Any documentation about an individual should be reviewed in line with your local policies and procedures. These should also take account of any changing circumstances, for example, if someone has a fall.

If a paperwork system is in place, you need to ensure that review dates are recorded and that the name of the person who reviewed the information is also recorded.

To ensure appropriate monitoring, a ‘next review date’ should be recorded on the paperwork and elsewhere (possibly in an electronic diary) to remind you to carry out the review. Similarly to when you first create a care plan, the review should involve other professionals to ensure that you use all the knowledge and skills available. This will support you to achieve the best possible outcomes for each individual.

Your organisation may have a designated staff member who reviews care plans. 

This could be a key worker, a supervisor, a manager, or another person with significant knowledge to carry out this role. Either way, this person must receive training, guidance and support to enable them to carry out this important function effectively.

This Risk Assessment course will provide you with the basic knowledge required to carry out this assessment function. However, you will need to be supported through mentoring, observation and care plan audits to make sure the care plans you create or review are to a high standard.

If your organisation uses electronic care plans, the system you use may send you notifications to prompt the reviews.

When these prompts are received, it is important to act on them as soon as possible. If your system does not have reminders, check if your system provider can activate this feature for you.

Review frequency

The frequency of care plan reviews will depend very much on the individual’s circumstances.

It may be appropriate to review some documentation daily, with other areas due for review in perhaps a week, a month, 6 months or even a year. Your organisation’s internal auditing procedures should pick up on care plan and associated paperwork reviews. Important for you then, is to familiarise yourself with what the different parts of your review process look like.

For more information, have a look at the following documents, which will help you to ensure you are doing the right things and that you can produce the necessary evidence to prove that you are doing it.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have produced a document called “Key lines of enquiry, prompts and ratings characteristics for adult social care services.

– Care Quality Commission (CQC)

Skills for care support have produce the Good and outstanding care guide.

There is a dedicated section in this Guide which looks at care plans.

Last thoughts…

One of the most common mistakes people can make when producing a care plan is to try to do it on their own. 

You must involve other people. Central to the care plan is making sure that you take every opportunity to involve the individual who is being supported.

You must do it with the individual and not to them.

If you are ever copying and pasting when updating the information, be sure to read it through to make sure it all makes sense.

Do not forget that you are not on your own. If you have any concerns, or you do not understand anything, you must always make sure you speak with your line manager, or another person in charge, to seek clarity.

Fabulous. Now go and continue to be awesome. You have got this!

Well done! You have completed our eLearning for Care Planning.