About the Continuing Care Team

The Continuing Care Team are a small team within adult social care who provide advice/guidance to adult social care staff about Continuing Healthcare. Each geographical area in adult social care has a CC Senior Practitioner Specialist Lead (SPSL) linked to them for direct queries.

The function of the CC team includes:

• Providing staff with advice and guidance around CHC/joint funding/ Funded Nursing Care (FNC);
• Support with checking referrals before sending them to the relevant Integrated Care Board;
• Attending Decision Support Tool (DST) meetings;
• Managing the Dispute process;
• Attending Dispute meetings;
• Attending Independent Review Panels (IRP);
• Attending Consistent Practice Meetings and board meetings;
• Providing training – via Olive, with small groups and on a 1:1 basis;
• Linking with ICB health colleagues.

The s117 Team supports s117 practice for SCC staff through the provision of:

• S117 SharePoint – a s117 ‘library’ including templates and process maps, reference materials, recent case law developments etc.;
• S117 FAQs;
• Quarterly s117 newsletter;
• S117 Training – provided via our external partners, Edge Consultancy;
• Duty inbox;
• Advice on individual cases, including Surrey processes;
• 1-1 or small group coaching.

Due to its limited team size, the team are currently unable to case manage or complete s117 plans. Section 117 awareness and practice has grown steadily since 2021 and there are current plans for the team’s expansion to meet this increasing demand.

In addition to supporting staff, the team plays a key role in identifying practice issues and subsequently, helping to shape s117 processes and policy in Surrey. They work jointly with NHS partners from both Surrey Heartlands ICB and Surrey and Borders Partnership Trust in the provision of s117 services. Apart from its statutory obligations, the main driver behind this joined-up approach, is to ensure that all eligible Surrey residents receive an excellent standard of aftercare as per guidelines detailed in the Mental Health Act 1983: Code of Practice.