Meeting the Challenges of
the Care Act
Virginia McCririck for the RCPA
Conference on 26th November 2014
National Change
Three Year Budget
Gap of £41.5m
Change Drivers
Alternative Delivery
Models and
Commercialisation
Service and Quality
Improvement
Pace and scale
Partnership & Multi
Agency Working
Strategic challenges
Competing
Demands
Public Expectations
SCC - Adult Social Care Base Budgets 2010/11 to 2014/15
145
140
135
£m
130
125
120
2010/11
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
4
5
Adults Vision
“People in Somerset will remain independent for as long as
possible because we help their families and communities give them
the support they need to reduce the risk of them losing their
independence.
When people do need care or support this will be through high
quality, joined up social care, health and wellbeing services. These
should where possible enhance rather than replace their existing
informal support networks.
People will be in control of the care and support services they
receive, so that these are delivered where, when, and by the people
they want, and achieve the outcomes that are important for them.”
What will it look like ?
The Care Act
Vision
 To promote people’s
independence and
wellbeing by enabling
them to prevent and
postpone the need for
care and support.
 To transform
people’s experience of
care and support,
putting them in control
and ensuring that
services respond to
what they want.
This means that, in the future, we
expect people will be able to say:
1. “I am supported to maintain my
independence for as long as possible”
2. “I understand how care and support works,
and what my entitlements are”
3. “I am happy with the quality of my care and support”
4. “I know that the person giving me care and
support will treat me with dignity and respect”
5. “I am in control of my care and support”
What does the Care Act do?
The Act is built around people, it:
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Ensures that people’s well-being, and the outcomes which
matter to them, will be at the heart of every decision that is
made
Puts carers on the same footing as those they care for
Creates a new focus on preventing and delaying needs
for care and support, rather than only intervening at crisis
point
Puts personal budgets on a legislative footing for the first
time, which people will be able to receive as direct payments
if they wish.
What does the Care Act do?
The Act makes care and support clearer
and fairer, it:
• Reforms the funding system by introducing a cap on the
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care costs that people will incur in their lifetime.
Will ensure that people do not have to sell their homes in
their lifetime to pay for residential care, by providing for a
new universal deferred payments scheme;
Provides for a single national threshold for eligibility to
care and support;
Gives new guarantees to ensure continuity of care when
people move between areas
Has new protections to ensure that no one goes without
care if their providers fails, regardless of who pays
Has new provisions to ensure that young adults are not left
without care and support during their transition to the
adult care and support system.
Care Act Implications
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The detailed regulation and guidance to be further considered
The implications of a national eligibility framework, new
responsibilities for self funders, and carers need to be worked
through
There are major strategic, financial, organisation and
administration implications for SCC and our partners
The financial implications are being debated nationally; we will
be stretched to respond with creativity and innovation to meet
all requirements within available resources.
We have used the ADASS approach to demand and financial
modelling to appraise the implications.
Key Dates
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Deferred payments for implementation April 2015
Additional assessments and changes to eligibility for
implementation April 2015
Advice and information for implementation April 2015
Integration of Health and Social Care through the Better
Care Fund
Cap on costs for implementation April 2016
What will this mean for SCC?
• Changes to the way we commission services – move away
from block contracts
• Facilitating development of the market
• Growth of voluntary and community sector
• Closer working with users, and providers to plan and
develop new services
• Increased accountability to service users – Local Account
• Improved information and advice – e-market place
• New roles for staff
• Focus on outcomes and person centred planning
• Stronger partnerships across the Council
• Closer working with health
• Changes to back office systems and IT
What does that mean for our
customers?
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Telling their story once
A clear pathway to the right solution first time
Focus on independence at all stages
Being regularly reviewed and not viewing services as an
entitlement
Receiving high quality information and advice
Having genuine choice in how to meet their agreed
outcomes
Carers able to access assessment and support
Active co-production of services
Services closer to home that offer value for money
Clarity about what the Council does and doesn’t do
Questions and Feedback?
Virginia McCririck
Strategic Commissioning Manager
vcmccririck@somerset.gov.uk