Local government

Care Act 2014 support for local authorities and care providers from SCIE

• Report rights infringement
• published: 01 Jun 2015
• views: 34750

http://www.scie.org.uk/ The Care Act 2014 is the most significant piece of legislation in our sector since the establishment of the welfare state. It builds on a patchwork of legislation built up since the 1948 National Assistance Act. The Act begins by defining the primary responsibility of local authorities as the promotion of individual wellbeing. There is a shift from the duty to provide services to meeting needs. Of course everyone has individual needs so local authorities won’t be able to comply with the Act by providing one size fits all services but by putting the person at the centre of their offer. A key part of the Act is a focus on preventing or delaying the need for support. This might mean investing in preventative services and fully utilising any existing community resources, facilities and assets to prevent people’s needs escalating unnecessarily. Carers (who are people who provide unpaid care and support, often a family member or friend) are given significant new entitlements under the Act. It’s hoped that they will be supported to maintain their caring role for longer. Local authorities must establish and maintain an information and advice service. They must provide this to everyone in the area not just people who are entitled to funding or support from the council. The service should cover the new rights and entitlements that people have under the Act and how they can access them in their local area, this should include financial advice. Information should be provided in accessible ways not just on a website, or leaflets in a GPs office, but tailored to the needs of local people.