What is Future Care Planning?
Future Care Planning means thinking and planning ahead and understanding what is happening with your health and care. No one knows when their health and care may change. Planning ahead can help people to have more control and choice over their care and support. Sometimes, when a person is unwell they are not able to explain what is important to them.
We have worked with Care Homes and GP Practices in Edinburgh to improve outcomes for care home residents through Future Care Planning. Here you can find guidance for having Future Care Planning discussions and tools for putting a plan in place together.
The Lothian Care Academy is starting to standardise Future Care Planning education and training, and provide opportunities for all health and social care staff in Lothian.
Care Homes and GP Practices have worked together to improve outcomes for care home residents through Future Care Planning/ACP. Together they have produced the 7 Steps to ACP in Care Homes toolkit now available on the Home care Decisions Digital Platform which includes guidance for having discussions and tools for putting a plan in place with people living in care homes and their families. To access or download the toolkit for local use, go to the Care Homes Future Care Planning/ACP page. Below you can find resources to facilitate Future Care Planning/ACP training and implementation.
Future Care Planning eLearning Modules For Care Home Staff
Two eLearning modules are available:
1. Introduction to Anticipatory Care Planning
2. Introduction to the 7 Steps to Anticipatory Care Planning
These can be found on TURAS Learn, NHS Education for Scotland’s learning platform for health and social care staff including Private, Independent and Charity providers. Anyone can register for these modules by going to the TURAS website and searching for “ACP”, “Anticipatory Care Planning”, “Future Care Planning”. City of Edinburgh Council staff can access these modules on myLearningHub.
If you do not have a TURAS account, signing up is free. Instructions for registering for a TURAS account can be found in the resource area of the directory. Just follow the instructions to Create your TURAS account.
Future Care Planning Training for Care Homes (Recorded Session)
You can access the Future Care Planning/ACP Training for Care Homes (recorded session) delivered by Dr Andrew Mackay, GP at St Triduana’s Medical Practice and Future Care Planning/ACP GP Advisor for EHSCP Long Term Conditions Programme. Building on the content covered in the introductory eLearning modules, the video will take you through the steps and resources included in the 7 Steps to ACP in Care Homes toolkit, including responses to frequently asked questions.
In addition, care home teams can access the accompanying Future care Planning/ACP PowerPoint slides with facilitator notes used in the above recording. These are intended to support facilitation of in-house training sessions.
Future Care Planning / ACP Assurance & Improvement
The Care Inspectorate’s A quality framework for care homes for adults and older people includes quality indicators for care homes to assess and improve the quality of care and support. Quality indicator 1.3 and 5.1 describe Future Care Planning/ACP standards for care homes. The Core Assurance Checklist highlights what inspectors must assess during every inspection, and the accompanying self-evaluation template includes a section on planned care and support to help you check you are meeting these core assurances.
Scottish Government’s Healthcare framework for adults living in care homes My Health – My care – My Home sets out how the health and healthcare of people living in care homes should be optimised, supported, and delivered. Section 4 describes Future Care Planning (ACP) and makes specific recommendations for care homes to adopt a robust Future Care Planning/ACP system through an evidence-based approach (including the 7 steps to ACP in care homes, recommendations 4.3-4.6).
Utilising the education, training and implementation resources on this page to adopt the 7 steps to ACP approach in your care home will help to deliver the quality care described by Scottish Government and meet the requirements set out in the Care Inspectorate’s Quality Indicators. To enhance your Quality Indicator Scrutiny Improvement and Support Toolbox the Care Homes Future Care Planning/ACP Quality Review: Key Information Summaries Quality Criteria provides a Future Care Planning/ACP self-evaluation tool focusing on the quality of Key Information Summaries.
Reflective Learning Resources
Care Homes and GP practices involved in Future Care Planning/ACP improvement programmes have recognised the value of reflective practice: offering a safe and supported space to share experiences, strengthen relationships and trust, enabling learning to be put into practice. You can find out more on pages 20-31 & page 112 of the ACP Improvement Programme Learning Report Phase Three: 2018-19 revised 14.11.19 .
You can read about why reflective practice is an important part of improving Future Care Planning in the event summary report: ACP Improvements Celebrating Success and Sharing Learning in Edinburgh Post Event Report June 2019.
In the report you can also learn from care homes and GP practice teams about their experiences of working together to understand and act on what matters to people living in care homes about their health and care.
Further Information and Support
Contact the Lothian Care Academy who can connect you with further information and support.
The Care Homes Future Care Planning/ACP webpages provides additional information and more resources for Care Homes.
For Future Care Planning guidance and resources in other health and care settings for practitioners, citizens and carers, visit the Future Care Planning / Anticipatory Care Planning pages
*Revisions are underway to replace Anticipatory Care Planning with Future Care Planning in line with changes brought in during 2023. This will be an iterative process and will take time to complete across all guidance and resources. While this transition takes place, please read the two terms as interchangeable.
