What is the Care Act?
Introduction
The new Care Act introduced a simpler, single, method to access care and support to meet your needs which will be the same wherever you live in England.
Care and support is the term used to describe the help which adults of any age might need at any point in their lives. This may include washing, dressing, eating, getting out and about and keeping in touch with friends or family.
Many of us will need care and support at some point in our lives, and most people will pay at least something toward the cost of their care.
The new changes were designed to help you plan and put you in control of the help you may need and receive. Any decisions about your care and support will consider your wellbeing and what is important for you and your family.
By helping people to be as independent as possible we can help them to prevent, reduce or delay their need for care and support.
What are we doing to implement the Care Act? Back to top
The Care Act came into effect from 1 April 2015.
We offer the advice and information recommended by the Care Act on our web pages. The pages provide information, advice and guidance on care and support for people of all ages.
We also have a directory called Staffordshire Connects. This is an online directory of services and activities. It is a key way to find out about the range of providers in your area.
Other responsibilities, such as the cap on care costs, will require a lot of preparation to implement, as well as working in partnership with clients, carers and our partner organisations in the independent and voluntary sectors.
How might some of these changes affect you? Back to top
To help you remain independent, keep well and be happy you are entitled to receive advice and support from the council which could include:
The Care Act entitles you to ask your council for a needs assessment, which will look at all your care and support needs.
What does the Care Act mean for carers? Back to top
If you are a carer, looking after your family, a friend or even neighbours the Care Act recognises how important you are.
The Care Act gives carers the same rights as the people they care for. As a carer you are also entitled to ask for a needs assessment, and if you are eligible, then you will have access to help and support yourself.
More people will be able to get financial help from us to pay for the care and support they need. We will need to know about your savings, income and investments to work out if we can help.
What does the Act do for you if you need care and support and are entitled to financial help? Back to top
You can either:
- ask us to organise your care and support for you
or
- you can choose to have a direct payment.
What if you have enough money to pay for your own care? Back to top
If you are eligible for care and support, we will offer you a care and support plan which suggests ways of meeting your needs. We will direct you to independent financial advice to help you plan.
If you are eligible, we will set up a care account for you, so that you can record how much money you are spending on the care and support you need. There is a lifetime limit to the amount of money you will have to pay. This is called a cap on your care costs.
If you need residential or nursing care and need to sell your home to pay the fees, you will be able to choose to delay selling your home until you are ready, or even until after death.
What else does the Care Act do? Back to top
- The Act makes it easier for you to move to a different council area, maybe closer to your family, without needing to worry about your needs being met.
- It also means everyone who is involved in your care and support has to help keep you safe.
- It will put you in control of the care and support that you receive, and ensure you get the help and advice you need.
There is a lot of information and advice on our pages.
Alternatively, you can contact our Staffordshire Cares team.