CARE AND SUPPORT ACROSS CALDERDALE
25th February 2015
Key Areas For Change – April 2016
- General responsibilities on local authorities including promoting people’s wellbeing, focusing on prevention and providing information and advice
- The introduction of a consistent, national eligibility criteria, New rights to support for carers, on an equivalent basis to the people they care for
- Legal right to a personal budget and direct payment on eligible needs
- 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.
Major reforms to the way that social care is funded will be effective from April 2016, including:
A lifetime ‘cap’ of no more than £72,000 for individuals on reasonable care costs to meet their eligible needs, and
An increase in the capital threshold for people in residential care who own their own home. This amount is yet to be communicated.
What have we done so far?
- A dedicated Transformation Board was established in July last year which is focusing on all the Care Act changes.
- Task and Finish Groups are well established
- The assessment process has been re-designed to support the changes.
- There have been a lot of IT changes for Calderdale’s internal systems.
- Leaflets and Brochures have been reviewed and updated to be Care Act complient.
- Training sessions have commenced for all impacted staff.
- Public awareness campaigns are being run at a national level, there is also a regional approach and a local approach.
- These briefings are also being offered to our Providers, Carers Groups, Elected Members, User Led Organisations, Voluntary Groups, Health etc.
Workforce Development
Regional training took place in January for senior managers. Skills for Care have developed a range of training packages which Workforce Development have tailored for Calderdale.
- In-house training is being planned for:
- Impacted staff
- Providers
- Carers
What will this mean for Adults, Health and Social Care?
Increased calls into Gateway to Care from self funders from 1st April 2015 wanting to register for the care cap.
- More assessments will be carried out for self funders.
- Changes to the customer journey.
- Questions from service users and carers as to how this will impacts them.
- Possible legal challenges around the care cap.
- Changes to CIS.
- Use of the NHS Number.
- Changes to the literature we send out.
- Training for all impacted staff.
Further Information
We have a dedicated web site for members of the public and professionals which provides more information – http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/socialcare/careact2014/index.html
More detail on the Care Act from the Department of Health is available through the following link which gives much more information on what the Care Act means and how local authorities must respond. :- Care Act 2014: statutory guidance for implementation – Publications – GOV.UK
If you have any questions, please contact Ann Ogilvie on 01422 393961 or ann.ogilvie@calderdale.gov.uk
If you want to register as a self funder from 1st April 2015 contact Gateway to Care on 01422 393000.
