Care Act: Part 1 Guidance published

Wed,22 October 2014
News

Statutory guidance to support implementation of part 1 of the Care Act 2014 by local authorities

Today sees the long awaited publication of the final guidelines and regulations underpinning part 1 of the Care Act 2014.  These will come into effect in April 2015.  It marks the culmination of a long process of consultation and argument about social care reform dating back to when the Law Commission first proposed sorting out the mess of the myriad of pieces of legislation in this area back in 2008.  Throughout this time, Disability Rights UK and our predecessor organisations have been involved in putting the case for support needs to be met in a way that gives us choice and control in our lives and independent living.

The publication of the regulations and guidance is as important to disabled people as it is to professionals working in social care.  The guidance gives us some ammunition to hold local authorities to account for their actions and decisions and gives an indication of what best practice should look like.  Of course local authorities are chronically short of resources to do the job that the Care Act requires but we also need to see a cultural shift in the way our support needs are responded to.

Two aspects of the guidance should be particularly noted.  Firstly the provision for portability to be able to move from one local authority to another and continue to have support needs met, and secondly the guidance concerning the transfer of the ILF.

We will be producing more information about the regulations and guidance as the implementation date approaches.  You can also contact our self directed support helpline.

The guide is 506 pages long but there is also a 46 page easy read summary of the guidance. To view them go to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-2014-statutory-guidance-for-implementation

The government has produced its response to the consultation on the Care Act Guidance and Regulations at  https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/updating-our-care-and-support-system-draft-regulations-and-guidance

You can view our response to the consultation at http://disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2014/august/care-act-guidance-and-regulations-response

More information

We have produced a resource page of Acts, regulations, guidance and information on what the Care Act means to you.