Measuring outcomes in care homes using ASCOT

The Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) is a set of tools for measuring outcomes in social care. These tools can be used across a wide range of user groups and care and support settings. The toolkit contains a multi-method version designed specifically for use in residential settings (CH3). Developed as part of the Measuring Outcomes for Public Services Users project (MOPSU), CH3 combines structured observation alongside interviews with service users, relatives and staff in order to measure service users’ outcomes in a context where many service users would struggle with the highly structured survey format. This paper will outline both the development and the key features of CH3, before going on to look at how it has been used by a variety of organisations in the two years since has it became publically available. Feedback and consultations with existing users has informed our thinking for future developments of the toolkit. We conclude by outlining our plans for the future, including adapting the tool for local authority quality monitoring purposes, revisiting the proxy interviews and developing a more qualitative interview for service users.