Community Care - Is the Care Act Working?

Introduction

The Care Act has been in force in England for over five years but how far does it meet the aims laid down for it?

Is it working as a vehicle for both local authorities and service users? What lessons have been learned about its operation during the pandemic? What sorts of problems are being uncovered, and how are they being approached? How should the division between health and social care be approached?

This new course will look at recent experiences and will consider possible ways forward.

What You Will Learn

This course will cover the following:

• A brief recap on the Care Act 2014 key provisions
• Assessments - the process, problems and obstacles
• Advocacy - the provision in s.67 and how it is being interpreted
• Carers - how far the Care Act covers them and how far they are supported
• Respite care
• Budgets for carers, and payments to them
• Costs - cost capping: new provisions on this
• Direct payments
• Top-ups
• The means test - financial limits and how interpreted
• Budgets and how they are allocated
• Meeting of needs - how far McDonald still represents the law
• What is need? How does it relate to the well-being duty?
• Where does social care end?
• Use of technology to minimise the need for human intervention
• The public sector equality duty
• Care plans - when and how they can be cut, and how to challenge cuts
• Accommodation and how it is managed
• The interface with the NHS: how did this operate during the pandemic, and what is the way forward?