Adult care accessible communications policy

Overview

We aim to make our communication and information accessible to all. This policy provides the reasons for making information accessible and how we will achieve it.

Background and legal context

The Equality Act requires us to make “reasonable adjustments” to ensure everyone can access our services. This includes providing information in the most appropriate format. Everyone should be able to use services without any barriers, including obtaining information about them.

Under the Care Act, we must provide advice and information in an accessible format to meet an individual's needs.

The Accessible Information Standard requires the NHS and local authorities to have a standardised approach. Where a person's communication need arises from a disability, impairment or sensory loss, it covers:

identifying
recording
flagging
sharing
acting upon

This standard applies to all organisations that provide NHS or social care. It includes where others have been commissioned to provide this care.

Our aim

To make information and communication accessible to the public, we need to:

identify when a person has a communication need
record on a person's adult care record their communication need and how it can be met
flag a communication need on a person's adult care record. This will make it clear that the person has a communication need and detail how it can be met
share information about the person's communication needs with other NHS and adult social care providers, where we have consent and permission to do so
ensure that people obtain information in an accessible way and can access communication support where needed
plan and budget for the provision of information in alternative formats so it can be provided in a timely manner

How we will achieve our aims

To achieve our aims, we will:

Ask service users and their carers if they have any communication needs. These needs could relate to a disability, impairment or sensory loss. We will establish what these needs are.
Identify information and communication needs, as well as required mechanisms:
- when people first interact or register with our service
- as part of ongoing or routine interaction with our service by existing service users
Record on a person's adult care record their communication need and how it can be met.
Flag a communication need on a person's adult care record. It will clearly show:
- the person has a communication need
- details on how the communication need can be met
Ensure any information or communication needs of a service user or carer are included when referring them to an NHS or adult social care provider. We will only share information when consent has been given.
Ensure that people obtain information in an accessible way and can access communication support where needed:
- All information will be available in formats which meet guidelines to be more accessible than standard.
- When required, we will provide information in further accessible formats. We might not always provide information the way someone prefers, but we will make sure they can access and understand it.
- Interpreters and other communication professionals will:
  - have appropriate qualifications
  - have Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance
  - be signed up to the relevant professional code of conduct
- We will provide alternative contact methods for people with information and communication needs.
Plan and budget for providing information in alternative formats so it can be provided in a timely manner. Providing information in alternative formats will form a core part of our business.

Our commitment

We are committed to making sure people can access and understand the information we provide. We also want to help them contact us in ways that meet their needs.

We aim to make our information as accessible as possible. Where further accessibility is required, we aim to make it available to people:

upon request
in a timely manner
via translators and interpreters
in alternative formats

All new policies and printed information produced by adult care will include the following statement:

In accordance with current legislation, we want to treat everyone fairly. We follow the Accessible Information Standard.

Although we do not regularly translate things, there are times when a barrier prevents people from accessing a service. In such cases we may provide an interpreter or written translation.

Please contact us on 01522 782155 or email csc_socialcare@lincolnshire.gov.uk if you need this document in a different format, for example, large print, braille or easy read.

General principles

To support accessible communication and information, we will:

Promote the availability of information in alternative formats. We want to support people in making informed choices about their care.
Use plain language in our publications, including our website, and avoid unnecessary jargon.
Indicate in the information we produce where people can ask for accessible and alternative formats of this information.
Focus on continuous improvement. We will regularly review this policy and amend it as required.
Develop our approach to engagement and co-production with the public and user groups. This will enable us to include the views of those with lived experience.
Provide the resources to deliver this policy. We will review requests for alternative formats to ensure they represent value for money. We may suggest alternative formats.
Achieve the best value for money in delivering this policy. This will be done by using our contracted provider wherever possible.
Monitor and report on the number of requests we receive for information in alternative formats.
Update and review a library of key documents which will be readily available in alternative formats.
Update and review staff guidance on making information and communication accessible.
Work with our corporate colleagues to ensure our adult care communications policy links with corporate approaches. This will improve our wider customer experience and improve accessibility to our services.
Ensure that our staff are aware of the principles of the Accessible Information Standard and how they can apply them when working with others.

Alternative formats

We will provide information in alternative formats, where appropriate, using the most suitable method. This will include translation and interpretation.

Translation and interpretation relate to more than the different languages that are spoken in our community. Some people will need information to be translated into alternative formats.

Interpretation

Interpretation deals with spoken communication or sign language. Interpretation is carried out by an interpreter, converting one language into another.

Some examples of how we will use interpretation are:

British Sign Language

Many deaf people prefer British Sign Language (BSL). It is performed through a BSL interpreter. The language uses movement of the hands, body, face and head.

Makaton

Makaton is a language programme that supports spoken language with signs and symbols to help people communicate.

Translation

Translation deals with written text, transforming the source text into an alternative. A translator carries out translations and has the same function as an interpreter but works with written information.

Some examples of how we will use translation are:

Translation into foreign languages

We must ensure people can:

find information to help them make decisions
access our services and information effectively
access the opportunities available to them

Large print

Large print refers to the formatting of a document. It helps people who have visual impairments by increasing the font size and spacing between the text.

Easy read

Easy read format is where text is presented in an accessible, easy to understand format. It is often used for people with learning disabilities but may also help people with conditions that affect how they process information.

Easy read is usually a mixture of text broken down into short sentences, using simplified language, with images or graphics.

Plain text

Plain text is simplified without formatting, styling, fonts, or colours and contains no graphics or images. It allows a person to use their computer settings to view the message or use assistive technology to read it to them.

Braille

Braille is a writing system used by people who are blind or visually impaired. It is usually written with embossed paper and uses a system of raised dots to represent the alphabet and numbers.

Moon

Moon is a system sometimes used by blind people. It is a system of raised shapes with large characters. It is often suitable for people who lose their sight in later life and those with a less keen sense of touch.

Audio file

Audio files can be used by people with visual impairments to listen to information. This is likely to be in scenarios where a user does not have a screen reader or access to a computer.

Sometimes it is not possible to produce information in alternative formats in-house. At such times, it will be produced by our approved service providers.

Use of plain language

We aim to use plain language in both written and verbal communications.

The information we provide will be clear, well written and jargon free. This will benefit both readers and writers of documentation. We want to make our information easier to understand and reduce reading time.