The Care Act 2014 states that all local councils must provide help to adults with care needs in a certain way. The Act tells us how we must set up our service, who we should help and how that help is paid for.

The Act tells us to make sure we are putting the person in need at the heart of any plans we make to provide and support their care. We must respect a person's right to make their own choices where possible, which means that we must provide a range of high quality care options locally to suit individual needs, preferences and financial situations.

To meet these duties, the council as a whole must:

• promote individual wellbeing
• prevent needs for care and support
• provide information and advice

Our adult social care provision must:

• promote integration of care and support with health services
• make sure a range of high-quality services are available locally
• assess people’s needs and decide how to meet them
• make and regularly review a personalised care plan for each person in need of provisioned support
• inform individuals about how much their care will cost them, and whether we will contribute
• keep adults with care and support needs safe from harm and abuse

The Act also directs how central government must support adults in care. This includes:

• care standards, including the role of the Care Quality Commission in rating hospitals, care homes and home care providers 
• a single national threshold for eligibility to care and support
• an explanation of the rights of individuals to have choices in their care, through care plans and personal budgets

Someone to help you take part in conversations with us

We must involve people in decisions about their care and support, and provide an advocate where the person has substantial difficulty being involved and has no appropriate individual to support them.

Support for carers

Many people provide unpaid care or support to an adult family member or friend, either in their own home or somewhere else. This can include helping with their washing, dressing, eating, taking them to regular appointments, keeping them company when they feel lonely or anxious, and many other types of support.

If this sounds like you, you may be able to get more help so that you can carry on caring and look after your own wellbeing. Visit the BCP Carers Support website for more information.