Independent Age

25 March 2015 1

Implementation of the Care Act 2014

Understanding the programmeof reform for April 2015 and April 2016

The Care Act 2014

• The Care Act became law in May 2014 and comes into force from April 2015

• The Care Act intends to update and consolidate the previously fragmented state of social care law

• The biggest change will be the new laws around the care cap that will come into force in April 2016.

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The principles of the Care Act

• Wellbeing at the heart of legislation

• Expanded duties to prevent care needs and provide information and advice

• There are new responsibilities for integratinghealth and social care services and ensuring cooperation between adult and carers services

• Market shaping must ensure an ‘effective and efficient’ local care market.

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The big numbers

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Reforms: April 2015

• Legal right to a care needs assessment (including carers)

• New national eligibility criteria

• Everyone who gets a care package to receive a personal budget

• Advocacy support

• National deferred payments scheme.

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Reforms: April 2016

• New thresholds for charging for council support

• Right to ask the council to arrange care services for you, even if you are a self-funder

• Right to appeal

• Care Cap.

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What the care cap “caps”

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Challenges for implementation

• Funding

• Training

• Infrastructure

• Public awareness.

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National Government still has to fix…

• Lack of funding: £3bn +

• Low levels of public understanding

• Fragmented health and care systems

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Spending Review 2015

Awareness campaign ahead of 2016

Single health and care system.

Thank you

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Andrew Kaye

Head of Policy and Campaigns

Independent Age

Andrew.kaye@independentage.org

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