The Care Act brings together the best elements of social care policy and practice into a single piece of legislation. Under the Act, councils take on responsibility for a number of new duties. These changes came into effect in April 2015.
Needs assessment
The Care Act provides a national minimum threshold which determines the care and support needs that local authorities will meet. Under the Care Act, care plans must now be tailored to your needs and identify how you can do things that are important to you and your family. You will also know how much it costs to meet your needs and how much the local authority will contribute towards the cost. The Act gives you more control over how that money is spent.
If your support needs can be met by local community services or other local support networks, we will signpost you towards these organisations. This supports your wellbeing, prevents avoidable dependents and helps you to remain independent for longer.
For more information about needs assessments visit assessment under the Care Act
New support for carers
If you provide unpaid help and support to a family member or friend who would otherwise not be able to manage, you may be able eligible for assistance. This assistance could be in the form of a direct payment, to spend on the things that make caring easier. For example, practical support or arranging for someone to step in when you need a short break.
We will also provide carers' assessments to understand how caring affects your life, and to work out how you can carry on doing the things that are important to you and your family.
For further information on the new support for carers, click on the following Factsheet 8: the law for carers.
Information and advice
Under the Care Act, it is our duty to ensure people have good information and advice on how to get the right support and know what their choices are. Local authorities are also now required to provide independent advocacy and independent financial advice.
To see the different services available in Haringey, visit Haricare.
For further information on information and advice, click on the following Factsheet 1: general responsibilities of local authorities: prevention, information and advice, and shaping the market of care and support services.
Protecting adults from abuse or neglect
The Care Act sets out a clear legal framework for how local authorities and other parts of the system should protect adults at risk of abuse or neglect. The Act tells councils how we must:
- make enquiries if an adult is subject to, or at risk of, abuse or neglect
- run our Safeguarding Adults Board
- cooperate with partners in order to protect adults experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect.
- safeguarding Adult Reviews: When there is any failure in safeguarding, the results can be severe and tragic and therefore demand a strong response. That is why the Act says that SABs must arrange a Safeguarding Adults Review.
For further information on protecting adults from abuse and neglect, click on the following Factsheet 7: protecting adults from abuse or neglect.
Paying for care
Unlike healthcare, social care is not free at the point of need, most people will contribute something to the cost of their care and this situation will continue under the Act.
Deferred payments
A deferred payment is an arrangement with the council that allows people to use the value of their homes to help pay for care home costs. The Care Act says all local authorities must now offer deferred payments.