DepenSys is not just a classification system but a time-based, skill-sensitive point based algorithm. It converts structured resident need scores into exact daily care hours, validates against real-world studies, adjusts dynamically (admissions, discharges, overrides), and aggregates to home level for rota comparison and compliance evidence.
Algorithmic Foundation
Origin: Based on Rob Fawcett’s MSc thesis (1989) and later RFC Dependency System (2003–2004), tested in 30 homes with ~1,500 residents, refined in 2018–2019 with another 2,000 residents, and validated on >25,000 assessments.
Method: Like the CHSM, DepenSys used empirical time-and-motion studies to measure how long tasks associated with each need actually take. But where CHSM grouped residents into categories, DepenSys advanced this into a direct time-allocation model, preserving granularity.
Weighting: Unlike CHSM, DepenSys gives equal weight to psychological/emotional/social care and physical care, embedding a holistic model of dependency.
Continuous Refinement: Every deployment feeds back into the dataset, allowing recalibration of timings and validation across different care environments.
How the Calculation Works?
The assessment brings together a set of clinically meaningful “needs” (mobility, cognition, observation, infection precautions, nutrition, personal care, etc.) and turns them into two things: (1) an estimated number of skilled and unskilled care hours, and (2) a care category. Each need contributes several points based on how significant it is. Those points aren’t all equal areas that typically require more clinical oversight carry more weight than routine support needs. The total points provide a single picture of overall demand.
From that overall picture, the system then separates the demand into a skilled portion and an unskilled portion. It does this by applying calibrated skill mixes to each need type. Therefore, some needs are treated as mostly skilled work, others as mostly unskilled, and some fall in between. Adding those up across all needs produces two totals: “skilled points” and “unskilled points.”
Points are then converted to time using a consistent conversion factor so that you end up with minutes and then hours of care. To avoid underestimation on very low-complexity cases, the model begins with a small baseline allowance for both skilled and unskilled time before adding the needs-based minutes. If one-to-one care is in place, it’s layered on top and allocated primarily to unskilled time with a small skilled component, reflecting how that support is typically delivered. There’s also an option to add extra skilled minutes explicitly when the clinical picture warrants it.
The tool also keeps an eye on timing around admission and discharge. When a person has arrived recently or is close to leaving there are short-term tasks and coordination work that briefly increase workload. The system recognises this automatically when the dates are within roughly a month and adjusts the points; accordingly, if not, no temporary uplift is applied.
Once skilled and unskilled minutes are finalised, the totals are summed to a single “total care hours” figure. That figure is used to assign a care category via a set of bands. The exact thresholds are encapsulated in a function so they can be updated centrally without changing the rest of the logic. Finally, the application also reports the percentage split between skilled and unskilled time so teams can plan the right mix of staff.
Core Calculation Logic
DepenSys translates each resident’s needs into a quantified number of care hours per 24-hour day, split into:
Total Care Hours – the aggregate time required.
Skilled Hours – the portion that must be delivered by a nurse (in nursing homes) or senior carer (in residential homes).
Carer Hours – the remaining time that can be provided by general care staff.
These are then compared to the home’s actual rota to show under- or over-staffing.
Resident-Level Assessment
Each resident is assessed against 26+ domains of care needs (physical, psychological, emotional, and social). Examples include:
Mobility, continence, communication, sensory deficits.
Psychological/emotional/social support.
Specific interventions (e.g. wound care, medication administration).
Special requirements like one-to-one supervision or escorting out of the home.
Key Mechanisms:
Each domain is scored based on severity or frequency.
Some fields are inter-linked (e.g. choosing “bed rest” automatically increases mobility support to maximum).
One-to-one hours and additional skilled hours can be added manually and averaged where they aren’t daily (e.g. a nurse dressing wounds every 3 days is entered as 0.5 hours/day).
Dependency Categories
DepenSys provides reference categories (N1/R1 through N6/R6) that map to ranges of daily hours:
Category | Level | Hours/day | Description |
N1/R1 | 1 | <1.9 | Very low needs |
N6/R6 | 6 | 6.5+ | Very high needs |
But unlike older models (like CHSM), these categories are secondary: the true calculation is the individualised hours per resident, not just a banding.
Home-Level Aggregation
Resident hours are summed across the home. DepenSys applies a skill mix ratio: based on configured staff grades, some roles contribute 100% skilled hours (nurses, senior carers), others 0% (general carers), and hybrid roles (e.g. medicator) somewhere in between.
Managers can then see:
Required hours vs. actual staffed hours.
Day vs. night ratios.
Gaps in skilled hours vs. carer hours.
Adjustments & Overrides
The system allows for policy-based adjustments:
Home Override Hours – extra hours added for geography, safety (e.g. fire evacuation) or quality improvements.
Admission/Discharge Weighting – recently admitted or soon-to-be discharged residents automatically trigger extra skilled time for care planning.
Review Cycle – if needs aren’t updated monthly, DepenSys flags the resident for review, ensuring data stays current.
Output
The final output is:
Per-resident care hours (total + skilled).
Home-wide staffing requirement (by shift, by unit).
Skill mix ratios (nurse/senior carer vs general carer).
Comparison of actual rota vs required (highlighting deficits or surpluses).
These can be exported into compliance-ready reports for regulators (CQC, CIW, etc.).