Trusted Assessor Service
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) launched a 2-year Trusted Assessor Pilot on 6 October 2024.
The pilot is funded by Northampton General Hospital (NGH), the Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and WNC. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to improving outcomes for residents and supporting the local care market.
Following a competitive procurement process, WNC awarded the contract to Lincolnshire Care Association (LinCA), which has extensive experience delivering trusted assessor services.
About the service
The Trusted Assessor service gives care providers an independent assessment of a person's care needs.
The service helps people get the care they need as quickly as possible. It also helps avoid repeat assessments and delays.
The service is available to:
- residential care homes
- nursing homes
- home care providers
- extra care services
- supported living services
What the service does
The Trusted Assessor service supports care providers by giving them clear and reliable information about a person's care needs. This helps providers make informed decisions and supports people to move between services more smoothly.
A Trusted Assessor can:
- carry out an independent assessment for care providers
- help people leave hospital sooner when they are ready
- give clear information to support care decisions
- help care providers understand a person's needs, risks and wishes
- collect updated information when someone goes into hospital
- give provider teams more time to focus on care
How care providers benefit
The Trusted Assessor service helps care providers manage admissions and care planning more efficiently. It provides clear information about a person's needs and supports better communication between organisations.
The service can help care providers:
- spend less time on assessments
- admit people more quickly
- make decisions using clear and consistent information
- find the right care service for each person
- share information more easily with health and social care partners
Important information
The Trusted Assessor service is available for everyone who uses your service, including people who pay for their own care. It is not only for people whose care is funded by WNC or the ICB.
The service can help with:
- new referrals
- people leaving hospital
- updates about existing customers, especially after a hospital stay, to help plan their care
Contact us
If you have any questions about the Trusted Assessor service or the Trusted Assessor Pilot, please contact us.
Trusted Assessor team
Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm
- email: [email protected]
- telephone: 07432 327922
Trusted Assessor Pilot enquiries
If you have any questions about the Trusted Assessor Pilot, you can contact Danielle Frankish:
- email: [email protected]
Last updated 03 July 2026