Workforce

The Care Act has undoubtedly brought about significant changes in the landscape of adult social care. The Act introduced crucial reforms aimed at promoting wellbeing, safeguarding individuals and ensuring person-centred care. Its emphasis on prevention, integration and a person’s right to control their care are commendable and, a decade on, the core principles of the Act have only grown in importance.

The Care Act 2014 (the Act) was broadly welcomed by social workers from the outset. It expressed key social work values and good practices like no other recent legislation and, through Statutory Guidance if not on the face of Act, recognised social workers’ specific contribution, roles, and skills.

Transitions assessments and care planning: a gap that needs a better bridge.

As we mark the ten-year milestone since The Care Act received Royal Assent, I reflect on its impact and effectiveness in achieving its goals of personalisation, choice, and autonomy in social care.

Until domiciliary care work in England is organised differently and subject to improved pay and employment conditions, I hope to only ever remain a part-time member of the workforce, though this is much to my regret, given my love for the work itself.

Within the UK there is a growing social care funding gap with the number of adults in receipt of this care progressively falling, in spite of trends towards an ageing population.