For CHC teams and jointly funded packages
CHC-funded support at home and in supported living
Continuing Healthcare packages carry a level of clinical need that a general home care provider is not always set up for. This page covers what we would take on, what we need to see, and how a proposal is costed.
Referrals line: REFERRALS PHONE · Referrals inbox: REFERRALS EMAIL
This page is for you if
You are arranging a package funded through NHS Continuing Healthcare, or a jointly funded arrangement where health and social care are splitting the cost.
The question that decides these placements is usually competence, not capacity: can the provider deliver the clinical elements of the package safely, with the right training, supervision and escalation route, in someone’s own home.
We will tell you plainly which elements we can deliver and which would need a district nursing or specialist input alongside us. A package built on an overstated capability is the one that fails at 2am.
Clinical scope
Within scope, subject to training and sign-off
- Personal care and daily living support at a high level of dependency
- Medication support and administration
- CONFIRM DELEGATED CLINICAL TASKS BELLUS STAFF ARE TRAINED AND SIGNED OFF FOR
- CONFIRM STAFFING PATTERNS: 1:1, 2:1, waking night, sleep-in
- End-of-life care alongside the district nursing and palliative team
Outside scope, or needing specialist input alongside us
- CONFIRM CLINICAL EXCLUSIONS
- Tasks requiring a registered nurse on site continuously, unless commissioned as such
- Packages where the funded hours would not allow safe delivery
- Environments that cannot be made safe for the equipment required
Saying no early is more useful to you than saying yes slowly. We would rather decline a referral in the first conversation than hold up a discharge or a placement while we work out that we cannot do it.
What we need to review a referral properly
- A current needs assessment, or the most recent one available
- Any risk assessment and positive behaviour support plan in place
- Relevant health information, including diagnoses and prescribed medication
- Capacity and best-interests decisions relevant to accommodation and care
- Any DoLS, Court of Protection order or Section 117 aftercare status
- The funding route and the authority or team holding the budget
- Communication needs, sensory needs and known triggers
- Who else is involved — family, advocate, care coordinator, current provider
- The DST and CHC decision, or the current stage of the process
- Equipment in place and any environmental adaptations needed
- Which clinical tasks are delegated, and by whom
Send what you have. An incomplete referral still gets a response — we will tell you what else we need rather than sitting on it. Documents can be uploaded securely through the referral form (accepted formats and size limits are shown on the upload step).
Funding arrangements we work with
Local authority
CONFIRM: adult social care funded packages, including joint and pooled arrangements.
NHS Continuing Healthcare
CONFIRM: CHC-funded placements and jointly funded packages.
Section 117 aftercare
CONFIRM: aftercare packages following detention under the Mental Health Act.
Personal health budgets
CONFIRM: PHBs and direct payments, including where a family manages the budget.
Private / self-funded
CONFIRM: privately funded arrangements and deputy-managed funds.
Frameworks and DPS
CONFIRM WHICH FRAMEWORKS AND DYNAMIC PURCHASING SYSTEMS BELLUS IS ON.
Every item on this page marked in amber is awaiting confirmation from Bellus and is not yet a published commitment.
What happens after you send a referral
- 1
Initial discussion
A short conversation about the person’s needs and current situation, so we can tell you early whether Bellus is a realistic option. No paperwork required to start this.
- 2
Referral and documents
Formal submission through our secure form, with supporting documents attached.
- 3
Information review
Our clinical and operational teams review the documentation to confirm whether we can safely meet the person’s needs.
- 4
Specialist assessment
A face-to-face or virtual assessment with the person, their family and any current provider.
- 5
MDT review
Our internal multidisciplinary team formulates a support strategy and confirms whether we can offer a safe, effective placement.
- 6
Compatibility assessment
For supported living, a formal assessment of compatibility with existing tenants, the environment and the local community.
- 7
Funding and placement proposal
Detailed costings, a proposed support plan and a transition proposal, submitted to you.
- 8
Transition planning
A step-by-step plan including familiarisation visits, person-specific staff training and any environmental adaptations.
- 9
Move-in
Support commences with a team that has already been trained and briefed on this person.
- 10
Reviews
A structured initial review, then ongoing outcome reviews focused on quality of life, not just service delivery. CONFIRM REVIEW INTERVALS
We publish this pathway because transparency is worth more to a commissioner than a brochure. If a step is going to take longer than expected, we will tell you rather than let the referral go quiet.
What you can expect from us, and when
SLA 1
Initial clinical and operational review, and a clear yes or no on whether we are pursuing the referral.
SLA 2
Specialist assessment arranged with the person and everyone who needs to be there.
SLA 3
Placement proposal and full costings submitted to the funding authority.
These commitments are pending confirmation by Bellus. We will not publish a response time the service cannot operationally hold — a broken commitment costs more than an unpublished one. Out-of-hours referral route: OUT-OF-HOURS ROUTE
Questions from CHC teams
1Do you take fast-track referrals?
CONFIRM: fast-track and end-of-life referral timescales.
2Who signs off delegated clinical tasks?
CONFIRM THE COMPETENCY SIGN-OFF AND CLINICAL SUPERVISION ARRANGEMENT.
3What training do staff hold?
MANDATORY TRAINING LIST, INCLUDING CLINICAL COMPETENCIES. OLIVER MCGOWAN TRAINING COVERAGE.
4How is the package reviewed?
A structured initial review, then ongoing reviews. CONFIRM REVIEW INTERVALS.
5Can you take a jointly funded package?
Yes — CONFIRM JOINT FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS ACCEPTED.
Talk to us about a person you are trying to place
A short conversation before a formal referral usually saves everyone time. Tell us the situation and we will give you a straight answer about whether Bellus is a realistic option.
Referrals inbox: REFERRALS EMAIL · General enquiries: [email protected]