Reform of the Adult Social Care System

Adult Social services take up a huge proportion of local government's expenditure, and is one of the most pressing issues facing the country. This project is about how to provide more choice, freedom to choose and, most importantly a funding system that will be able to cope with the changing demographics of the UK. We are also interested in the practicalities of localisation of adult social care, and how the system can be better integrated with other local public services to ensure a better service for all.

2 Articles

What are the Priorities for Reform of the Adult Social Care System? - [Publications - Discussion Note, Jan 19, 2009]

Tackling the Issues Associated with 'At Risk' Families in Deprived Areas - [Events, Nov 11, 2008]

An important discussion on the issues around tackling one of the country’s most pressing social concerns – that of the decline of the family.

Related Local Government News Articles

26 Related Local Government News Articles

Care will be free under plan - [Local Government News, Mar 30, 2010]

Elderly people who have been in residential care for two years will have the costs paid for the rest of their lives under Labour plans to reshape the welfare state, The Times has learnt

'Trailblazer' councils named - [Local Government News, Feb 25, 2010]

Eight authorities - or groups of councils - have been named to take part in the next stage of personalised budgets for disabled people. The ‘trailblazer’ areas will be testing the Right To Control initiative which aims to give disabled adults more choice and control over the state funding they receive.

Councils weigh in on care - [Local Government News, Feb 16, 2010]

Councils yesterday stepped up opposition to the Government’s promise of free care at home for the elderly. The surprise pledge made by Gordon Brown last year was criticised for cutting across efforts to find a way of funding elderly care, which have sparked fury by raising the prospect of a so-called “death tax”.

Care plan misleads the elderly - [Local Government News, Feb 10, 2010]

More than 70 leaders of social care throughout England are warning that the Government’s plans to provide free home care are flawed, unfunded and will force cuts to current services.

Parties urged to act on care - [Local Government News, Oct 22, 2009]

The main political parties should commit to handing primary care trust commissioning responsibilities to local authorities as part of their election manifestos, LGC readers have suggested.

Cost of free social care - [Local Government News, Oct 8, 2009]

Senior local government figures are calling for urgent talks with the Department of Health amid fears that Labour’s proposed National Care Service will commit councils to future funding burdens that are impossible to quantify

Care scheme may need top-ups - [Local Government News, Oct 6, 2009]

Elderly people who pay £8,000 to join the Conservatives’ proposed residential care scheme may still have to pay annual top-ups, The Times has learnt.

Councils to take £250m hit - [Local Government News, Sep 30, 2009]

Gordon Brown’s guarantee to introduce a national care service looks set to blow a £250m hole in local authority budgets. The Department of Health has put the scheme’s annual cost at £670m. It will contribute £420m leaving councils to find £250m.

1 in 4 wrongly believe government will pay for care - [Local Government News, Sep 18, 2009]

One in four people mistakenly believes the Government will pay for all of their care in old age, according to a Department of Health survey. In addition, half of those questioned underestimated the true cost of moving into a care home in their twilight years by as much as £20,000.

Predicted surge in demand for care - [Local Government News, Sep 17, 2009]

A 15-year decline in demand for care home places has come to an end ahead of a predicted surge, according to a new report on the UK independent care home industry.

Essex Cares bidding for PCT role - [Local Government News, Sep 11, 2009]

Essex County Council’s new social care trading company could earn the authority upwards of £3m a year in dividends and may take over the running of some local PCT services, bosses have revealed.

Elderly will lose their home care - [Local Government News, Sep 7, 2009]

A Whitehall report provides strong evidence that the weakest and most vulnerable are likely to suffer first from spending cuts. The restrictions mean that by next spring about 600,000 elderly will have lost the right to free home help since 2006

Union warns of a 'Granny P' tragedy - [Local Government News, Aug 19, 2009]

An adult social services outrage on a par with the Baby P tragedy is bound to happen without urgent reform to the current system, Britain’s largest public-sector union has warned.

Green paper 'will not risk' personalisation agenda - [Local Government News, Jul 22, 2009]

LGA claims that one suggested funding model in the just-published social care green paper is “at odds” with the personalisation agenda have been called into question

Care funding battle looms - [Local Government News, Jul 16, 2009]

The use of council tax to fund local social care services could be banned as part of proposals to end ‘postcode lotteries’ in the government’s long-awaited social care green paper.

£20,000 bill for long-term care - [Local Government News, Jul 14, 2009]

Care for the elderly will deteriorate without a controversial new care insurance scheme, Health Secretary Andy Burnham insisted last night.As he prepared to unveil the biggest shake-up of social care in a generation, Mr Burnham told the Daily Mail that the Government has not yet decided whether to make payments into the scheme voluntary or compulsory.

End of two-tier care-home regime - [Local Government News, Jul 13, 2009]

Plans to scrap the two-tier system of long-term care for the elderly, which gives no help to thousands of middle-class families, will be outlined this week. Ministers are proposing the creation of a universal system giving all families the same “basic entitlement” to help, with the same legal protection, right to an assessment of needs and help in navigating the complex fees of care homes.

No need for elderly to sell home - [Local Government News, Jul 1, 2009]

Elderly people will no longer be forced to sell their homes to pay for care under government proposals to be unveiled next week in a long awaited green paper on tackling the spiralling cost of care for an ageing population.

Massive rise in care charges - [Local Government News, Jun 28, 2009]

Fees for elderly people receiving help with tasks like washing, dressing and eating have risen by an average of 45 per cent since 2007, with councils using stealth tactics to disguise the steepest increases.

£12,000 levy in return for free elderly care - [Local Government News, Jun 14, 2009]

Britons who fear having to sell their homes in old age to pay for health treatment could instead pay the Government up to £12,000 for long-term care, under new proposals being considered by ministers.

Social care system changes urged - [Local Government News, Jun 11, 2009]

The imminent social care green paper will include insurance-based options as well as a minimum level of care support in its proposals, the King’s Fund has predicted

Most carers 'hit breaking point' - [Local Government News, Jun 8, 2009]

The pressure of being a carer has forced three out of four of them to "breaking point", according to a poll carried out by a partnership of 10 UK care charities ahead of this week's Carers Week

Public 'still ignorant of social care system' - [Local Government News, May 28, 2009]

Confusion over the failings of the current social care system and a reluctance to look after elderly relatives could hamper public debate on the government’s impending Green Paper, a survey has warned

More care homes being closed - [Local Government News, Apr 9, 2009]

An increasing number of independent care homes for the elderly are being closed because of the recession.

Where others fear to tread - [Local Government News, Mar 11, 2009]

Retired social workers are being targeted in an effort to fill shortages

Number of elderly people receiving home care falls - [Local Government News, Jan 7, 2009]

The number of elderly people receiving care in their homes has fallen by 17 per cent since Labour allowed councils to restrict help to the most needy.