HCPA’s aim is to see all adults, social care providers, staff and families and relatives benefit from our StopFalls service which continues to reduce falls throughout Hertfordshire.
This website shares the most effective methods to help reduce falls. Beginning with a multi-factorial risk assessment and common risk factors such as medication, to the importance of exercise, what to do in the event of a fall and a selection of other helpful suggestions.
Please use this website to update your knowledge and apply practical tools to help prevent falls.
If you would like to receive paper-based exercises or brochure, please email stopfalls@hcpa.co.uk
If you are a care organisation and need support for your service, please contact us for support via the referral tab.
HCPA’s aim is to see all adults, social care providers, staff and families and relatives benefit from our StopFalls service which continues to reduce falls throughout Hertfordshire.
This website shares the most effective methods to help reduce falls, with tools and assessments.
If you would like to receive paper-based exercises or brochure, please email stopfalls@hcpa.co.uk
Multifactorial falls risk assessment (NICE, 2017) is: An assessment with multiple components that aims to identify a person's risk factors for falling. The more risk factors a person has, the higher their risk of falling. It should be part of an individualised, multifactorial intervention and shouldn’t be a blanket approach for those risk of falls.
HCPA have developed a Multifactorial Risk Assessment as good practice to use with providers and through education. Please read the guidance that goes along with the Risk Assessment.
Links to download:This highly sought after HCPA Prevention and Enablement Service aims to:
Support and educate providers to deliver preventative and enabling care, to increase mobility, prevent unnecessary falls, and reduce deterioration, through practical support and education.
Providers will embed the Hertfordshire ConnectedLives ethos by creating an 'Enabling Care Culture', and staff will maximise the independence of the people in their care, using a standardised strengths-based approach self-assessment toolkit, which is designed to facilitate the move from a 'task based' to an 'outcome focused' culture of care.
HCPA use the skills of Physiotherapists to upskill your staff with enhanced knowledge and practical skills, which will allow them to help individuals improve such things as sit to stand, mobility, and positioning, as well as how to spot early signs of deterioration.
For many years it has been the culture in the Social Care sector that tasks should be performed for people who are in need of care, as they are unable to do them themselves. This is likely, at least in part, due to a lack of awareness about the principle: "use or lose it" and thus, a lack of questioning about whether a person has the potential to improve.
With an Enabling Care Approach, HCPA aims to change this culture!
Recent guidance on the physical and mental health benefits of being more: active, empowered, and independent, now emphasises what has been known in Therapy settings for a long time, and that is: through an enabling approach, people can actually improve, and live longer, better lives!!
Moreover, the act of empowering others has an invaluable impact on the mental health and well-being of individuals who deliver care, therefore staff who receive this education tend to report greater job satisfaction and feelings of self-worth.
The NICE guidance NG74 2017 explains enablement as: "Assessment and interventions provided to people in their home (or care home) aiming to help them recover skills and confidence and maximise their independence"”". However, this guidance, only refers to Intermediate Care Teams, and there is currently no other guidance on what is meant by the term Enablement and even less on how to create an Enabling Care Approach culture across all care settings. HCPA have therefore been working with all Stakeholders across Hertfordshire (HCC, CCGs, DTA Teams, Community Therapy Teams, Monitoring Officers, Safeguarding Teams) to create training and toolkits that are fit for purpose, and to ensure that everyone is aware of, and on board with, this revolutionary service.
Prevention is one of the seven key responsibilities within the Care Act (2014), and HCPA aims to support Care Managers to embed the correct governance, tools, education, and resources to prevent deterioration, to promote independence and improved quality of life. Prevention in social care is about encouraging people to be more proactive about their health and wellbeing. It can increase independence and significantly reduce or delay the need for care and support services.
The Prevention and Enablement Self-Assessment Framework actively promotes 10 topics that underpin Prevention and Enablement, giving homes one of the following as a status:
This can be used to highlight areas that need improvement and facilitates the process of preparing to achieve Outstanding on CQC and Herts Monitoring inspections.
Targeted Support is a bespoke service which will be offered on a case-by-case basis, and the HCPA Prevention and Enablement team are always available to answer your questions and provide up-to-date resources. Education focuses on Falls prevention, Frailty, UTIs and Hydration, and Enabling Care, and the team also work with Care Homes to support them through the Prevention and Enablement Self-Assessment Framework. This is usually completed with the Care Manager and then education and support training is booked based on identified actions.
For Level 1:
Watch this Webinar here!
For Level 2:
Go to the HCPA Champions Page here to view our 4 day Enabling and Mobility Champion Course
Also see resources below:
NB: For providers who care for individuals with a learning disability, visit the Adult Disability and Mental Health tab in HCPA Members Zone and click on the Posture Friends side tab. Also see the Resource Booklet below:
Posture-Friends-Resource-Booklet_FINAL_V2-1.pdf
With older adults transitioning into higher levels of frailty and therefore dependence, it is important to understand the identification, assessment and actions within adult social care. In relation to our aging population it is necessary to ask the first question within your care organisation: how am I measuring the levels of frailty within my workplace?
Links to download:Click here to download our guidance on for a person who has fallen on their back | Click here to download our guidance on for a person who has fallen on their front |
Local Falls pathway for Hertfordshire