The Care Act (2014)

Outer East Community Committee

Sukhdev Dosanjh(Chief Officer- Adult Social Care Reforms)Leeds City Council

27th January 2015

Purpose of the Session

• To provide an overview of the Care Act (2014)

• To identify concerns, issues and opportunities in Leeds

• To consider the planned Community Engagement activities in Leeds.

The role of Adult Social Services through “Better Lives” is to..

• Provide a range of services which support people (and their carers) who need help as a result of illness, disability, old age or poverty.

• Ensure the care and safety of vulnerable adults

• Assess people’s needs to determine whether they are entitled to support.

• Provide good support for carers.

• Help people to live in their own homes for as long as possible.

• Commission a range of services from care providers in the community and decide what kinds of services should be provided, who should provide them and how they should be paid for.

An Act about “health and wellbeing” in Leeds…

What is the Care Act (2014)?

• The biggest change to adult social care services in over 60 years

• Creates one new adult social care “consolidating statute “

• Will come into effect from 1 April 2015

• Establish a care cap on lifetime care costs, care accounts and a more generous means test will be in place from 1 April 2016

• Places an individual’s wellbeing at the heart of social care

“The wellbeing principle”

• Runs through the whole act.• Guiding principle that puts “wellbeing” at the heart of care

and support.• Applies in all cases no exceptions.• Requirement to work together with other public bodies

including the NHS and other services for the benefit of all local people.

The key new duties

• National Minimum Eligibility Threshold- to determine what care needs will be entitled to support from the Council

• Carers- to assess their need for support and provide services.

• Prevention- to prevent, reduce or delay the need for care and support.

• Integration- to integrate social services with local NHS partners.

• Advice and Information- to provide an information and advice for adults including carers.

• Market Oversight & Shaping Care Markets- to promote effective and high quality services and have regard to the sufficiency of provision.

• Personalisation- legal entitlement to personal budgets and direct payments.

• Safeguarding- statutory basis for safeguarding.

The ‘I’ statements

I am supported to maintain my independence for as long as possible.

I understand how care and support works, and what my entitlements and responsibilities are.

I am happy with the quality of my care and support.

I know that the person giving me care and support will treat me with dignity and respect.

.

I am in control of my care and support.

I have greater certainty and peace of mind knowing about how much I will have to pay for my care and support needs.

.

So how will we make the Act work in Leeds?

Our principles and approach

Spending money wisely.

we will take a value for money approach by having the right number of staff with the right skills and adopt simpler systems and processes

• ‘No wrong door’No wrong Doo‘No wrong door’.

so that ….wherever our local people approach us, staff provide good information and advice to promote their wellbeing and they know where to go for help

Customer is at the heart…

So that… their views, wishes, and desired outcomes are always

considered

Informed decisions.

So that.. our local people will have enough information to decide for themselves about how best to meet their own needs

Timely decisions.

We will make decisions about people’s legal entitlement to services as quickly as possible.

Helping People to help themselves.

So, we will continue to support people to live for as long as possible in their own homes

A well- trained workforce for the future.

We will train staff and ensure that they are equipped to do their jobs confidently and safely

Use of technology.

We will continue to use technology to help us manage the increasing and changing demands facing adult social services

Not without challenges…

• Timeline- 3 months to “go live” date on 1 April 2015

• Revolution v Evolution- health and wellbeing, carers, arranging services around people’s lives

• Costs v funding – there is no new money! The Council will need to make significant savings in 2015/16.

• HR/Workforce – training and developing critical path of workforce design and capacity

Community Engagement - Approach

• Engage key stakeholders to raise awareness of the provisions within the Care Act (2014)

• Use Existing Community Networks, engagement forums and boards

• “Experts by experience” to help to shape and improve services;

• Consistent Leeds approach with national milestones and public awareness programme set nationally and regionally;

• Legal compliance- meet obligations set out in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act (2007) and the Equality Act (2010).

Community Engagement Activities

• 3 Care Act (2014)/Integration area events East North East, South East and West North West. (March/April)

• National Awareness Campaign

• Stakeholder Care Act Briefings (on-going)

• Blogs

• Briefings at 3rd Sector meetings

• Advice and Information Event/s (Sept)

Some of the areas we may want to think about …

• National Public Awareness Campaign & Community Engagement –managing expectations

• How do we make the most of the existing “Leeds Offer” with regard to: 3rd sector, community networks, Citizens@Leeds, Community Hubs, Neighbourhood Networks?

• What additional support do you need to help understand the Care Act and help to deliver it?

• How do we improve our Adult Social Care Offer to all citizens in our local communities?

Questions