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The Care Act

Overview

The Care Act received Royal Assent in May 2014, revising social care legislation which has evolved piecemeal for over sixty years and become cumbersome, confusing and outdated. The Care Act creates a single modern law that makes it clear what kind of care people can expect and how it will be provided. It seeks to rebalance the focus of and support towards promoting wellbeing, preventing and delaying need and putting people and the outcomes which are most important to them at the heart of the system.

The Act will be implemented in two phases, with the first taking effect in April 2015. Key areas of change for phase one include:

  • General responsibilities on local authorities to focus on prevention, promote the wellbeing of their residents and provide them with information and advice
  • A requirement for local authorities to create a market of diverse and high quality care and support service providers
  • The introduction of a new, consistent national eligibility criteria
  • New rights to support for carers - on an equivalent basis to the people they care for
  • Legal rights to direct payments and personal budgets

In order to ensure the effective implementation of the actions and requirements arising from the Care Act, Cheshire West and Chester Council has established a project group to lead on key areas and will communicate implications and developments on an ongoing basis.