How does the West Suffolk CBT Service case manage clients requiring reasonable adjustments to the standard of service provision (e.g., learning disability etc)?

 

Service users who require reasonable adjustments (for example, individuals with learning disabilities, autism, cognitive impairment or individuals with complex conditions) will only be case managed by clinicians who have extensive training in dealing with such cases (for example, Clinical Psychologists employed by the West Suffolk CBT Service). In such cases a more thorough assessment may be required, for example, assessment of functional impairment, functional analysis of behavioural problems etc. Such assessments can be time consuming and, as such, more costly to perform. The West Suffolk CBT Service will look to source agreement for such funding prior to the assessment of individuals with complex needs.

 

Individuals with complex needs are also likely to be assisted by indirect intervention with carers, support workers and family members. This will mean that the traditional format of a clinician working directly with a service user may need to be complimented in some cases, with a clinician spending time training others in order to improve the environment of the service user. Individuals with complex needs may also have interactions with numerous statutory and non-statutory services, and it may well be the case that the case managing clinician may need to liaise with professionals from other organisations to improve the input provided to the service user. This is likely to mean that the cost of treatment can be substantially greater than that traditionally expected of 1:1 funded treatment. The cost of such intervention will need to be considered carefully by purchasers prior to the West Suffolk CBT Service offering intervention to such service users.