Reforming Care & Support: The Social Care White Paper

The most radical reform of the social care system in 64 years has been announced today.

Key elements of the Government’s plans include:

• People will be confident about the quality of care: ruling out crude “contracting by the minute” that turns care workers into clock watchers and consult on whether more should be done to prioritise continuity of care if a provider goes out of business.
• People will be treated with dignity and respect: more care workers will be trained and they will deliver high quality care. Dignity and respect will be at the heart of a new code of conduct and national minimum training standards will be set. 
• Everyone will know what they are entitled to: access to care will be consistent through a national threshold for basic care and people will not have their care interrupted if they move around the country.
• Everyone will have control over their care: people will have clear, practical information and advice on the care system and a way to report bad care. People who receive state support will be in charge of their budget and have control of their care. To support people to live independently for as long as possible, we will inject £200 million into the supported housing market over the next five years
• Carers will have new rights to public support: the draft Care and Support Bill will, for the first time ever, enshrine in law rights which place carers on the same footing as the people they care for.

Full article on the Department of Health

Take a look at the full paper: 'Caring for our Future: reforming care and support'
(Pages of most relevance to Carers are pages 12, 14-17, 29-35, 41-42, 45-46 and the concluding chapters)

Social care plans 'simply paper over the cracks'

The elderly and disabled face years of misery because the government has failed in its overhaul of social care, council leaders and campaigners say.

The Local Government Association accused ministers of "papering over the cracks" after they refused to commit to capping the lifetime costs people face.

Last year an official review recommended a limit of £35,000.

But the government said while a cap was the "right basis" for change, it needed more time to look for cheaper options.

Full Article on BBC News

Social care funding clarity urged

The government is setting out its White Paper on social care later, amid calls for greater clarity on how it plans to fund the system in England.

The government has said it agrees in principle with the idea of capping how much people have to pay but it will not explain how or when this will happen.

Instead it will focus on promising more equal access to council care for elderly and disabled people.

But charities and council leaders say greater clarity is urgently needed.

Full Article on BBC News

Carers to be given respite holidays

The “sandwich generation”, who care for their elderly parents while supporting children, are expected to gain a new entitlement to services to help them look after their families. Under government plans, councils will be required to arrange support such as short “respite” holidays, assistance with transport or training in care techniques.

Ministers are concerned that people of all ages who have to care for frail or disabled family members are currently treated as “second-class citizens”. A White Paper on reforming care for the elderly and disabled adults is due to be published later this month and will detail the new arrangements.

Paul Burstow, the care services minister, told The Daily Telegraph that the current arrangements were leaving people to struggle on their own.

Full Article on Telegraph

Must spend money on crumbling care system

In a letter to The Daily Telegraph, the alliance tells of an “urgent and deepening crisis” affecting some of the most vulnerable people.

It appeals to the Government to overhaul the system and commit extra money to it. The plea comes days after council leaders warned that the cost of paying for social care was threatening to swallow funds for other important services.

The Care and Support Alliance, which includes charities and support groups working with the elderly and disabled, is increasing pressure on the Government to commit to a new system of funding care.

The Government is finalising a White Paper on how care services could work more closely with the NHS.

Full Article on Telegraph