About this section

2D sets out what a site must have in place for practical support, independent therapeutic referral routes, peer group support referral and benefits/application support for clients within Restitute Model delivery.

It covers the routes, approvals, records and competence arrangements needed for these parts of client support.

It does not set out the client pathway triggers. Those sit in Client Pathway Standards and Practice.

2D.1 Practical support arrangements

1. Each Delivery Site must have a route to provide practical support as part of Restitute Model delivery.
2. Where the Restitute Core Team funds practical support, the Restitute Core Team practical support policy applies. Where a Delivery Site uses its own funding, the Restitute Core Team policy provides the recommended model protocol and funding limits, but the site must still have clear governance, approval, recording and audit controls.
3. Supplier payment is the preferred route and cash should be avoided wherever possible.
4. Practical support must be recorded in Lamplight and in the relevant finance or practical-support record for the funding route being used. Records should show what was provided, the purpose, the value and the payment or funding route. The wider rationale and support action should be recorded in the support worker case record.

2D.2 Independent therapeutic referral route arrangements

1. Each Delivery Site must have an agreed route for clients to access independent therapeutic assessment where the client wants to explore therapy.
2. Therapy must not be offered as a front-door or automatic service. A client must not be added to the Restitute pathway solely to access therapy.
3. Restitute support workers may discuss therapy as an option, record the client’s view, and use supervision to decide whether to support access to the agreed referral route.
4. Restitute support workers, supervisors and Delivery Sites do not assess clinical suitability for therapy, choose therapeutic modality, determine treatment need or hold clinical governance for therapeutic provision.
5. The qualified therapeutic provider is responsible for clinical assessment, suitability, therapeutic approach, treatment planning, risk management, safeguarding responsibilities connected with therapeutic provision, clinical records, supervision and professional governance.
6. The usual Restitute-funded client therapy route is an independent therapeutic assessment and, where the qualified therapeutic provider assesses therapy as clinically indicated and the agreed route allows it, up to 12 therapy sessions. Where therapy is accessed through the Restitute Model, it must be free to the client at the point of delivery.
7. Therapy must not be promised before client consent, referral route, approval, funding, availability and independent therapeutic assessment have been confirmed.
8. The Delivery Site must have a process for checking therapeutic provider suitability, qualifications, professional registration or accreditation, insurance, safeguarding suitability and DBS where relevant.
9. The Delivery Site must have a process for confirming who approves use of the therapy route, who checks availability, how the referral is made, what information is shared, how consent is recorded, and how the outcome of the independent therapeutic assessment is communicated back into support planning.
10. Support-worker involvement after a therapy referral must be reviewed through supervision so that Restitute support does not duplicate therapy or drift into therapeutic work. Restitute support may continue where it has a clear practical, family, agency, safeguarding, court or stabilisation focus, or may pause where this is agreed as the safer or more useful route.
11. Therapy discussions and any referral decision must be recorded in Lamplight, including the client’s view, consent, referral route, approval, funding and availability checks, assessment outcome where known, provider feedback shared with consent, support-worker plan and next action.

2D.3 Peer group support referral arrangements

1. Peer group support may be considered where it is requested by the client or identified by the worker as potentially helpful.
2. Peer group support must not be presented as required, automatic or a substitute for one-to-one Restitute support.
3. The Delivery Site must have a process for considering whether peer group support is suitable, wanted by the client and available through an agreed route.
4. Suitability must include emotional readiness, safeguarding, confidentiality, online safety, group safety, risk of overwhelm, and whether the client understands that peer group support is separate from one-to-one Restitute support.
5. Peer group support may be accessed through: a. the Delivery Site’s own suitable local peer group support arrangements; or b. a suitable peer group support programme accessed through the Restitute Core Team route, where this is agreed and available.
6. Peer group support must not be promised before suitability, consent, referral route, funding and availability have been checked.
7. The request or rationale, suitability decision, client consent, referral route, supervision decision where required, referral outcome and next step must be recorded in Lamplight.

2D.4 Benefits/application support arrangements

1. A Delivery Site must have benefits/application support arrangements in place before workers provide this support to clients.
2. A Delivery Site must make sure benefits/application support is only undertaken by workers who are trained and competent to do so.
3. A Delivery Site must make sure workers have access to current benefits/application guidance.
4. A Delivery Site must have a way for workers to research benefits/application issues, apply judgement and seek advice where an issue is outside their competence, high-risk or likely to materially affect the client.
5. Benefits/application support must be recorded in Lamplight.