Residential Care Charging Policy | In Appendices, Information Sheet 2 and Information Sheet 3 were updated to include QR codes linking to videos which contain British Sign Language (BSL) versions of the content in the leaflets. |
| Quality and Improvement; Audit and Moderation | The Adult Social Care Audit and Moderation Framework has been updated, and the following new content added:
|
| Practice Guidance | Information about the new Money Management Service which is being provided by the Moneycare Foundation (MCF) has been added.
The MCF will manage all new referrals for Appointeeships and Deputyships. |
| Assessment of Needs | Information to share with adults / families before an assessment meeting has been updated: My Assessment – what you need to know for an assessment meeting from adult social services (opens as a PDF) |
| Carer’s Assessments | Information to share with carers before a carer’s assessment meeting and reviewing meeting has been updated:
My Carer’s Assessment – What you need to know for a Carer’s assessment meeting from adult social services (opens as a PDF) My Carer’s Assessment Review – What you need to know for a review meeting from adult social services (opens as a PDF) |
| Review of Care and Support Plans | Information to share with adults before a review meeting has been updated:
My Review – what you need to know for a review meeting from adult social services (opens as a PDF) |
July 2024
| Section | Detail |
| Practice Guidance | The following have been added:
|
| Practice Guidance; LiquidLogic (LAS) | A link to the LAS Knowledge Base has been added. |
June 2024
| Section | Detail |
| Technology Enabled Care | Section 4.3 Paying for the TEC equipment and service has been updated to reflect the revised weekly costs for available services which came into force on 01 June 2024. |
May 2024
| Sections | Detail |
| Strategic Planning, Workforce and Quality Assurance; Workforce | The Lancashire County Council Adult Social Care Supervision Framework has been added. |
| Easy Reads | A range of easy read information produced by the NHS, government and other national charities and organisations have been added. These are useful for sharing with people with care and support needs. |
Date of Next Revision
This Portal is regularly updated. Email notifications will be sent out each time it is updated.
Search
Using the search facility
To search for information, type in the word or phrase you are looking for in the ‘Search’ facility and press ‘Enter’. It will bring up a list of all the chapters where it appears. The word / phrase you searched for will be highlighted in the chapter. To make sure the search results more accurately reflect what you are looking for, you can add inverted commas (also known as speech marks) to the word or term you are looking for, for example “safeguarding” or “adult safeguarding”.
Using ‘ctrl’ and f
If you want to search for specific text within a chapter or a pdf document, you can also press ‘Ctrl’ and ‘f’ together. A box will appear in the top right of your screen. Type in the word / phrase you want to find and press ‘Enter’. The number of times it appears in the chapter will be displayed next to your word. Use the up and down arrows next to it to find all the references.
This portal has been designed to be used online. If you print a chapter, for example to take to a meeting, please note it is valid for 72 hours only from the date it was printed. There may be occasions when it is updated urgently as a result of a Safeguarding Adults Review or inspection recommendation, so it is important to be sure that you are using the most recent copy. This is why we recommend that if you have to print a chapter, you no longer refer to it after that time.
Please remember that the portal can be also accessed on smartphones and tablets (see Using the Portal on Smartphones and Tablets).
Copyright
The chapter content in this portal can be accessed, downloaded and printed unchanged, on a temporary basis. Any content printed or downloaded may not be sold, licensed, transferred, copied or reproduced in part or in whole in any manner or format without the prior written permission of Policy Partners Project Ltd.
