Adult Services

Big plans for the care we provide

IntroductionFrom April 2015, Care and Support in England is changing.The Care Act 2014 introduces major adult social care reforms affecting the duties of local authorities, the rights of those in need of care and support and their carers, and the care and support funding system.

‘Care and Support’ is the term we use to describe the help some adults need to live as well as possible with any illness or disability they may have. It can include help with things like washing, dressing, eating, getting out and about and keeping in touch with friends or family.

The Act is being introduced in two phases, with social care reform taking effect 1 April 2015 followed by funding reform which will take effect 1 April 2016.

This newsletter describes in more depth the changes taking place and the preparations underway in readiness for the Act taking effect.

Adult Services

Care Act 2014 March 2015

What’s changing?The Care Act 2014 is the most significant change to adult social care in over 60 years. The focus is about supporting people to maintain their independence and take control of their care and support. The Act will:

• Bring about major changes in the way social care is funded;

• Introduce a new approach to assessments and provision of services;

• Create a consistent, fair and streamlined legal framework which focuses on individual needs and outcomes.

The majority of the Act will take effect from April 2015. However, major reforms to the way social care is funded will take effect from April 2016.

A comprehensive information and advice service must be in placeThe Act places a duty on local authorities to ensure that information and advice on care and support is available to everyone when they need it. This includes signposting people to independent financial advice.

A new emphasis on wellbeing will be introducedThe Act presents a new statutory principle of individual wellbeing as the driving focus behind care and support.

We will have new responsibilities for early intervention and preventionThe Council, along with our partners, will take steps to prevent, reduce or delay the need for care and support for residents.

Eligibility for social care will changeCurrently, each local authority can set their own eligibility criteria for social care, which means that someone eligible for care in one area may not be eligible in another. The Act replaces this ‘postcode lottery’ with a rationale eligibility criteria.

There will be changes to assessments and who we will assessThis means that anyone, including carers, who appear to need care and support, will be entitled to an assessment, regardless of their financial situation. The assessment will focus on outcomes and wellbeing. Any needs currently being met by a carer will be included in the development of a care and support plan. Care and support plans (or support plans for carers) will be in place and reviewed regularly.

What will happen in April 2015?There will also be new arrangements for transition services, and duties towards prisoners with eligible needs.

Adults with eligible needs will have a legal right to Personal Budgets and request for Direct PaymentsThe Act formalises the 2008 Putting People First guidance creating the right to a Personal Budget based on the cost that the Council would incur in meeting eligible needs. It consolidates the 1996 Community Care (Direct Payments) Act and confirms the automatic right to Direct Payments. Local authorities have to approve any payment to relatives to carry out administration of Direct Payments on someone’s behalf.

A diverse range of quality care providers must be availableThe Act is clear that there should be enough high-quality services for people to choose from and the Council has a duty to ensure that eligible care needs are met.

Deferred payment arrangements will changeAnyone in a care home who cannot meet the full cost of their care and has a property will be able to request a deferred payment if they meet the eligibility criteria and can provide adequate security. This means that a person, if they qualify, can defer paying some of their care costs so that they do not have to sell their home during their lifetime.

New legal duties to safeguard adults will be in placeA new statutory framework will protect adults who need care and support. This means there will be a duty to make enquiries into concerns of abuse and neglect and partner organisations will be required to cooperate in such enquiries. It introduces a statutory framework for the Council’s existing Safeguarding Adults Board.

Better planning of the transition between children’s and adult servicesThis is essential to assist young people and their families to move from children’s services and prepare for adulthood in the best way possible with the help and support of adult services.

Unpaid carers will be formally recognised as having their own needsThis will give unpaid carers comparable rights to adults with care and support needs.

Recognising the significance of the reforms a Care Act Project Team was established in early 2014 through the Adult Big Ticket Programme Board. The remit of the Project Team was to:

• Undertake detailed analysis of the Act requirements;

• Assess the extent to which the Council currently meet the requirements;

• Identify where changes would need to be made to ensure compliance with the Act;

• Prepare and implement project plans to ensure compliance by April 2015 and April 2016 as appropriate.

In preparing for the Act work-streams and cross-cutting projects, each with an identified Project Lead have been established and are featured overleaf.

A new ‘care cap’ and care account will be introducedThis means that no adult will have to spend more than £72,000 (current estimate) on meeting their assessed eligible social care needs. This is called the care cap. If a person has care and support needs which are funded by a combination of local authority and the person’s own contribution, the total cost counts towards the cap.

Once this cap is reached, the council will pay for the persons care and support. For those in residential care, ‘hotel costs’ such as food and lodgings are excluded in the cap and a resident remains responsible for meeting these costs even after they have reached the cap, so that everyone is treated fairly.

An increase in capital limitsThis will be £27,000 for people living at home and those in residential care whose home is disregarded and £118,000 for people in residential care whose home is taken into account.

What will happen in April 2016?

Preparing for the changes

Letting people know about the changesA communications plan has been developed to ensure that key partners and stakeholders are aware of the Act and the changes being introduced. Timed to run in conjunction with the national awareness campaign, the communications plan is being delivered during the period end January to end March 2015. Plans include:

• Information on the Corporate Website and the Stockton Information Directory;

• An article in the March edition of Stockton News and KYIT;

• A series of Member Seminars;

• Internal reports to key meetings including Cabinet, Health and Wellbeing Board, Adult Health Select Committee and Corporate Management Team;

• Written communication with current service users and carers;

• Briefing seminars for providers and Voluntary Care Sector organisations.

In addition, Care Act Awareness Briefing sessions, together with an online e-learning support tool, are being made available to all staff, Members and partners through our Care Act Workforce Development Programme. For further information or to book a place please contact Janet Hayes on 01642 527348.

Running alongside our communications plan is the national awareness campaign. Mainly running during the period mid-February to mid-March 2015, the national campaign includes local radio advertising, leaflet drops to targeted households and media partnerships with the national press.

In anticipating the communications plan and the national awareness campaign our Customer Services and First Contact teams have undertaken training and a temporary Care Act Helpline within Customer Services has been established. Any general enquiries regarding the Care Act should be directed to this Helpline on 01642 524500.

Further information is available on Stockton Council’s website, please visit www.stockton.gov.uk/care-act and Stockton Information Directory

www.stocktoninformationdirectory.org/care-act

For people who receive care and support, or if you support someone as a carer, they should contact our First Contact Team on 01642 527764.

General enquiries regarding the Care Act and changes being introduced should be directed to our information helpline on 01642 524500.

Care Act workstreams• Wellbeing

• Prevention

• Safeguarding

• Information & Advice (including independent financial advice)

• Independent Advocacy

• Deferred payment scheme

• Charging framework and financial assessment

• Assessment and Eligibility

• Care Planning

• Carers

• Ordinary Residency

• Children’s Transitions

• Market Shaping and Commissioning

• Prisons

• Funding Reforms

Cross-cutting projects• Workforce Development

• Communications Planning

• Informatics & ICT Planning

• Financial Planning