Care Act 2014

Care Act statutory guidance - refreshed edition published

On the 10 March 2016 the Department of Health published the refreshed edition of the care and support statutory guidance. View the refreshed edition of the guidance.

The Care Act is the biggest change to English adult social care law in over 60 years, which aims to make a difference to some of the most vulnerable people and their carers in Telford.

The Care Act came into effect from 1 April 2015 and the key areas of change are:

• local authorities will have a general responsibility to promote people’s well-being, focusing on prevention and providing information and advice
• the introduction of a consistent, national eligibility criteria
• new rights to support for carers, so they have the same rights as the people for whom they care
• legal right to a personal budget and direct payment
• the extension of local authority adult social care responsibility to include prisons, and new responsibilities around transition, provider failure, supporting people who move between local authority areas and safeguarding.

Care and support is 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
• keeping in touch with friends or family.

The main changes to care and support were:

• a national level of care and support needs across all councils. You can find out more about Telford & Wrekin Councils assessment process by viewing our Care Act assessment and eligibility criteria information pages.
• councils having to work together to make sure you don’t have a gap in your care if you move to another area in England.
• more help for carers, you can find out more by reading our Looking After Someone information pages.
• deferred payment agreements extended to all of England (so you shouldn’t have to sell your home in your lifetime to pay for your care). To find out more you can view our Deferred payment agreement advice and information pack and our Paying for care information pages.
• protection from unlimited care costs (‘cap on care costs’). Major reforms to the way that social care is funded have been delayed until April 2020. For more information, please see the care and support reform (cap on care costs) Delay FAQs and care and support – what’s changing? on the NHS Choices website. For more information on the Governments communication Delay in the implementation of the cap on care costs.

You could benefit from the changes if you:

• receive care and support
• support someone as a carer
• are planning for future care and support.

For more information please view our Frequently Asked Questions:

• Section 1: General FAQs
• Section 2: Deferred Payment Agreements FAQs
• Section 3: Needs and Eligibility FAQs
• Section 4: Support for Carers FAQs
• Care and support reform (cap on care costs) delay FAQs.

There are also more detailed Care Act fact sheets. These provide an overview, and describe the duties and powers of councils to carry out the changes.

Other useful links:

• The Care Act - easy read version
• An introduction to the Care Act 2014 - a video presentation produced by Social Care Institute for Excellence
• Care and support – What’s changing?.

Last updated: 7.21pm on Wednesday 28 August 2019